The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Distribution of dissolved organic nutrients and their effect on export production over the Atlantic Ocean

Distribution of dissolved organic nutrients and their effect on export production over the Atlantic Ocean
Distribution of dissolved organic nutrients and their effect on export production over the Atlantic Ocean
A synthesis is provided of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and phosphorus (DOP) distributions over the Atlantic Ocean based upon field data from eight recent transects, six meridional between 50°N and 50°S and two zonal at 24° and 36°N. Over the entire tropical and subtropical Atlantic, DON and DOP provide the dominant contributions to total nitrogen and phosphorus pools for surface waters above the thermocline. Elevated DON and DOP concentrations (>5 and >0.2 ?mol L?1, respectively) occur in surface waters on the eastern side of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre and equatorial sides of both the North and South Atlantic subtropical gyres, while particularly low concentrations of DOP (<0.05 ?mol L?1) occur over the northern flank of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre along 36°N. This distribution is consistent with organic nutrients formed at the gyre margins supporting carbon export as they are redistributed via the gyre circulation. The effect of DON and DOP transport and cycling on export production is examined in an eddy-permitting, coupled physical and nutrient model integrated for 40 years: organic nutrients are produced in the upwelling zones off North Africa and transferred laterally into the gyre interior, facilitated in part by the mesoscale eddy circulation, as well as fluxed northward from the tropics as part of the overturning circulation. Inputs of semilabile DON and DOP to the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean play an important role in sustaining up to typically 40 and 70% of the modeled particulate N and P export, particularly on the eastern and equatorward sides of the subtropical gyres.
dissolved organic nutrients, export production, Atlantic Ocean
0886-6236
GB4019
Torres-Valdés, S.
2c8977a2-c275-4cc3-8c0d-fee2df40a9ad
Roussenov, V.M.
be703c52-a7e2-4436-a638-71fd62dbadac
Sanders, R.
02c163c1-8f5e-49ad-857c-d28f7da66c65
Reynolds, S.
e01bc339-6b08-4cd2-9b63-0315559ea231
Pan, X.
72d703db-9ddf-4416-bbe7-c07a2b65e189
Mather, R.
1cbee1cf-e337-4a92-ab38-9c4df9c276ef
Landolfi, A.
b2137924-d933-4cbe-b3fd-02fffe1bb033
Wolff, G.A.
3a42c086-8356-449b-9d40-9b16758733c2
Achterberg, E.P.
685ce961-8c45-4503-9f03-50f6561202b9
Williams, R.G.
2f69a4a4-acdc-4871-8e62-1ac1b84329b0
Torres-Valdés, S.
2c8977a2-c275-4cc3-8c0d-fee2df40a9ad
Roussenov, V.M.
be703c52-a7e2-4436-a638-71fd62dbadac
Sanders, R.
02c163c1-8f5e-49ad-857c-d28f7da66c65
Reynolds, S.
e01bc339-6b08-4cd2-9b63-0315559ea231
Pan, X.
72d703db-9ddf-4416-bbe7-c07a2b65e189
Mather, R.
1cbee1cf-e337-4a92-ab38-9c4df9c276ef
Landolfi, A.
b2137924-d933-4cbe-b3fd-02fffe1bb033
Wolff, G.A.
3a42c086-8356-449b-9d40-9b16758733c2
Achterberg, E.P.
685ce961-8c45-4503-9f03-50f6561202b9
Williams, R.G.
2f69a4a4-acdc-4871-8e62-1ac1b84329b0

Torres-Valdés, S., Roussenov, V.M., Sanders, R., Reynolds, S., Pan, X., Mather, R., Landolfi, A., Wolff, G.A., Achterberg, E.P. and Williams, R.G. (2009) Distribution of dissolved organic nutrients and their effect on export production over the Atlantic Ocean. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 23, GB4019. (doi:10.1029/2008GB003389).

Record type: Article

Abstract

A synthesis is provided of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and phosphorus (DOP) distributions over the Atlantic Ocean based upon field data from eight recent transects, six meridional between 50°N and 50°S and two zonal at 24° and 36°N. Over the entire tropical and subtropical Atlantic, DON and DOP provide the dominant contributions to total nitrogen and phosphorus pools for surface waters above the thermocline. Elevated DON and DOP concentrations (>5 and >0.2 ?mol L?1, respectively) occur in surface waters on the eastern side of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre and equatorial sides of both the North and South Atlantic subtropical gyres, while particularly low concentrations of DOP (<0.05 ?mol L?1) occur over the northern flank of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre along 36°N. This distribution is consistent with organic nutrients formed at the gyre margins supporting carbon export as they are redistributed via the gyre circulation. The effect of DON and DOP transport and cycling on export production is examined in an eddy-permitting, coupled physical and nutrient model integrated for 40 years: organic nutrients are produced in the upwelling zones off North Africa and transferred laterally into the gyre interior, facilitated in part by the mesoscale eddy circulation, as well as fluxed northward from the tropics as part of the overturning circulation. Inputs of semilabile DON and DOP to the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean play an important role in sustaining up to typically 40 and 70% of the modeled particulate N and P export, particularly on the eastern and equatorward sides of the subtropical gyres.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 2009
Keywords: dissolved organic nutrients, export production, Atlantic Ocean
Organisations: Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre,Southampton

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 69427
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/69427
ISSN: 0886-6236
PURE UUID: 48209238-e7ab-4c9b-a3f1-ad5048540c6b

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 03 Nov 2009
Last modified: 13 Mar 2024 19:32

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: S. Torres-Valdés
Author: V.M. Roussenov
Author: R. Sanders
Author: S. Reynolds
Author: X. Pan
Author: R. Mather
Author: A. Landolfi
Author: G.A. Wolff
Author: E.P. Achterberg
Author: R.G. Williams

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×