scholarly journals Seasonal dispersal of fjord meltwaters as an important source of iron to coastal Antarctic phytoplankton

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiefer Forsch ◽  
Lisa Hahn-Woernle ◽  
Robert Sherrell ◽  
Joe Roccanova ◽  
Kaixan Bu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Katabatic Wind ◽  
Glacial Retreat ◽  
Dissolved Iron ◽  
Chemically Modified ◽  
Ocean Coupling ◽  
Particulate Iron ◽  
Hydrologic System ◽  
Wind Events

Abstract. Glacial meltwater from the western Antarctic Ice Sheet is hypothesized to be an important source of cryospheric iron, fertilizing the Southern Ocean, yet its trace metal composition and factors which control its dispersal remain poorly constrained. Here we characterize meltwater iron sources in a heavily glaciated western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) fjord. Using dissolved and particulate ratios of manganese-to-iron in meltwaters, porewaters, and seawater, we show that glacial melt and subglacial plumes contribute to the seasonal cycle of bioavailable iron within a fjord still relatively unaffected by climate change-induced glacial retreat. Organic ligands derived from the phytoplankton bloom and the glaciers bind dissolved iron and facilitate the solubilization of particulate iron downstream. Using a numerical model, we show that plumes generated by outflow from the subglacial hydrologic system, enriched in labile particulate trace metals derived from a chemically-modified crustal source, can supply the surface through vertical mixing, and that prolonged katabatic wind events enhance export of meltwater out of the fjord. Thus, we identify an important atmosphere-ice-ocean coupling intimately tied to coastal iron biogeochemistry and primary productivity along the WAP.

scholarly journals Seasonal dispersal of fjord meltwaters as an important source of iron and manganese to coastal Antarctic phytoplankton

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 6349-6375
Author(s):  
Kiefer O. Forsch ◽  
Lisa Hahn-Woernle ◽  
Robert M. Sherrell ◽  
Vincent J. Roccanova ◽  
Kaixuan Bu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Euphotic Zone ◽  
Katabatic Wind ◽  
Buoyant Plumes ◽  
Ocean Coupling ◽  
Particulate Iron ◽  
Hydrologic System ◽  
Wind Events ◽  
Iron And Manganese

Abstract. Glacial meltwater from the western Antarctic Ice Sheet is hypothesized to be an important source of cryospheric iron, fertilizing the Southern Ocean, yet its trace-metal composition and factors that control its dispersal remain poorly constrained. Here we characterize meltwater iron sources in a heavily glaciated western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) fjord. Using dissolved and particulate ratios of manganese to iron in meltwaters, porewaters, and seawater, we show that surface glacial melt and subglacial plumes contribute to the seasonal cycle of iron and manganese within a fjord still relatively unaffected by climate-change-induced glacial retreat. Organic ligands derived from the phytoplankton bloom and the glaciers bind dissolved iron and facilitate the solubilization of particulate iron downstream. Using a numerical model, we show that buoyant plumes generated by outflow from the subglacial hydrologic system, enriched in labile particulate trace metals derived from a chemically modified crustal source, can supply iron to the fjord euphotic zone through vertical mixing. We also show that prolonged katabatic wind events enhance export of meltwater out of the fjord. Thus, we identify an important atmosphere–ice–ocean coupling intimately tied to coastal iron biogeochemistry and primary productivity along the WAP.

scholarly journals Iron stable isotopes track pelagic iron cycling during a subtropical phytoplankton bloom

2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (1) ◽  
pp. E15-E20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Ellwood ◽  
David A. Hutchins ◽  
Maeve C. Lohan ◽  
Angela Milne ◽  
Philipp Nasemann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Iron Bioavailability ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Minor Role ◽  
Surface Mixed Layer ◽  
Spring Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Dissolved Iron ◽  
Particulate Iron

The supply and bioavailability of dissolved iron sets the magnitude of surface productivity for ∼40% of the global ocean. The redox state, organic complexation, and phase (dissolved versus particulate) of iron are key determinants of iron bioavailability in the marine realm, although the mechanisms facilitating exchange between iron species (inorganic and organic) and phases are poorly constrained. Here we use the isotope fingerprint of dissolved and particulate iron to reveal distinct isotopic signatures for biological uptake of iron during a GEOTRACES process study focused on a temperate spring phytoplankton bloom in subtropical waters. At the onset of the bloom, dissolved iron within the mixed layer was isotopically light relative to particulate iron. The isotopically light dissolved iron pool likely results from the reduction of particulate iron via photochemical and (to a lesser extent) biologically mediated reduction processes. As the bloom develops, dissolved iron within the surface mixed layer becomes isotopically heavy, reflecting the dominance of biological processing of iron as it is removed from solution, while scavenging appears to play a minor role. As stable isotopes have shown for major elements like nitrogen, iron isotopes offer a new window into our understanding of the biogeochemical cycling of iron, thereby allowing us to disentangle a suite of concurrent biotic and abiotic transformations of this key biolimiting element.

