Evaluating the balance between vertical diffusive nitrate supply and nitrogen fixation with reference to nitrate uptake in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic Ocean
The balance between N-2 fixation and diffusive NO3- supply is a key determinant for assessing the importance of both processes for new production in subtropical waters. Here we report observations of integrated N-2 fixation rates from the eastern subtropical North Atlantic Ocean with coincident esti...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2013
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10553/72249 https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20416 |
id |
ftunivlaspalmas:oai:accedacris.ulpgc.es:10553/72249 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivlaspalmas:oai:accedacris.ulpgc.es:10553/72249 2023-05-15T17:28:53+02:00 Evaluating the balance between vertical diffusive nitrate supply and nitrogen fixation with reference to nitrate uptake in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic Ocean Painter, Stuart C. Patey, Matthew D. Forryan, Alexander Torres-Valdes, Sinhue 23493678200 23571017700 54953312500 25623903800 1210068 2548609 3584376 2124634 WOS:Painter, SC WOS:Patey, MD WOS:Forryan, A WOS:Torres-Valdes, S 2013 http://hdl.handle.net/10553/72249 https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20416 eng eng Journal of geophysical research. Oceans 118 2169-9275 WoS http://hdl.handle.net/10553/72249 doi:10.1002/jgrc.20416 84890282728 000327380100062 2169-9291 10 Journal Of Geophysical Research-Oceans [ISSN 2169-9275], v. 118 (10), p. 5732-5749, (Octubre 2013) 2510 Oceanografía N-2 Fixation Phytoplankton Community Carbon Sequestration Nitrification Rates Gauge Observations Kinetic-Energy Trichodesmium Chlorophyll Precipitation Dissipation Nitrogen Fixation Diffusive Nitrate Supply Ocean Diffusivity Nitrate Uptake info:eu-repo/semantics/Article Article 2013 ftunivlaspalmas https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20416 2020-06-09T23:09:11Z The balance between N-2 fixation and diffusive NO3- supply is a key determinant for assessing the importance of both processes for new production in subtropical waters. Here we report observations of integrated N-2 fixation rates from the eastern subtropical North Atlantic Ocean with coincident estimates of diffusive NO3- supply. We find the average rate of N-2 fixation is equivalent to 62% of the diffusive NO3- supply, though N-2 fixation could exceed the diffusive flux at individual stations. Turbulent diffusivity measurements across the nitracline indicate a mean diffusivity of 0.077 cm(2) s(-1). If approximations for methodological underestimates in the dominant N-2 fixation technique are considered, the magnitude of N-2 fixation is shown to represent 100% of the NO3- flux on average, and can be almost threefold higher at individual stations. As the study site is characterized by low rates of N-2 fixation compared to other sectors of the North Atlantic this confirms N-2 fixation as a major source term across the subtropical North Atlantic. The seasonal context of our observations suggests environmental factors underlie the in situ variability in observed N-2 fixation rates, and may well explain lower previous assessments of the importance of N-2 fixation relative to diffusive NO3- supply in this region. The diffusive NO3- supply provides <20% of measurable NO3- uptake with the remainder supplied via other mechanisms, most notably nitrification. The mean integrated rate of N-2 fixation equates to just 8% of the NO3- consumed on a daily basis by the phytoplankton community. 5749 5732 18 Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Acceda Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 118 10 5732 5749 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Acceda |
op_collection_id |
ftunivlaspalmas |
language |
English |
topic |
2510 Oceanografía N-2 Fixation Phytoplankton Community Carbon Sequestration Nitrification Rates Gauge Observations Kinetic-Energy Trichodesmium Chlorophyll Precipitation Dissipation Nitrogen Fixation Diffusive Nitrate Supply Ocean Diffusivity Nitrate Uptake |
spellingShingle |
