Global Ocean Particulate Organic Carbon flux merged with satellite parameters

Fuente: PANGAEA
Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Mouw, Colleen B, Barnett, Audrey, McKinley, Galen A, Gloege, Lucas, Pilcher, Darren
Formato: Dataset Open Access
Lenguaje:en
Publicado: PANGAEA 2016
Acceso en línea:
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
_version_ 1867170469329764352
author Mouw, Colleen B
Barnett, Audrey
McKinley, Galen A
Gloege, Lucas
Pilcher, Darren
author_facet Mouw, Colleen B
Barnett, Audrey
McKinley, Galen A
Gloege, Lucas
Pilcher, Darren
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents The efficiency of the biological pump of carbon to the deep ocean depends largely on the biologically mediated export of carbon from the surface ocean and its remineralization with depth. Global satellite studies have primarily focused on chlorophyll concentration and net primary production (NPP) to understand the role of phytoplankton in these processes. Recent satellite retrievals of phytoplankton composition now allow for the size of phytoplankton cells to be considered. Here, we improve understanding of phytoplankton size structure impacts on particle export, remineralization and transfer. Particulate organic carbon (POC) flux observations from sediment traps and 234Th are compiled across the global ocean. Annual climatologies of NPP, percent microplankton, and POC flux at four time series locations and within biogeochemical provinces are constructed, and sinking velocities are calculated to align surface variables with POC flux at depth. Parameters that characterize POC flux vs. depth (export flux ratio, labile fraction, remineralization length scale) are then fit to the aligned dataset. Times of the year dominated by different size compositions are identified and fit separately in regions of the ocean where phytoplankton cell size showed enough dynamic range over the annual cycle. Considering all data together, our findings support the paradigm of high export flux but low transfer efficiency in more productive regions and vice versa for oligotrophic regions. However, when parsing by dominant size class, we find periods dominated by small cells to have both greater export flux and lower transfer efficiency than periods when large cells comprise a greater proportion of the phytoplankton community.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_855600
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 2016
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle Global Ocean Particulate Organic Carbon flux merged with satellite parameters
Mouw, Colleen B
Barnett, Audrey
McKinley, Galen A
Gloege, Lucas
Pilcher, Darren

The efficiency of the biological pump of carbon to the deep ocean depends largely on the biologically mediated export of carbon from the surface ocean and its remineralization with depth. Global satellite studies have primarily focused on chlorophyll concentration and net primary production (NPP) to understand the role of phytoplankton in these processes. Recent satellite retrievals of phytoplankton composition now allow for the size of phytoplankton cells to be considered. Here, we improve understanding of phytoplankton size structure impacts on particle export, remineralization and transfer. Particulate organic carbon (POC) flux observations from sediment traps and 234Th are compiled across the global ocean. Annual climatologies of NPP, percent microplankton, and POC flux at four time series locations and within biogeochemical provinces are constructed, and sinking velocities are calculated to align surface variables with POC flux at depth. Parameters that characterize POC flux vs. depth (export flux ratio, labile fraction, remineralization length scale) are then fit to the aligned dataset. Times of the year dominated by different size compositions are identified and fit separately in regions of the ocean where phytoplankton cell size showed enough dynamic range over the annual cycle. Considering all data together, our findings support the paradigm of high export flux but low transfer efficiency in more productive regions and vice versa for oligotrophic regions. However, when parsing by dominant size class, we find periods dominated by small cells to have both greater export flux and lower transfer efficiency than periods when large cells comprise a greater proportion of the phytoplankton community.
title Global Ocean Particulate Organic Carbon flux merged with satellite parameters
topic
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.855600