scholarly journals Frazil ice growth and production during katabatic wind events in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 3329-3347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Thompson ◽  
Madison Smith ◽  
Jim Thomson ◽  
Sharon Stammerjohn ◽  
Steve Ackley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Heat Loss ◽  
Ross Sea ◽  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Katabatic Wind ◽  
Production Rates ◽  
Frazil Ice ◽  
Salt Budget ◽  
Wind Events ◽  
Ice Production

Abstract. Katabatic winds in coastal polynyas expose the ocean to extreme heat loss, causing intense sea ice production and dense water formation around Antarctica throughout autumn and winter. The advancing sea ice pack, combined with high winds and low temperatures, has limited surface ocean observations of polynyas in winter, thereby impeding new insights into the evolution of these ice factories through the dark austral months. Here, we describe oceanic observations during multiple katabatic wind events during May 2017 in the Terra Nova Bay and Ross Sea polynyas. Wind speeds regularly exceeded 20 m s−1, air temperatures were below −25 ∘C, and the oceanic mixed layer extended to 600 m. During these events, conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) profiles revealed bulges of warm, salty water directly beneath the ocean surface and extending downwards tens of meters. These profiles reflect latent heat and salt release during unconsolidated frazil ice production, driven by atmospheric heat loss, a process that has rarely if ever been observed outside the laboratory. A simple salt budget suggests these anomalies reflect in situ frazil ice concentration that ranges from 13 to 266×10-3 kg m−3. Contemporaneous estimates of vertical mixing reveal rapid convection in these unstable density profiles and mixing lifetimes from 7 to 12 min. The individual estimates of ice production from the salt budget reveal the intensity of short-term ice production, up to 110 cm d−1 during the windiest events, and a seasonal average of 29 cm d−1. We further found that frazil ice production rates covary with wind speed and with location along the upstream–downstream length of the polynya. These measurements reveal that it is possible to indirectly observe and estimate the process of unconsolidated ice production in polynyas by measuring upper-ocean water column profiles. These vigorous ice production rates suggest frazil ice may be an important component in total polynya ice production.

scholarly journals Frazil ice growth and production during katabatic wind events in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa De Pace ◽  
Madison Smith ◽  
Jim Thomson ◽  
Sharon Stammerjohn ◽  
Steve Ackley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ross Sea ◽  
Vertical Mixing ◽  
Katabatic Wind ◽  
Frazil Ice ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Terra Nova Bay ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
Terra Nova ◽  
Wind Events ◽  
Ice Production

Abstract. During katabatic wind events in the Terra Nova Bay and Ross Sea polynyas, wind speeds exceeded 20 m s−1, air temperatures were below −25 ℃, and the mixed layer extended as deep as 600 meters. Yet, upper ocean temperature and salinity profiles were not perfectly homogeneous, as would be expected with vigorous convective heat loss. Instead, the profiles revealed bulges of warm and salty water directly beneath the ocean surface and extending downwards tens of meters. Considering both the colder air above and colder water below, we suggest the increase in temperature and salinity reflects latent heat and salt release during unconsolidated frazil ice production within the upper water column. We use a simplified salt budget to analyze these anomalies to estimate in-situ frazil ice concentration between 332 × 10−3 and 24.4 × 10−3 kg m−3. Contemporaneous estimates of vertical mixing by turbulent kinetic energy dissipation reveal rapid convection in these unstable density profiles, and mixing lifetimes from 2 to 12 minutes. The corresponding median rate of ice production is 26 cm day−1 and compares well with previous empirical and model estimates. Our individual estimates of ice production up to 378 cm day−1 reveal the intensity of short-term ice production events during the windiest episodes of our occupation of Terra Nova Bay Polynya.

