scholarly journals Global database of oceanic particulate organic carbon to <sup>234</sup>Th ratios: Improving estimates of the biological carbon pump

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viena Puigcorbé ◽  
Pere Masqué ◽  
Fréderic A. C. Le Moigne
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Particulate Organic Carbon ◽  
Mixed Layer Depth ◽  
Sediment Traps ◽  
Data Repository ◽  
The South ◽  
South Indian ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Carbon Pump ◽  
Biological Carbon Pump

Abstract. The ocean's biological carbon pump (BCP) plays a major role in the global earth carbon cycle. A fraction of the photosynthetically fixed organic carbon produced in surface waters is exported below the sunlit layer in the form of settling particles (e.g. marine snow). Since the seminal works on the BCP, global estimates of the global strength of the BCP have improved but large uncertainties remain (from 5 to 20 GtC yr−1 exported below the euphotic zone or mixed layer depth). The 234Th technique is widely used to measure the downward export of particulate organic carbon (POC). This technique has the advantage to allow a downward flux to be determined by integrating the deficit of 234Th in the upper water column and coupling it to an estimate of the POC/234Th ratio in sinking matter. However, the factors controlling the regional, temporal and depth variations of POC/234Th ratios are poorly understood. We present a database of 9110 measurements of the POC/234Th ratio in the ocean, from the surface down to > 5500 m, sampled on three size fractions (~ > 0.7 μm, ~ 1–50 μm, ~ > 50 μm), collected with in situ pumps and bottles, and also from bulk particles collected with sediment traps. The dataset is archived on the data repository PANGAEA® (https://www.pangaea.de/) under https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.902103 (Puigcorbé, 2019). The samples presented in this dataset were collected between 1989 and 2016 and the data have been obtained from published papers and open datasets available online. Unpublished data has also been included. Most of the open ocean provinces are represented by multiple measurements. However, there is an uneven distribution of the data, with some areas highly sampled (e.g, China Sea, Bermuda Atlantic Time Series station) compared to some others that are not well represented, such as the southeastern Atlantic, the south Pacific and the south Indian oceans. Some costal areas, although in a much smaller number, are also included in this global compilation. Globally, based on different depths horizons and climate zones, the median POC/234Th ratios have a wide range, from 0.6 to 18 μmol dpm-1.

scholarly journals Global database of ratios of particulate organic carbon to thorium-234 in the ocean: improving estimates of the biological carbon pump

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 1267-1285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viena Puigcorbé ◽  
Pere Masqué ◽  
Frédéric A. C. Le Moigne
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Particulate Organic Carbon ◽  
Mixed Layer Depth ◽  
Sediment Traps ◽  
Data Repository ◽  
The South ◽  
South Indian ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Carbon Pump ◽  
Biological Carbon Pump

Abstract. The ocean's biological carbon pump (BCP) plays a major role in the global carbon cycle. A fraction of the photosynthetically fixed organic carbon produced in surface waters is exported below the sunlit layer as settling particles (e.g., marine snow). Since the seminal works on the BCP, global estimates of the global strength of the BCP have improved but large uncertainties remain (from 5 to 20 Gt C yr−1 exported below the euphotic zone or mixed-layer depth). The 234Th technique is widely used to measure the downward export of particulate organic carbon (POC). This technique has the advantage of allowing a downward flux to be determined by integrating the deficit of 234Th in the upper water column and coupling it to the POC∕234Th ratio in sinking particles. However, the factors controlling the regional, temporal, and depth variations of POC∕234Th ratios are poorly understood. We present a database of 9318 measurements of the POC∕234Th ratio in the ocean, from the surface down to >5500 m, sampled on three size fractions (∼>0.7 µm, ∼1–50 µm, ∼>50 µm), collected with in situ pumps and bottles, and also from bulk particles collected with sediment traps. The dataset is archived in the data repository PANGAEA® under https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.911424 (Puigcorbé, 2019). The samples presented in this dataset were collected between 1989 and 2018, and the data have been obtained from published papers and open datasets available online. Unpublished data have also been included. Multiple measurements can be found in most of the open ocean provinces. However, there is an uneven distribution of the data, with some areas highly sampled (e.g., China Sea, Bermuda Atlantic Time Series station) compared to some others that are not well represented, such as the southeastern Atlantic, the south Pacific, and the south Indian oceans. Some coastal areas, although in a much smaller number, are also included in this global compilation. Globally, based on different depth horizons and climate zones, the median POC∕234Th ratios have a wide range, from 0.6 to 18 µmol dpm−1.

