Pre‐Industrial, Present and Future Atmospheric Soluble Iron Deposition and the Role of Aerosol Acidity and Oxalate Under CMIP6 Emissions

Abstract Atmospheric iron (Fe) deposition to the open ocean affects net primary productivity, nitrogen fixation, and carbon uptake. We investigate changes in soluble Fe (SFe) deposition from the pre‐industrial period to the late 21st century using the EC‐Earth3‐Iron Earth System model. EC‐Earth3‐Iro...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Elisa Bergas‐Massó, María Gonçalves Ageitos, Stelios Myriokefalitakis, Ron L. Miller, Twan vanNoije, Philippe Le Sager, Gilbert Montané Pinto, Carlos Pérez García‐Pando
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023-06-01
Series:Earth's Future
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF003353
_version_ 1797793284397989888
author Elisa Bergas‐Massó
María Gonçalves Ageitos
Stelios Myriokefalitakis
Ron L. Miller
Twan vanNoije
Philippe Le Sager
Gilbert Montané Pinto
Carlos Pérez García‐Pando
author_facet Elisa Bergas‐Massó
María Gonçalves Ageitos
Stelios Myriokefalitakis
Ron L. Miller
Twan vanNoije
Philippe Le Sager
Gilbert Montané Pinto
Carlos Pérez García‐Pando
author_sort Elisa Bergas‐Massó
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Atmospheric iron (Fe) deposition to the open ocean affects net primary productivity, nitrogen fixation, and carbon uptake. We investigate changes in soluble Fe (SFe) deposition from the pre‐industrial period to the late 21st century using the EC‐Earth3‐Iron Earth System model. EC‐Earth3‐Iron considers various sources of Fe, including dust, fossil fuel combustion, and biomass burning, and features comprehensive atmospheric chemistry, representing atmospheric oxalate, sulfate, and Fe cycles. We show that anthropogenic activity has changed the magnitude and spatial distribution of SFe deposition by increasing combustion Fe emissions and atmospheric acidity and oxalate levels. We report that SFe deposition has doubled since the early industrial era, using the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 emission inventory. We highlight acidity as the main solubilization pathway for dust‐Fe and oxalate‐promoted processing for the solubilization of combustion‐Fe. We project a global SFe deposition increase of 40% by the late 21st century relative to present day under Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) 3–7.0, which assumes weak climate change mitigation policies. Conversely, SSPs with stronger mitigation pathways (1–2.6 and 2–4.5) result in 35% and 10% global decreases, respectively. Despite these differences, SFe deposition increases over the equatorial Pacific and decreases in the Southern Ocean (SO) for all SSPs. We further observe that deposition over the equatorial Pacific and SO are highly sensitive to future changes in dust emissions from Australia and South America, as well as from North Africa. Future studies should focus on the potential impact of climate‐ and human‐induced changes in dust and wildfires combined.
first_indexed 2024-03-13T02:46:07Z
format Article
id doaj.art-13c4a38e82bf449d83866fe7f0ab4861
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2328-4277
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-13T02:46:07Z
publishDate 2023-06-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Earth's Future
spelling doaj.art-13c4a38e82bf449d83866fe7f0ab48612023-06-28T17:32:43ZengWileyEarth's Future2328-42772023-06-01116n/an/a10.1029/2022EF003353Pre‐Industrial, Present and Future Atmospheric Soluble Iron Deposition and the Role of Aerosol Acidity and Oxalate Under CMIP6 EmissionsElisa Bergas‐Massó0María Gonçalves Ageitos1Stelios Myriokefalitakis2Ron L. Miller3Twan vanNoije4Philippe Le Sager5Gilbert Montané Pinto6Carlos Pérez García‐Pando7Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) Barcelona SpainBarcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) Barcelona SpainInstitute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development (IERSD) National Observatory of Athens Penteli GreeceNASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies New York NY USARoyal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) De Bilt The NetherlandsRoyal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) De Bilt The NetherlandsBarcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) Barcelona SpainBarcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) Barcelona SpainAbstract Atmospheric iron (Fe) deposition to the open ocean affects net primary productivity, nitrogen fixation, and carbon uptake. We investigate changes in soluble Fe (SFe) deposition from the pre‐industrial period to the late 21st century using the EC‐Earth3‐Iron Earth System model. EC‐Earth3‐Iron considers various sources of Fe, including dust, fossil fuel combustion, and biomass burning, and features comprehensive atmospheric chemistry, representing atmospheric oxalate, sulfate, and Fe cycles. We show that anthropogenic activity has changed the magnitude and spatial distribution of SFe deposition by increasing combustion Fe emissions and atmospheric acidity and oxalate levels. We report that SFe deposition has doubled since the early industrial era, using the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 emission inventory. We highlight acidity as the main solubilization pathway for dust‐Fe and oxalate‐promoted processing for the solubilization of combustion‐Fe. We project a global SFe deposition increase of 40% by the late 21st century relative to present day under Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) 3–7.0, which assumes weak climate change mitigation policies. Conversely, SSPs with stronger mitigation pathways (1–2.6 and 2–4.5) result in 35% and 10% global decreases, respectively. Despite these differences, SFe deposition increases over the equatorial Pacific and decreases in the Southern Ocean (SO) for all SSPs. We further observe that deposition over the equatorial Pacific and SO are highly sensitive to future changes in dust emissions from Australia and South America, as well as from North Africa. Future studies should focus on the potential impact of climate‐ and human‐induced changes in dust and wildfires combined.https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF003353
spellingShingle Elisa Bergas‐Massó
María Gonçalves Ageitos
Stelios Myriokefalitakis
Ron L. Miller
Twan vanNoije
Philippe Le Sager
Gilbert Montané Pinto
Carlos Pérez García‐Pando
Pre‐Industrial, Present and Future Atmospheric Soluble Iron Deposition and the Role of Aerosol Acidity and Oxalate Under CMIP6 Emissions
Earth's Future
title Pre‐Industrial, Present and Future Atmospheric Soluble Iron Deposition and the Role of Aerosol Acidity and Oxalate Under CMIP6 Emissions
title_full Pre‐Industrial, Present and Future Atmospheric Soluble Iron Deposition and the Role of Aerosol Acidity and Oxalate Under CMIP6 Emissions
title_fullStr Pre‐Industrial, Present and Future Atmospheric Soluble Iron Deposition and the Role of Aerosol Acidity and Oxalate Under CMIP6 Emissions
title_full_unstemmed Pre‐Industrial, Present and Future Atmospheric Soluble Iron Deposition and the Role of Aerosol Acidity and Oxalate Under CMIP6 Emissions
title_short Pre‐Industrial, Present and Future Atmospheric Soluble Iron Deposition and the Role of Aerosol Acidity and Oxalate Under CMIP6 Emissions
title_sort pre industrial present and future atmospheric soluble iron deposition and the role of aerosol acidity and oxalate under cmip6 emissions
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF003353
work_keys_str_mv AT elisabergasmasso preindustrialpresentandfutureatmosphericsolubleirondepositionandtheroleofaerosolacidityandoxalateundercmip6emissions
AT mariagoncalvesageitos preindustrialpresentandfutureatmosphericsolubleirondepositionandtheroleofaerosolacidityandoxalateundercmip6emissions
AT steliosmyriokefalitakis preindustrialpresentandfutureatmosphericsolubleirondepositionandtheroleofaerosolacidityandoxalateundercmip6emissions
AT ronlmiller preindustrialpresentandfutureatmosphericsolubleirondepositionandtheroleofaerosolacidityandoxalateundercmip6emissions
AT twanvannoije preindustrialpresentandfutureatmosphericsolubleirondepositionandtheroleofaerosolacidityandoxalateundercmip6emissions
AT philippelesager preindustrialpresentandfutureatmosphericsolubleirondepositionandtheroleofaerosolacidityandoxalateundercmip6emissions
AT gilbertmontanepinto preindustrialpresentandfutureatmosphericsolubleirondepositionandtheroleofaerosolacidityandoxalateundercmip6emissions
AT carlosperezgarciapando preindustrialpresentandfutureatmosphericsolubleirondepositionandtheroleofaerosolacidityandoxalateundercmip6emissions