Composition and concentration of suspended matter in the Zhongsha Great Atoll, South China Sea, before and during the summer monsoon
Suspended matter in seawater carries abundant nutrients and carbon, playing a significant role in carbon cycle and ecosystem in many oceanic settings such as atolls. The Zhongsha Great Atoll (hereafter ZGA), located in the deep South China Sea, sustains a both regionally and globally important ecosy...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1268294/full |
| _version_ | 1797341209775046656 |
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| author | Wenwen Yan Wenwen Yan Jun Du Dongqi Gu Yongzhi Wang Guoqiang Xu Guoqiang Xu Guanxun Wang Guanxun Wang Yonggen Sun Ping Li Wei Chen |
| author_facet | Wenwen Yan Wenwen Yan Jun Du Dongqi Gu Yongzhi Wang Guoqiang Xu Guoqiang Xu Guanxun Wang Guanxun Wang Yonggen Sun Ping Li Wei Chen |
| author_sort | Wenwen Yan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Suspended matter in seawater carries abundant nutrients and carbon, playing a significant role in carbon cycle and ecosystem in many oceanic settings such as atolls. The Zhongsha Great Atoll (hereafter ZGA), located in the deep South China Sea, sustains a both regionally and globally important ecosystem. Characteristic of the suspended matter in this area, however, remains poorly investigated. Using a data set encompassing temperature, salinity, depth, and suspended matter concentration (hereafter SMC) of seawater collected respectively in May 2019 (spring-summer monsoon transition period) and June 2020 (summer monsoon outbreak period) in the ZGA, the main components and spatial distribution of suspended matter together with their influencing factors were comprehensively analyzed. Our results show that the components of suspended matter vary widely in space and include more than 20 types of materials such as planktonic remains and biogenic siliceous debris. During the transit between spring and summer monsoons, the SMC in seawater was generally low, with an average value of approximately 3.26 mg L-1, which decreased from the surface to the middle layer and then increased to deep waters; Horizontally, the SMC in the west was generally higher than that in the east likely because the wind-driven current transport significant amounts of particles from the east to the west. During the 2020 summer monsoon outbreak, average SMC in this area was 6.27 mg L-1, higher than that during the 2019 spring-summer monsoon transit. Moreover, significantly higher SMC in the 1-100 m layer and lower SMC in the 150 m layer were observed in the west. Owing to the impact of mesoscale eddies, low SMC in the surface layer and high concentrations in the bottom layer can occur in parts of the ZGA, leading to the deepening of the west-high and east-low distribution layers of SMC during the 2020 summer monsoon outbreak. Notably, we for the first time have observed an anomalously high SMC in the 1–100 m layer of the northwest area during the 2020 summer monsoon outbreak. This anomaly is higher than any previously reported values in the South China Sea and can be attributed to the multiple monsoon impacts. Sources of suspended matter, topography, currents, and wind field were identified as the main factors influencing the spatial distribution of SMC in this area. Our findings provide a basic context for understanding the sources and dynamics of suspended material in atolls. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:14:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-56fa031f05574080a497388503f7eaa5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:14:34Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-56fa031f05574080a497388503f7eaa52024-01-29T04:30:59ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452024-01-011110.3389/fmars.2024.12682941268294Composition and concentration of suspended matter in the Zhongsha Great Atoll, South China Sea, before and during the summer monsoonWenwen Yan0Wenwen Yan1Jun Du2Dongqi Gu3Yongzhi Wang4Guoqiang Xu5Guoqiang Xu6Guanxun Wang7Guanxun Wang8Yonggen Sun9Ping Li10Wei Chen11Key Laboratory of Coastal Science and Integrated Management, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaKey Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaKey Laboratory of Coastal Science and Integrated Management, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaKey Laboratory of Coastal Science and Integrated Management, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaKey Laboratory of Coastal Science and Integrated Management, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaKey Laboratory of Coastal Science and Integrated Management, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaKey Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaKey Laboratory of Coastal Science and Integrated Management, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaCollege of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaKey Laboratory of Coastal Science and Integrated Management, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaKey Laboratory of Coastal Science and Integrated Management, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaQingdao Geological Exploration Institute, China Metallurgical Geology Bureau, Qingdao, Shandong, ChinaSuspended matter in seawater carries abundant nutrients and carbon, playing a significant role in carbon cycle and ecosystem in many oceanic settings such as atolls. The Zhongsha Great Atoll (hereafter ZGA), located in the deep South China Sea, sustains a both regionally and globally important ecosystem. Characteristic of the suspended matter in this area, however, remains poorly investigated. Using a data set encompassing temperature, salinity, depth, and suspended matter concentration (hereafter SMC) of seawater collected respectively in May 2019 (spring-summer monsoon transition period) and June 2020 (summer monsoon outbreak period) in the ZGA, the main components and spatial distribution of suspended matter together with their influencing factors were comprehensively analyzed. Our results show that the components of suspended matter vary widely in space and include more than 20 types of materials such as planktonic remains and biogenic siliceous debris. During the transit between spring and summer monsoons, the SMC in seawater was generally low, with an average value of approximately 3.26 mg L-1, which decreased from the surface to the middle layer and then increased to deep waters; Horizontally, the SMC in the west was generally higher than that in the east likely because the wind-driven current transport significant amounts of particles from the east to the west. During the 2020 summer monsoon outbreak, average SMC in this area was 6.27 mg L-1, higher than that during the 2019 spring-summer monsoon transit. Moreover, significantly higher SMC in the 1-100 m layer and lower SMC in the 150 m layer were observed in the west. Owing to the impact of mesoscale eddies, low SMC in the surface layer and high concentrations in the bottom layer can occur in parts of the ZGA, leading to the deepening of the west-high and east-low distribution layers of SMC during the 2020 summer monsoon outbreak. Notably, we for the first time have observed an anomalously high SMC in the 1–100 m layer of the northwest area during the 2020 summer monsoon outbreak. This anomaly is higher than any previously reported values in the South China Sea and can be attributed to the multiple monsoon impacts. Sources of suspended matter, topography, currents, and wind field were identified as the main factors influencing the spatial distribution of SMC in this area. Our findings provide a basic context for understanding the sources and dynamics of suspended material in atolls.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1268294/fullZhongsha Great Atollsuspended mattersummer monsoonmaterial transportocean current |
| spellingShingle | Wenwen Yan Wenwen Yan Jun Du Dongqi Gu Yongzhi Wang Guoqiang Xu Guoqiang Xu Guanxun Wang Guanxun Wang Yonggen Sun Ping Li Wei Chen Composition and concentration of suspended matter in the Zhongsha Great Atoll, South China Sea, before and during the summer monsoon Frontiers in Marine Science Zhongsha Great Atoll suspended matter summer monsoon material transport ocean current |
| title | Composition and concentration of suspended matter in the Zhongsha Great Atoll, South China Sea, before and during the summer monsoon |
| title_full | Composition and concentration of suspended matter in the Zhongsha Great Atoll, South China Sea, before and during the summer monsoon |
| title_fullStr | Composition and concentration of suspended matter in the Zhongsha Great Atoll, South China Sea, before and during the summer monsoon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Composition and concentration of suspended matter in the Zhongsha Great Atoll, South China Sea, before and during the summer monsoon |
| title_short | Composition and concentration of suspended matter in the Zhongsha Great Atoll, South China Sea, before and during the summer monsoon |
| title_sort | composition and concentration of suspended matter in the zhongsha great atoll south china sea before and during the summer monsoon |
| topic | Zhongsha Great Atoll suspended matter summer monsoon material transport ocean current |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1268294/full |
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