scholarly journals Global database of surface ocean particulate organic carbon export fluxes diagnosed from the <sup>234</sup>Th technique

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. A. C. Le Moigne ◽  
S. A. Henson ◽  
R. J. Sanders ◽  
E. Madsen
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Data Repository ◽  
Carbon Export ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Global Database ◽  
Surface Ocean ◽  
South Indian ◽  
Carbon Pump ◽  
Global Strength ◽  
Biological Carbon Pump

Abstract. The oceanic biological carbon pump is an important factor in the global carbon cycle. Organic carbon is exported from the surface ocean mainly in the form of settling particles derived from plankton production in the upper layers of the ocean. The large variability in current estimates of the global strength of the biological carbon pump emphasises that our knowledge of a major planetary carbon flux remains poorly constrained. We present a database of 723 estimates of organic carbon export from the surface ocean derived from the 234Th technique. The dataset is archived on the data repository PANGEA® (www.pangea.de) under doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.809717. Data were collected from tables in papers published between 1985 and early 2013 only. We also present sampling dates, publication dates and sampling areas. Most of the open ocean provinces are represented by several measurements. However, the Western Pacific, the Atlantic Arctic, South Pacific and the South Indian Ocean are not well represented. There is a variety of integration depths ranging from surface to 220 m. Globally the fluxes ranged from 0 to 1500 mg of C m−2 d−1.

scholarly journals Microstructure and composition of marine aggregates as co-determinants for vertical particulate organic carbon transfer in the global ocean

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 1765-1803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joeran Maerz ◽  
Katharina D. Six ◽  
Irene Stemmler ◽  
Soeren Ahmerkamp ◽  
Tatiana Ilyina
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Particulate Organic Carbon ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Diatom Frustule ◽  
Marine Aggregates ◽  
Carbon Pump ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Biological Carbon Pump ◽  
Sinking Velocity

Abstract. Marine aggregates are the vector for biogenically bound carbon and nutrients from the euphotic zone to the interior of the oceans. To improve the representation of this biological carbon pump in the global biogeochemical HAMburg Ocean Carbon Cycle (HAMOCC) model, we implemented a novel Microstructure, Multiscale, Mechanistic, Marine Aggregates in the Global Ocean (M4AGO) sinking scheme. M4AGO explicitly represents the size, microstructure, heterogeneous composition, density and porosity of aggregates and ties ballasting mineral and particulate organic carbon (POC) fluxes together. Additionally, we incorporated temperature-dependent remineralization of POC. We compare M4AGO with the standard HAMOCC version, where POC fluxes follow a Martin curve approach with (i) linearly increasing sinking velocity with depth and (ii) temperature-independent remineralization. Minerals descend separately with a constant speed. In contrast to the standard HAMOCC, M4AGO reproduces the latitudinal pattern of POC transfer efficiency, as recently constrained by Weber et al. (2016). High latitudes show transfer efficiencies of ≈0.25±0.04, and the subtropical gyres show lower values of about 0.10±0.03. In addition to temperature as a driving factor for remineralization, diatom frustule size co-determines POC fluxes in silicifier-dominated ocean regions, while calcium carbonate enhances the aggregate excess density and thus sinking velocity in subtropical gyres. Prescribing rising carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in stand-alone runs (without climate feedback), M4AGO alters the regional ocean atmosphere CO2 fluxes compared to the standard model. M4AGO exhibits higher CO2 uptake in the Southern Ocean compared to the standard run, while in subtropical gyres, less CO2 is taken up. Overall, the global oceanic CO2 uptake remains the same. With the explicit representation of measurable aggregate properties, M4AGO can serve as a test bed for evaluating the impact of aggregate-associated processes on global biogeochemical cycles and, in particular, on the biological carbon pump.

