Citation:

2011JG001679

Name: Iron concentration and fluxes in the water column during POLARSTERN cruises in the Southern Ocean
Published: 2012
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Abstract:

In large parts of the Southern Ocean, primary production is limited due to shortage of iron (Fe). We measured vertical Fe profiles in the western Weddell Sea, Weddell-Scotia Confluence, and Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), showing that Fe is derived from benthic Fe diffusion and sediment resuspension in areas characterized by high turbulence due to rugged bottom topography. Our data together with literature data reveal an exponential decrease of dissolved Fe (DFe) concentrations with increasing distance from the continental shelves of the Antarctic Peninsula and the western Weddell Sea. This decrease can be observed 3500 km eastward of the Antarctic Peninsula area, downstream the ACC. We estimated DFe summer fluxes into the upper mixed layer of the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean and found that horizontal advection dominates DFe supply, representing 54 ± 15% of the total flux, with significant vertical advection second most important at 29 ± 13%. Horizontal and vertical diffusion are weak with 1 ± 2% and 1 ± 1%, respectively. The atmospheric contribution is insignificant close to the Antarctic continent but increases to 15 ± 10% in the remotest waters (>1500 km offshore) of the ACC. Translating Southern Ocean carbon fixation by primary producers into biogenic Fe fixation shows a twofold excess of new DFe input close to the Antarctic continent and a one-third shortage in the open ocean. Fe recycling, with an estimated 'fe' ratio of 0.59, is the likely pathway to balance new DFe supply and Fe fixation.

Project(s):

International Polar Year (2007-2008) (IPY)

Coverage:

Median Latitude: -58.638571 * Median Longitude: -27.456868 * South-bound Latitude: -67.370700 * West-bound Longitude: -55.413100 * North-bound Latitude: -44.015500 * East-bound Longitude: 20.011300

Date/Time Start: 1988-11-30T09:03:00 * Date/Time End: 2005-01-07T11:40:00

Comment:

Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150

License:

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC-BY-3.0)

Size:

4 datasets

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Datasets listed in this publication series

de Jong, J; Schoemann, V; Lannuzel, D et al. (2012): (Table 1) Iron concentations in the water column during POLARSTERN cruise ANT-XXII/2. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.808650
de Jong, J; Schoemann, V; Lannuzel, D et al. (2012): (Table 3) Diffusive dissolved iron fluxes during POLARSTERN cruises ANT-XXII/2 and ANT-X/6. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.808652
de Jong, J; Schoemann, V; Lannuzel, D et al. (2012): (Table 4) Daily horizontal and vertical fluxes of dissolved iron during POLARSTERN cruises in the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.808655
de Jong, J; Schoemann, V; Lannuzel, D et al. (2012): (Table 2) Upper mixed layer depth and average Fe concentration during POLARSTERN cruises in the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.808654