High export of dissolved silica from the Greenland Ice Sheet

Silica is an essential element for marine life and plays a key role in the biogeochemistry of the ocean. Glacial activity stimulates rock weathering, generating dissolved silica that is exported to coastal areas along with meltwater. The magnitude of the dissolved silica export from large glacial ar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical Research Letters
Main Authors: Meire, L., Meire, P., Struyf, E., Krawczyk, D. W., Arendt, K. E., Yde, J. C., Pedersen, T. Juul, Hopwood, M. J., Rysgaard, S., Meysman, F. J. R.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2016
Subjects:
silica cycle
Greenland Ice Sheet
biogeochemistry
weathering
PELAGIC PRIMARY PRODUCTION
SUB-ARCTIC FJORD
WEST GREENLAND
NORTHEAST GREENLAND
GLACIER
GEOCHEMISTRY
PHOSPHORUS
TRANSPORT
DISCHARGE
IMPACTS
Arctic
Greenland
glacier
Ice Sheet
Phytoplankton
Online Access:https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/5ca0469d-0554-408d-b8cf-15dac5dd5821
https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070191
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Summary:Silica is an essential element for marine life and plays a key role in the biogeochemistry of the ocean. Glacial activity stimulates rock weathering, generating dissolved silica that is exported to coastal areas along with meltwater. The magnitude of the dissolved silica export from large glacial areas such as the Greenland Ice Sheet is presently poorly quantified and not accounted for in global budgets. Here we present data from two fjord systems adjacent to the Greenland Ice Sheet which reveal a large export of dissolved silica by glacial meltwater relative to other macronutrients. Upscaled to the entire Greenland Ice Sheet, the export of dissolved silica equals 2210GmolSiyr(-1). When the silicate-rich meltwater mixes with upwelled deep water, either inside or outside Greenland's fjords, primary production takes place at increased silicate to nitrate ratios. This likely stimulates the growth of diatoms relative to other phytoplankton groups.

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