Nutrient mineralization rates and ratios in the eastern South Atlantic

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research
• Main Authors: Brea, S., Álvarez-Salgado, X. A., Álvarez, M., Pérez, Fiz F., Mémery, Laurent, Mercier, Herlé, Messias, Marie-José
• Other Authors: Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Madrid (CSIC), Laboratoire d'océanographie dynamique et de climatologie (LODYC), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de physique des océans (LPO), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), School of Environmental Sciences Norwich, University of East Anglia Norwich (UEA)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2004
• Subjects: biogeochemical cycles; South Atlantic; water masses; [SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00270838; https://doi.org/10.1029/2003JC002051

International audience The physical and biogeochemical components of nutrients and inorganic carbon distributions along WOCE line A14 are objectively separated by means of a constrained least-squares regression analysis of the mixing of eastern South Atlantic water masses. Contrary to previous approaches, essentially devoted to the intricate South Atlantic circulation, this work is focused on the effects of circulation on nutrients and carbon biogeochemistry, with special emphasis on the stoichiometry and the rate of mineralization processes. Combination of nutrient and apparent CFC-age anomalies, derived from the mixing analysis, indicate faster mineralization rates in the equatorial (12 × 10−2 μmol P kg−1 yr−1) and subequatorial (5.3 × 10−2 μmol P kg−1 yr−1) than in the subtropical (4.3 × 10−2 μmol P kg−1 yr−1) regime at the South Atlantic Central Water (SACW) depth range. Lower rates are obtained in the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) domain (3.0 × 10−2 μmol P kg−1 yr−1). Significant variation with depth of O 2 /C/N/P anomalies indicates preferential mineralization of proteins in thermocline waters, as compared with the reference Redfield composition.