Eddy-induced enhancement of primary production in a model of the north Atlantic Ocean
In steady state, the export of photosynthetically fixed organic matter to the deep ocean has to be balanced by an upward flux of nutrients into the euphotic zone1. Indirect geochemical estimates2 of the nutrient supply to surface waters have been substantially higher than direct biological and physi...
Published in: | Nature |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Nature Publishing Group
1998
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/8029/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/8029/1/Oschlies_Garcon.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/28373 |
id |
ftoceanrep:oai:oceanrep.geomar.de:8029 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftoceanrep:oai:oceanrep.geomar.de:8029 2023-05-15T17:30:39+02:00 Eddy-induced enhancement of primary production in a model of the north Atlantic Ocean Oschlies, Andreas Garcon, Veronique 1998 text https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/8029/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/8029/1/Oschlies_Garcon.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/28373 en eng Nature Publishing Group https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/8029/1/Oschlies_Garcon.pdf Oschlies, A. and Garcon, V. (1998) Eddy-induced enhancement of primary production in a model of the north Atlantic Ocean. Nature, 394 . pp. 266-269. DOI 10.1038/28373 <https://doi.org/10.1038/28373>. doi:10.1038/28373 info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Article PeerReviewed 1998 ftoceanrep https://doi.org/10.1038/28373 2023-04-07T14:56:00Z In steady state, the export of photosynthetically fixed organic matter to the deep ocean has to be balanced by an upward flux of nutrients into the euphotic zone1. Indirect geochemical estimates2 of the nutrient supply to surface waters have been substantially higher than direct biological and physical measurements3, particularly in subtropical regions. A possible explanation for the apparent discrepancy is that the sampling strategy of the direct measurements has under-represented episodic nutrient injections forced by mesoscale eddy dynamics, whereas geochemical tracer budgets integrate fluxes over longer time and space scales. Here we investigate the eddy-induced nutrient supply by combining two methods potentially capable of delivering synoptic descriptions of the ocean's state on a basin scale. Remotely sensed sea-surface height data from the simultaneous TOPEX/Poseidon and ERS-1 satellite missions are assimilated into a numerical eddy-resolving coupled ecosystem–circulation model of the North Atlantic Ocean. Our results indicate that mesoscale eddy activity accounts for about one-third of the total flux of nitrate into the euphotic zone (taken to represent new production) in the subtropics and at mid-latitudes. This contribution is not sufficient to maintain the observed primary production in parts of the subtropical gyre, where alternative routes of nitrogen supply will have to be considered. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) Nature 394 6690 266 269 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
OceanRep (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre für Ocean Research Kiel) |
op_collection_id |
ftoceanrep |
language |
English |
description |
In steady state, the export of photosynthetically fixed organic matter to the deep ocean has to be balanced by an upward flux of nutrients into the euphotic zone1. Indirect geochemical estimates2 of the nutrient supply to surface waters have been substantially higher than direct biological and physical measurements3, particularly in subtropical regions. A possible explanation for the apparent discrepancy is that the sampling strategy of the direct measurements has under-represented episodic nutrient injections forced by mesoscale eddy dynamics, whereas geochemical tracer budgets integrate fluxes over longer time and space scales. Here we investigate the eddy-induced nutrient supply by combining two methods potentially capable of delivering synoptic descriptions of the ocean's state on a basin scale. Remotely sensed sea-surface height data from the simultaneous TOPEX/Poseidon and ERS-1 satellite missions are assimilated into a numerical eddy-resolving coupled ecosystem–circulation model of the North Atlantic Ocean. Our results indicate that mesoscale eddy activity accounts for about one-third of the total flux of nitrate into the euphotic zone (taken to represent new production) in the subtropics and at mid-latitudes. This contribution is not sufficient to maintain the observed primary production in parts of the subtropical gyre, where alternative routes of nitrogen supply will have to be considered. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Oschlies, Andreas Garcon, Veronique |
spellingShingle |
Oschlies, Andreas Garcon, Veronique Eddy-induced enhancement of primary production in a model of the north Atlantic Ocean |
author_facet |
Oschlies, Andreas Garcon, Veronique |
author_sort |
Oschlies, Andreas |
title |
Eddy-induced enhancement of primary production in a model of the north Atlantic Ocean |
title_short |
Eddy-induced enhancement of primary production in a model of the north Atlantic Ocean |
title_full |
Eddy-induced enhancement of primary production in a model of the north Atlantic Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Eddy-induced enhancement of primary production in a model of the north Atlantic Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Eddy-induced enhancement of primary production in a model of the north Atlantic Ocean |
title_sort |
eddy-induced enhancement of primary production in a model of the north atlantic ocean |
publisher |
Nature Publishing Group |
publishDate |
1998 |
url |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/8029/ https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/8029/1/Oschlies_Garcon.pdf https://doi.org/10.1038/28373 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_relation |
https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/8029/1/Oschlies_Garcon.pdf Oschlies, A. and Garcon, V. (1998) Eddy-induced enhancement of primary production in a model of the north Atlantic Ocean. Nature, 394 . pp. 266-269. DOI 10.1038/28373 <https://doi.org/10.1038/28373>. doi:10.1038/28373 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/28373 |
container_title |
Nature |
container_volume |
394 |
container_issue |
6690 |
container_start_page |
266 |
op_container_end_page |
269 |
_version_ |
1766127530853531648 |