Circumpolar Deep Water Impacts Glacial Meltwater Export and Coastal Biogeochemical Cycling Along the West Antarctic Peninsula
Warming along the Antarctic Peninsula has led to an increase in the export of glacial meltwater to the coastal ocean. While observations to date suggest that this freshwater export acts as an important forcing on the marine ecosystem, the processes linking ice–ocean interactions to lower trophic-lev...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00144 https://doaj.org/article/7abe12a17f3c4a27a86f5574ca626c2b |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:7abe12a17f3c4a27a86f5574ca626c2b 2023-05-15T14:05:15+02:00 Circumpolar Deep Water Impacts Glacial Meltwater Export and Coastal Biogeochemical Cycling Along the West Antarctic Peninsula Mattias R. Cape Maria Vernet Erin C. Pettit Julia Wellner Martin Truffer Garrett Akie Eugene Domack Amy Leventer Craig R. Smith Bruce A. Huber 2019-03-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00144 https://doaj.org/article/7abe12a17f3c4a27a86f5574ca626c2b EN eng Frontiers Media S.A. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00144/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00144 https://doaj.org/article/7abe12a17f3c4a27a86f5574ca626c2b Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 6 (2019) Antarctic Peninsula phytoplankton meltwater ice–ocean nutrients productivity Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 article 2019 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00144 2022-12-31T08:58:17Z Warming along the Antarctic Peninsula has led to an increase in the export of glacial meltwater to the coastal ocean. While observations to date suggest that this freshwater export acts as an important forcing on the marine ecosystem, the processes linking ice–ocean interactions to lower trophic-level growth, particularly in coastal bays and fjords, are poorly understood. Here, we identify salient hydrographic features in Barilari Bay, a west Antarctic Peninsula fjord influenced by warm modified Upper Circumpolar Deep Water. In this fjord, interactions between the glaciers and ocean act as a control on coastal circulation, contributing to the redistribution of water masses in an upwelling plume and a vertical flux of nutrients toward the euphotic zone. This nutrient-rich plume, containing glacial meltwater but primarily composed of ambient ocean waters including modified Upper Circumpolar Deep Water, spreads through the fjord as a 150-m thick layer in the upper water column. The combination of meltwater-driven stratification, long residence time of the surface plume owing to weak circulation, and nutrient enrichment promotes phytoplankton growth within the fjord, as evidenced by shallow phytoplankton blooms and concomitant nutrient drawdown at the fjord mouth in late February. Gradients in meltwater distributions are further paralleled by gradients in phytoplankton and benthic community composition. While glacial meltwater export and upwelling of ambient waters in this way contribute to elevated primary and secondary productivity, subsurface nutrient enhancement of glacially modified ocean waters suggests that a portion of these macronutrients, as well any iron upwelled or input in meltwater, are exported to the continental shelf. Sustained atmospheric warming in the coming decades, contributing to greater runoff, would invigorate the marine circulation with consequences for glacier dynamics and biogeochemical cycling within the fjord. We conclude that ice–ocean interactions along the Antarctic Peninsula margins ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Barilari ENVELOPE(-64.700,-64.700,-65.916,-65.916) Barilari Bay ENVELOPE(-64.833,-64.833,-65.833,-65.833) Frontiers in Marine Science 6 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Antarctic Peninsula phytoplankton meltwater ice–ocean nutrients productivity Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
spellingShingle |
Antarctic Peninsula phytoplankton meltwater ice–ocean nutrients productivity Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 Mattias R. Cape Maria Vernet Erin C. Pettit Julia Wellner Martin Truffer Garrett Akie Eugene Domack Amy Leventer Craig R. Smith Bruce A. Huber Circumpolar Deep Water Impacts Glacial Meltwater Export and Coastal Biogeochemical Cycling Along the West Antarctic Peninsula |
topic_facet |
Antarctic Peninsula phytoplankton meltwater ice–ocean nutrients productivity Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
description |
Warming along the Antarctic Peninsula has led to an increase in the export of glacial meltwater to the coastal ocean. While observations to date suggest that this freshwater export acts as an important forcing on the marine ecosystem, the processes linking ice–ocean interactions to lower trophic-level growth, particularly in coastal bays and fjords, are poorly understood. Here, we identify salient hydrographic features in Barilari Bay, a west Antarctic Peninsula fjord influenced by warm modified Upper Circumpolar Deep Water. In this fjord, interactions between the glaciers and ocean act as a control on coastal circulation, contributing to the redistribution of water masses in an upwelling plume and a vertical flux of nutrients toward the euphotic zone. This nutrient-rich plume, containing glacial meltwater but primarily composed of ambient ocean waters including modified Upper Circumpolar Deep Water, spreads through the fjord as a 150-m thick layer in the upper water column. The combination of meltwater-driven stratification, long residence time of the surface plume owing to weak circulation, and nutrient enrichment promotes phytoplankton growth within the fjord, as evidenced by shallow phytoplankton blooms and concomitant nutrient drawdown at the fjord mouth in late February. Gradients in meltwater distributions are further paralleled by gradients in phytoplankton and benthic community composition. While glacial meltwater export and upwelling of ambient waters in this way contribute to elevated primary and secondary productivity, subsurface nutrient enhancement of glacially modified ocean waters suggests that a portion of these macronutrients, as well any iron upwelled or input in meltwater, are exported to the continental shelf. Sustained atmospheric warming in the coming decades, contributing to greater runoff, would invigorate the marine circulation with consequences for glacier dynamics and biogeochemical cycling within the fjord. We conclude that ice–ocean interactions along the Antarctic Peninsula margins ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mattias R. Cape Maria Vernet Erin C. Pettit Julia Wellner Martin Truffer Garrett Akie Eugene Domack Amy Leventer Craig R. Smith Bruce A. Huber |
author_facet |
Mattias R. Cape Maria Vernet Erin C. Pettit Julia Wellner Martin Truffer Garrett Akie Eugene Domack Amy Leventer Craig R. Smith Bruce A. Huber |
author_sort |
Mattias R. Cape |
title |
Circumpolar Deep Water Impacts Glacial Meltwater Export and Coastal Biogeochemical Cycling Along the West Antarctic Peninsula |
title_short |
Circumpolar Deep Water Impacts Glacial Meltwater Export and Coastal Biogeochemical Cycling Along the West Antarctic Peninsula |
title_full |
Circumpolar Deep Water Impacts Glacial Meltwater Export and Coastal Biogeochemical Cycling Along the West Antarctic Peninsula |
title_fullStr |
Circumpolar Deep Water Impacts Glacial Meltwater Export and Coastal Biogeochemical Cycling Along the West Antarctic Peninsula |
title_full_unstemmed |
Circumpolar Deep Water Impacts Glacial Meltwater Export and Coastal Biogeochemical Cycling Along the West Antarctic Peninsula |
title_sort |
circumpolar deep water impacts glacial meltwater export and coastal biogeochemical cycling along the west antarctic peninsula |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00144 https://doaj.org/article/7abe12a17f3c4a27a86f5574ca626c2b |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-64.700,-64.700,-65.916,-65.916) ENVELOPE(-64.833,-64.833,-65.833,-65.833) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Barilari Barilari Bay |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Barilari Barilari Bay |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula |
op_source |
Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 6 (2019) |
op_relation |
https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00144/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00144 https://doaj.org/article/7abe12a17f3c4a27a86f5574ca626c2b |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00144 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
container_volume |
6 |
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1766276993989476352 |