2510 Oceanografía N-2 Fixation Phytoplankton Community Carbon Sequestration Nitrification Rates Gauge Observations Kinetic-Energy Trichodesmium Chlorophyll Precipitation Dissipation Nitrogen Fixation Diffusive Nitrate Supply Ocean Diffusivity Nitrate Uptake Painter, Stuart C. Patey, Matthew D. Forryan, Alexander Torres-Valdes, Sinhue Evaluating the balance between vertical diffusive nitrate supply and nitrogen fixation with reference to nitrate uptake in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic Ocean |
topic_facet |
2510 Oceanografía N-2 Fixation Phytoplankton Community Carbon Sequestration Nitrification Rates Gauge Observations Kinetic-Energy Trichodesmium Chlorophyll Precipitation Dissipation Nitrogen Fixation Diffusive Nitrate Supply Ocean Diffusivity Nitrate Uptake |
description |
The balance between N-2 fixation and diffusive NO3- supply is a key determinant for assessing the importance of both processes for new production in subtropical waters. Here we report observations of integrated N-2 fixation rates from the eastern subtropical North Atlantic Ocean with coincident estimates of diffusive NO3- supply. We find the average rate of N-2 fixation is equivalent to 62% of the diffusive NO3- supply, though N-2 fixation could exceed the diffusive flux at individual stations. Turbulent diffusivity measurements across the nitracline indicate a mean diffusivity of 0.077 cm(2) s(-1). If approximations for methodological underestimates in the dominant N-2 fixation technique are considered, the magnitude of N-2 fixation is shown to represent 100% of the NO3- flux on average, and can be almost threefold higher at individual stations. As the study site is characterized by low rates of N-2 fixation compared to other sectors of the North Atlantic this confirms N-2 fixation as a major source term across the subtropical North Atlantic. The seasonal context of our observations suggests environmental factors underlie the in situ variability in observed N-2 fixation rates, and may well explain lower previous assessments of the importance of N-2 fixation relative to diffusive NO3- supply in this region. The diffusive NO3- supply provides <20% of measurable NO3- uptake with the remainder supplied via other mechanisms, most notably nitrification. The mean integrated rate of N-2 fixation equates to just 8% of the NO3- consumed on a daily basis by the phytoplankton community. 5749 5732 18 |
author2 |
23493678200 23571017700 54953312500 25623903800 1210068 2548609 3584376 2124634 WOS:Painter, SC WOS:Patey, MD WOS:Forryan, A WOS:Torres-Valdes, S |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Painter, Stuart C. Patey, Matthew D. Forryan, Alexander Torres-Valdes, Sinhue |
author_facet |
Painter, Stuart C. Patey, Matthew D. Forryan, Alexander Torres-Valdes, Sinhue |
author_sort |
Painter, Stuart C. |
title |
Evaluating the balance between vertical diffusive nitrate supply and nitrogen fixation with reference to nitrate uptake in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic Ocean |
title_short |
Evaluating the balance between vertical diffusive nitrate supply and nitrogen fixation with reference to nitrate uptake in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic Ocean |
title_full |
Evaluating the balance between vertical diffusive nitrate supply and nitrogen fixation with reference to nitrate uptake in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic Ocean |
title_fullStr |
Evaluating the balance between vertical diffusive nitrate supply and nitrogen fixation with reference to nitrate uptake in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
Evaluating the balance between vertical diffusive nitrate supply and nitrogen fixation with reference to nitrate uptake in the eastern subtropical North Atlantic Ocean |
title_sort |
evaluating the balance between vertical diffusive nitrate supply and nitrogen fixation with reference to nitrate uptake in the eastern subtropical north atlantic ocean |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10553/72249 https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20416 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_source |
Journal Of Geophysical Research-Oceans [ISSN 2169-9275], v. 118 (10), p. 5732-5749, (Octubre 2013) |
op_relation |
Journal of geophysical research. Oceans 118 2169-9275 WoS http://hdl.handle.net/10553/72249 doi:10.1002/jgrc.20416 84890282728 000327380100062 2169-9291 10 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrc.20416 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
container_volume |
118 |
container_issue |
10 |
container_start_page |
5732 |
op_container_end_page |
5749 |
_version_ |
1766122017091747840 |