Aeolian Iron and Its Contribution to Phytoplankton Production in McMurdo Sound, Southwest Ross Sea, Antarctica
Each summer the waters in McMurdo Sound (Lat. 77.5ºS; Long. 165ºE), south-western (SW) Ross Sea encounter vast phytoplankton blooms. This phenomenon is stimulated by the addition of bio-available iron (Fe) to an environment where phytoplankton growth is otherwise Fe-limited. One possible source of s...
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ftvictoriauwfig:oai:figshare.com:article/16997761 2023-05-15T13:59:04+02:00 Aeolian Iron and Its Contribution to Phytoplankton Production in McMurdo Sound, Southwest Ross Sea, Antarctica Winton, Victoria Holly Liberty 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.26686/wgtn.16997761 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Aeolian_Iron_and_Its_Contribution_to_Phytoplankton_Production_in_McMurdo_Sound_Southwest_Ross_Sea_Antarctica/16997761 unknown doi:10.26686/wgtn.16997761 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Aeolian_Iron_and_Its_Contribution_to_Phytoplankton_Production_in_McMurdo_Sound_Southwest_Ross_Sea_Antarctica/16997761 Author Retains Copyright Geophysics not elsewhere classified Dust Eolian iron Antarctica Ross Sea McMurdo Sound School: School of Geography Environment and Earth Sciences 040499 Geophysics not elsewhere classified Marsden: 260399 Geochemistry not Elsewhere Classified Marsden: 260402 Chemical Oceanography Marsden: 260602 Climatology (incl. Palaeoclimatology) Marsden: 260104 Sedimentology Degree Discipline: Geology Degree Level: Masters Degree Name: Master of Science Text Thesis 2012 ftvictoriauwfig https://doi.org/10.26686/wgtn.16997761 2023-03-16T00:13:01Z Each summer the waters in McMurdo Sound (Lat. 77.5ºS; Long. 165ºE), south-western (SW) Ross Sea encounter vast phytoplankton blooms. This phenomenon is stimulated by the addition of bio-available iron (Fe) to an environment where phytoplankton growth is otherwise Fe-limited. One possible source of such Fe is aeolian sand and dust (ASD) which accumulates on sea ice and is released into the ocean during the summer melt season. The amount of bio-available Fe (i.e. the amount of Fe immedately accessible to phytoplankton) potentially supplied to the ocean by ASD depends on a number of factors including; the ASD flux into the ocean, its particle size distribution and Fe content. However, none of these parameters are well constrained in the SW Ross Sea region and, as a result, the significance of this Fe source in the biogeochemical cycle of phytoplankton growth remains to be quantified. This study focuses on an area (7400 km²) of Southern McMurdo Sound, one of the few areas where direct sampling of ASD that has accumulated on sea ice is possible. To evaluate the flux and solubility of Fe contained in ASD into McMurdo Sound, the mass accumulation rate and particle size of 70 surface snow samples and 3 shallow (3 m) firn cores from the nearby McMurdo Ice Shelf covering the period 2000 - 2008 have been analysed. Selected samples were also measured for total and soluble Fe, Sr and Nd isotopic ratios and mineralogy as a guide to Fe-fertilisation potential and provenance, respectively. Mass and particle size data show an exponential decrease in mass accumulation rate (from 26.00 g m⁻² yr⁻¹ to 0.70 g m⁻² yr⁻¹) and a decrease in modal particle size (from 130 to 69 μm) over a distance of 120 km from Southern McMurdo Sound northwards to Granite Harbour. Both these trends are consistent with ASD being dispersed northwards across the sea ice by southerly storms from an area of the McMurdo Ice Shelf, where submarine freezing and surface ablation have resulted in a surface covered with debris from the sea floor, known as the 'dirty ... Thesis Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf McMurdo Ice Shelf McMurdo Sound Ross Sea Sea ice Open Access Victoria University of Wellington / Te Herenga Waka Ross Sea McMurdo Sound McMurdo Ice Shelf ENVELOPE(166.500,166.500,-78.000,-78.000) Marsden ENVELOPE(66.067,66.067,-67.867,-67.867) Granite Harbour ENVELOPE(162.733,162.733,-76.883,-76.883) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Open Access Victoria University of Wellington / Te Herenga Waka |
op_collection_id |
ftvictoriauwfig |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Geophysics not elsewhere classified Dust Eolian iron Antarctica Ross Sea McMurdo Sound School: School of Geography Environment and Earth Sciences 040499 Geophysics not elsewhere classified Marsden: 260399 Geochemistry not Elsewhere Classified Marsden: 260402 Chemical Oceanography Marsden: 260602 Climatology (incl. Palaeoclimatology) Marsden: 260104 Sedimentology Degree Discipline: Geology Degree Level: Masters Degree Name: Master of Science |
spellingShingle |