scholarly journals Global Ocean Particulate Organic Carbon Flux Merged with Satellite Parameters

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen B. Mouw ◽  
Audrey Barnett ◽  
Galen A. McKinley ◽  
Lucas Gloege ◽  
Darren Pilcher
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Particulate Organic Carbon ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Mixed Layer Depth ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Euphotic Zone ◽  
Sediment Traps ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Carbon Export

Abstract. Particulate organic carbon (POC) flux estimated from POC concentration observations from sediment traps and 234Th are compiled across the global ocean. The compilation includes six time series locations: CARIACO, K2, OSP, BATS, OFP and HOT. Efficiency of the biological pump of carbon to the deep ocean depends largely on biologically mediated export of carbon from the surface ocean and its remineralization with depth, thus biologically related parameters able to be estimated from satellite observations were merged at the POC observation sites. Satellite parameters include: net primary production, percent microplankton, sea surface temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490 nm, euphotic zone depth, as well as, climatological mixed layer depth. 85 % of the observations across the globe are concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere with 44 % of the data record overlapping the satellite record. Time series sites accounted for 36 % of the data. 71 % of the data is measured at ≥ 500 m with the most common deployment depths between 1000 and 1500 m. This dataset is valuable for investigations of CO2 drawdown, carbon export, remineralization, and sequestration. The compiled data can be freely accessed at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.855600.

scholarly journals Microstructure and composition of marine aggregates as co-determinants for vertical particulate organic carbon transfer in the global ocean

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joeran Maerz ◽  
Katharina D. Six ◽  
Irene Stemmler ◽  
Soeren Ahmerkamp ◽  
Tatiana Ilyina
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Particulate Organic Carbon ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Co2 Uptake ◽  
Diatom Frustule ◽  
Marine Aggregates ◽  
Carbon Pump ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Biological Carbon Pump ◽  
Sinking Velocity

Abstract. Marine aggregates are the vector for biogenically bound carbon and nutrients from the euphotic zone to the interior of the oceans. To improve the representation of this biological carbon pump in the global biogeochemical HAMburg Ocean Carbon Cycle (HAMOCC) model, we implemented a novel Microstructure, Multiscale, Mechanistic, Marine Aggregates in the Global Ocean (M4AGO) sinking scheme. M4AGO explicitly represents the size, microstructure, heterogeneous composition, density, and porosity of aggregates, and ties ballasting mineral and particulate organic carbon (POC) fluxes together. Additionally, we incorporated temperature-dependent remineralization of POC. We compare M4AGO with the standard HAMOCC version, where POC fluxes follow a Martin curve approach with linearly increasing sinking velocity with depth, and temperature-independent remineralization. Minerals descend separately with a constant speed. In contrast to the standard HAMOCC, M4AGO reproduces the latitudinal pattern of POC transfer efficiency which has been recently constrained by Weber et al. (2016). High latitudes show transfer efficiencies of &amp;approx; 0.25 ± 0.04 and the subtropical gyres show lower values of about 0.10 ± 0.03. In addition to temperature as a driving factor, diatom frustule size co-determines POC fluxes in silicifiers-dominated ocean regions while calcium carbonate enhances the aggregate excess density, and thus sinking velocity in subtropical gyres. In ocean standalone runs and rising carbon dioxide (CO2) without CO2 climate feedback, M4AGO alters the regional ocean-atmosphere CO2 fluxes compared to the standard model. M4AGO exhibits higher CO2 uptake in the Southern Ocean compared to the standard run while in subtropical gyres, less CO2 is taken up. Overall, the global oceanic CO2 uptake remains the same. With the explicit representation of measurable aggregate properties, M4AGO can serve as a testbed for evaluating the impact of aggregate-associated processes on global biogeochemical cycles, and, in particular, on the biological carbon pump.

scholarly journals Global database of surface ocean particulate organic carbon export fluxes diagnosed from the <sup>234</sup>Th technique

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. A. C. Le Moigne ◽  
S. A. Henson ◽  
R. J. Sanders ◽  
E. Madsen
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Data Repository ◽  
Carbon Export ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Global Database ◽  
Surface Ocean ◽  
Carbon Pump ◽  
Plankton Production ◽  
Global Strength ◽  
Biological Carbon Pump

