Efficient biological carbon export to the mesopelagic ocean induced by submesoscale fronts
Abstract Oceanic submesoscale processes are ubiquitous in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG), where the biological carbon pump is generally ineffective. Due to difficulties in collecting continuous observations, however, it remains uncertain whether episodic submesoscale processes can drive s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44846-7 |
| _version_ | 1797349866676944896 |
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| author | Mingxian Guo Xiaogang Xing Peng Xiu Giorgio Dall’Olmo Weifang Chen Fei Chai |
| author_facet | Mingxian Guo Xiaogang Xing Peng Xiu Giorgio Dall’Olmo Weifang Chen Fei Chai |
| author_sort | Mingxian Guo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Oceanic submesoscale processes are ubiquitous in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG), where the biological carbon pump is generally ineffective. Due to difficulties in collecting continuous observations, however, it remains uncertain whether episodic submesoscale processes can drive significant changes in particulate organic carbon (POC) export into the mesopelagic ocean. Here we present observations from high-frequency Biogeochemical-Argo floats in the NPSG, which captured the enhanced POC export fluxes during the intensifying stages of a submesoscale front and a cyclonic eddy compared to their other life stages. A higher percentage of POC export flux was found to be transferred to the base of mesopelagic layer at the front compared to that at the intensifying eddy and the mean of previous studies (37% vs. ~10%), suggesting that the POC export efficiency was significantly strengthened by submesoscale dynamics. Such findings highlight the importance of submesoscale fronts for carbon export and sequestration in subtropical gyres. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:36:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8131403163b14a928d2f0cb7b942b287 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:36:34Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-8131403163b14a928d2f0cb7b942b2872024-01-21T12:26:09ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-01-0115111010.1038/s41467-024-44846-7Efficient biological carbon export to the mesopelagic ocean induced by submesoscale frontsMingxian Guo0Xiaogang Xing1Peng Xiu2Giorgio Dall’Olmo3Weifang Chen4Fei Chai5State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics, Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural ResourcesState Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science & College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen UniversityIstituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale—OGSState Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science & College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen UniversityState Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science & College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen UniversityAbstract Oceanic submesoscale processes are ubiquitous in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG), where the biological carbon pump is generally ineffective. Due to difficulties in collecting continuous observations, however, it remains uncertain whether episodic submesoscale processes can drive significant changes in particulate organic carbon (POC) export into the mesopelagic ocean. Here we present observations from high-frequency Biogeochemical-Argo floats in the NPSG, which captured the enhanced POC export fluxes during the intensifying stages of a submesoscale front and a cyclonic eddy compared to their other life stages. A higher percentage of POC export flux was found to be transferred to the base of mesopelagic layer at the front compared to that at the intensifying eddy and the mean of previous studies (37% vs. ~10%), suggesting that the POC export efficiency was significantly strengthened by submesoscale dynamics. Such findings highlight the importance of submesoscale fronts for carbon export and sequestration in subtropical gyres.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44846-7 |
| spellingShingle | Mingxian Guo Xiaogang Xing Peng Xiu Giorgio Dall’Olmo Weifang Chen Fei Chai Efficient biological carbon export to the mesopelagic ocean induced by submesoscale fronts Nature Communications |
| title | Efficient biological carbon export to the mesopelagic ocean induced by submesoscale fronts |
| title_full | Efficient biological carbon export to the mesopelagic ocean induced by submesoscale fronts |
| title_fullStr | Efficient biological carbon export to the mesopelagic ocean induced by submesoscale fronts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Efficient biological carbon export to the mesopelagic ocean induced by submesoscale fronts |
| title_short | Efficient biological carbon export to the mesopelagic ocean induced by submesoscale fronts |
| title_sort | efficient biological carbon export to the mesopelagic ocean induced by submesoscale fronts |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44846-7 |
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