Geophysics not elsewhere classified Dust Eolian iron Antarctica Ross Sea McMurdo Sound School: School of Geography Environment and Earth Sciences 040499 Geophysics not elsewhere classified Marsden: 260399 Geochemistry not Elsewhere Classified Marsden: 260402 Chemical Oceanography Marsden: 260602 Climatology (incl. Palaeoclimatology) Marsden: 260104 Sedimentology Degree Discipline: Geology Degree Level: Masters Degree Name: Master of Science Winton, Victoria Holly Liberty Aeolian Iron and Its Contribution to Phytoplankton Production in McMurdo Sound, Southwest Ross Sea, Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Geophysics not elsewhere classified Dust Eolian iron Antarctica Ross Sea McMurdo Sound School: School of Geography Environment and Earth Sciences 040499 Geophysics not elsewhere classified Marsden: 260399 Geochemistry not Elsewhere Classified Marsden: 260402 Chemical Oceanography Marsden: 260602 Climatology (incl. Palaeoclimatology) Marsden: 260104 Sedimentology Degree Discipline: Geology Degree Level: Masters Degree Name: Master of Science |
description |
Each summer the waters in McMurdo Sound (Lat. 77.5ºS; Long. 165ºE), south-western (SW) Ross Sea encounter vast phytoplankton blooms. This phenomenon is stimulated by the addition of bio-available iron (Fe) to an environment where phytoplankton growth is otherwise Fe-limited. One possible source of such Fe is aeolian sand and dust (ASD) which accumulates on sea ice and is released into the ocean during the summer melt season. The amount of bio-available Fe (i.e. the amount of Fe immedately accessible to phytoplankton) potentially supplied to the ocean by ASD depends on a number of factors including; the ASD flux into the ocean, its particle size distribution and Fe content. However, none of these parameters are well constrained in the SW Ross Sea region and, as a result, the significance of this Fe source in the biogeochemical cycle of phytoplankton growth remains to be quantified. This study focuses on an area (7400 km²) of Southern McMurdo Sound, one of the few areas where direct sampling of ASD that has accumulated on sea ice is possible. To evaluate the flux and solubility of Fe contained in ASD into McMurdo Sound, the mass accumulation rate and particle size of 70 surface snow samples and 3 shallow (3 m) firn cores from the nearby McMurdo Ice Shelf covering the period 2000 - 2008 have been analysed. Selected samples were also measured for total and soluble Fe, Sr and Nd isotopic ratios and mineralogy as a guide to Fe-fertilisation potential and provenance, respectively. Mass and particle size data show an exponential decrease in mass accumulation rate (from 26.00 g m⁻² yr⁻¹ to 0.70 g m⁻² yr⁻¹) and a decrease in modal particle size (from 130 to 69 μm) over a distance of 120 km from Southern McMurdo Sound northwards to Granite Harbour. Both these trends are consistent with ASD being dispersed northwards across the sea ice by southerly storms from an area of the McMurdo Ice Shelf, where submarine freezing and surface ablation have resulted in a surface covered with debris from the sea floor, known as the 'dirty ... |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Winton, Victoria Holly Liberty |
author_facet |
Winton, Victoria Holly Liberty |
author_sort |
Winton, Victoria Holly Liberty |
title |
Aeolian Iron and Its Contribution to Phytoplankton Production in McMurdo Sound, Southwest Ross Sea, Antarctica |
title_short |
Aeolian Iron and Its Contribution to Phytoplankton Production in McMurdo Sound, Southwest Ross Sea, Antarctica |
title_full |
Aeolian Iron and Its Contribution to Phytoplankton Production in McMurdo Sound, Southwest Ross Sea, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Aeolian Iron and Its Contribution to Phytoplankton Production in McMurdo Sound, Southwest Ross Sea, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Aeolian Iron and Its Contribution to Phytoplankton Production in McMurdo Sound, Southwest Ross Sea, Antarctica |
title_sort |
aeolian iron and its contribution to phytoplankton production in mcmurdo sound, southwest ross sea, antarctica |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.26686/wgtn.16997761 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Aeolian_Iron_and_Its_Contribution_to_Phytoplankton_Production_in_McMurdo_Sound_Southwest_Ross_Sea_Antarctica/16997761 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(166.500,166.500,-78.000,-78.000) ENVELOPE(66.067,66.067,-67.867,-67.867) ENVELOPE(162.733,162.733,-76.883,-76.883) |
geographic |
Ross Sea McMurdo Sound McMurdo Ice Shelf Marsden Granite Harbour |
geographic_facet |
Ross Sea McMurdo Sound McMurdo Ice Shelf Marsden Granite Harbour |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf McMurdo Ice Shelf McMurdo Sound Ross Sea Sea ice |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Ice Shelf McMurdo Ice Shelf McMurdo Sound Ross Sea Sea ice |
op_relation |
doi:10.26686/wgtn.16997761 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Aeolian_Iron_and_Its_Contribution_to_Phytoplankton_Production_in_McMurdo_Sound_Southwest_Ross_Sea_Antarctica/16997761 |
op_rights |
Author Retains Copyright |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.26686/wgtn.16997761 |
_version_ |
1766267441730551808 |