Subglacial brine flow and wind-induced internal waves in Lake Bonney, Antarctica

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-237
Author(s):  
Jade P. Lawrence ◽  
Peter T. Doran ◽  
Luke A. Winslow ◽  
John C. Priscu
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Surface Discharge ◽  
Katabatic Wind ◽  
Neutral Buoyancy ◽  
Cold Temperatures ◽  
Glacier Terminus ◽  
Wind Events ◽  
Taylor Glacier

AbstractBrine beneath Taylor Glacier has been proposed to enter the proglacial west lobe of Lake Bonney (WLB) as well as from Blood Falls, a surface discharge point at the Taylor Glacier terminus. The brine strongly influences the geochemistry of the water column of WLB. Year-round measurements from this study are the first to definitively identify brine intrusions from a subglacial entry point into WLB. Furthermore, we excluded input from Blood Falls by focusing on winter dynamics when the absence of an open water moat prevents surface brine entry. Due to the extremely high salinities below the chemocline in WLB, density stratification is dominated by salinity, and temperature can be used as a passive tracer. Cold brine intrusions enter WLB at the glacier face and intrude into the water column at the depth of neutral buoyancy, where they can be identified by anomalously cold temperatures at that depth. High-resolution measurements also reveal under-ice internal waves associated with katabatic wind events, a novel finding that challenges long-held assumptions about the stability of the WLB water column.

scholarly journals Retention of dissolved iron and FeIIin an iron induced Southern Ocean phytoplankton bloom

2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (18) ◽  
pp. 3425-3428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter L. Croot ◽  
Andrew R. Bowie ◽  
Russell D. Frew ◽  
Maria T. Maldonado ◽  
Julie A. Hall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Dissolved Iron

scholarly journals Resupply of mesopelagic dissolved iron controlled by particulate iron composition

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 995-1000 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bressac ◽  
C. Guieu ◽  
M. J. Ellwood ◽  
A. Tagliabue ◽  
T. Wagener ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dissolved Iron ◽  
Iron Composition ◽  
Particulate Iron

The phytoplankton bloom response to wind events and upwelled nutrients during the CoOP WEST study

2006 ◽  
Vol 53 (25-26) ◽  
pp. 3023-3048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frances P. Wilkerson ◽  
Adria M. Lassiter ◽  
Richard C. Dugdale ◽  
Albert Marchi ◽  
Victoria E. Hogue
Keyword(s):  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Wind Events

scholarly journals An iron budget during the natural iron fertilisation experiment KEOPS (Kerguelen Islands, Southern Ocean)

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 6803-6837 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Chever ◽  
G. Sarthou ◽  
E. Bucciarelli ◽  
S. Blain ◽  
A. R. Bowie
Keyword(s):  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Dissolved Iron ◽  
Heard Island ◽  
Natural Iron ◽  
Particulate Iron ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The One ◽  
Iron Pool ◽  
Lateral Advection ◽  
Very High

Abstract. Total dissolvable iron (TDFe) was measured in the water column above and in the surrounding of the Kerguelen Plateau (Indian sector of the Southern Ocean) during the KErguelen Ocean Plateau compared Study (KEOPS) cruise. TDFe concentrations ranged from 0.90 to 65.6 nmol L−1 above the plateau and from 0.34 to 2.23 nmol L−1 offshore of the plateau. Station C1 located south of the plateau, near Heard Island, exhibited very high values (329–770 nmol L−1). Apparent particulate iron (Feapp), calculated as the difference between the TDFe and the dissolved iron measured on board (DFe) represented 95±5% of the TDFe above the plateau, suggesting that particles and refractory colloids largely dominated the iron pool. This paper presents a budget of DFe and Feapp above the plateau. Lateral advection of water that had been in contact with the continental shelf of Heard Island seems to be the predominant source of Feapp and DFe above the plateau, with a supply of 9.7±2.3×106 and 8.3±6.7×103 mol d−1, respectively. The residence times of 1.7 and 48 days estimated for Feapp and DFe, respectively, indicate a rapid turnover in the surface water. A comparison between Feapp and total particulate iron (TPFe) suggests that the total dissolved fraction is mainly constituted of small refractory colloids. This fraction does not seem to be a potential source of iron to the phytoplankton in our study. Finally, when taking into account the lateral supply of dissolved iron, the seasonal carbon sequestration efficiency was estimated at 154 000 mol C (mol Fe)−1, which is 4-fold lower than the previously estimated value in this area but still 18-fold higher than the one estimated during the other study of a natural iron fertilisation experiment, CROZEX.

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