Abstract. The oceanic biological carbon pump is an important factor in the global carbon cycle. Organic carbon is exported from the surface ocean mainly in the form of settling particles derived from plankton production in the upper layers of the ocean. The large variability in current estimates of the global strength of the biological carbon pump emphasises that our knowledge of a major planetary carbon flux remains poorly constrained. We present a database of 723 estimates of organic carbon export from the surface ocean derived from the 234Th technique. The dataset is archived on the data repository PANGEA® (www.pangea.de) under doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.809717. Data were collected from tables in papers published between 1985 and early 2013. We also present sampling dates, publication dates and sampling areas. Most of the open ocean provinces are represented by multiple measurements. However, the western Pacific, the Atlantic Arctic, South Pacific and the southern Indian Ocean are not well represented. There is a variety of integration depths ranging from surface to 300 m. Globally the fluxes ranged from 0 to 1500 mg C m−2 d−1.

scholarly journals Global ocean particulate organic carbon flux merged with satellite parameters

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 531-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen B. Mouw ◽  
Audrey Barnett ◽  
Galen A. McKinley ◽  
Lucas Gloege ◽  
Darren Pilcher
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Particulate Organic Carbon ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Mixed Layer Depth ◽  
Deep Ocean ◽  
Euphotic Zone ◽  
Sediment Traps ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Data Set

Abstract. Particulate organic carbon (POC) flux estimated from POC concentration observations from sediment traps and 234Th are compiled across the global ocean. The compilation includes six time series locations: CARIACO, K2, OSP, BATS, OFP, and HOT. Efficiency of the biological pump of carbon to the deep ocean depends largely on biologically mediated export of carbon from the surface ocean and its remineralization with depth; thus biologically related parameters able to be estimated from satellite observations were merged at the POC observation sites. Satellite parameters include net primary production, percent microplankton, sea surface temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, diffuse attenuation coefficient at 490 nm, euphotic zone depth, and climatological mixed layer depth. Of the observations across the globe, 85 % are concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere with 44 % of the data record overlapping the satellite record. Time series sites accounted for 36 % of the data, while 71 % of the data are measured at  ≥  500 m with the most common deployment depths between 1000 and 1500 m. This data set is valuable for investigations of CO2 drawdown, carbon export, remineralization, and sequestration. The compiled data can be freely accessed at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.855600.

Spiciness Anomalies of Subantarctic Mode Water in the South Indian Ocean

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 3927-3953
Author(s):  
Motoki Nagura
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
Mixed Layer Depth ◽  
Surface Mixed Layer ◽  
The South ◽  
South Indian Ocean ◽  
Mode Water ◽  
Horizontal Advection ◽  
South Indian ◽  
Subantarctic Mode Water

AbstractThis study investigates spreading and generation of spiciness anomalies of the Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) located on 26.6 to 26.8 σθ in the south Indian Ocean, using in situ hydrographic observations, satellite measurements, reanalysis datasets, and numerical model output. The amplitude of spiciness anomalies is about 0.03 psu or 0.13°C and tends to be large along the streamline of the subtropical gyre, whose upstream end is the outcrop region south of Australia. The speed of spreading is comparable to that of the mean current, and it takes about a decade for a spiciness anomaly in the outcrop region to spread into the interior up to Madagascar. In the outcrop region, interannual variability in mixed layer temperature and salinity tends to be density compensating, which indicates that Eulerian temperature or salinity changes account for the generation of isopycnal spiciness anomalies. It is known that wintertime temperature and salinity in the surface mixed layer determine the temperature and salinity relationship of a subducted water mass. Considering this, the mixed layer heat budget in the outcrop region is estimated based on the concept of effective mixed layer depth, the result of which shows the primary contribution from horizontal advection. The contributions from Ekman and geostrophic currents are comparable. Ekman flow advection is caused by zonal wind stress anomalies and the resulting meridional Ekman current anomalies, as is pointed out by a previous study. Geostrophic velocity is decomposed into large-scale and mesoscale variability, both of which significantly contribute to horizontal advection.

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