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Vertical eddy iron fluxes support primary production in the open Southern Ocean

Author

Listed:
  • Takaya Uchida

    (Columbia University in the City of New York)

  • Dhruv Balwada

    (New York University)

  • Ryan P. Abernathey

    (Columbia University in the City of New York
    Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory)

  • Galen A. McKinley

    (Columbia University in the City of New York
    Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory)

  • Shafer K. Smith

    (New York University)

  • Marina Lévy

    (Institut Pierre Simon-Laplace)

Abstract

The primary productivity of the Southern Ocean ecosystem is limited by iron availability. Away from benthic and aeolian sources, iron reaches phytoplankton primarily when iron-rich subsurface waters enter the euphotic zone. Here, eddy-resolving physical/biogeochemical simulations of a seasonally-forced, open-Southern-Ocean ecosystem reveal that mesoscale and submesoscale isopycnal stirring effects a cross-mixed-layer-base transport of iron that sustains primary productivity. The eddy-driven iron supply and consequently productivity increase with model resolution. We show the eddy flux can be represented by specific well-tuned eddy parametrizations. Since eddy mixing rates are sensitive to wind forcing and large-scale hydrographic changes, these findings suggest a new mechanism for modulating the Southern Ocean biological pump on climate timescales.

Suggested Citation

  • Takaya Uchida & Dhruv Balwada & Ryan P. Abernathey & Galen A. McKinley & Shafer K. Smith & Marina Lévy, 2020. "Vertical eddy iron fluxes support primary production in the open Southern Ocean," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-14955-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14955-0
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