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High-latitude controls of thermocline nutrients and low latitude biological productivity

Author

Listed:
  • J. L. Sarmiento

    (Princeton University)

  • N. Gruber

    (University of California at Los Angeles)

  • M. A. Brzezinski

    (University of California)

  • J. P. Dunne

    (NOAA/Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory)

Abstract

The ocean's biological pump strips nutrients out of the surface waters and exports them into the thermocline and deep waters. If there were no return path of nutrients from deep waters, the biological pump would eventually deplete the surface waters and thermocline of nutrients; surface biological productivity would plummet. Here we make use of the combined distributions of silicic acid and nitrate to trace the main nutrient return path from deep waters by upwelling in the Southern Ocean1 and subsequent entrainment into subantarctic mode water. We show that the subantarctic mode water, which spreads throughout the entire Southern Hemisphere2,3 and North Atlantic Ocean3, is the main source of nutrients for the thermocline. We also find that an additional return path exists in the northwest corner of the Pacific Ocean, where enhanced vertical mixing, perhaps driven by tides4, brings abyssal nutrients to the surface and supplies them to the thermocline of the North Pacific. Our analysis has important implications for our understanding of large-scale controls on the nature and magnitude of low-latitude biological productivity and its sensitivity to climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • J. L. Sarmiento & N. Gruber & M. A. Brzezinski & J. P. Dunne, 2004. "High-latitude controls of thermocline nutrients and low latitude biological productivity," Nature, Nature, vol. 427(6969), pages 56-60, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:427:y:2004:i:6969:d:10.1038_nature02127
    DOI: 10.1038/nature02127
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    Cited by:

    1. Shantong Sun & Andrew F. Thompson & Jimin Yu & Lixin Wu, 2024. "Transient overturning changes cause an upper-ocean nutrient decline in a warming climate," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Claire Siddiqui & Tim Rixen & Niko Lahajnar & Anja K. Van der Plas & Deon C. Louw & Tarron Lamont & Keshnee Pillay, 2023. "Regional and global impact of CO2 uptake in the Benguela Upwelling System through preformed nutrients," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. M. S. Clark & J. I. Hoffman & L. S. Peck & L. Bargelloni & D. Gande & C. Havermans & B. Meyer & T. Patarnello & T. Phillips & K. R. Stoof-Leichsenring & D. L. J. Vendrami & A. Beck & G. Collins & M. W, 2023. "Multi-omics for studying and understanding polar life," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Helene A. L. Hollitzer & Lavinia Patara & Jens Terhaar & Andreas Oschlies, 2024. "Competing effects of wind and buoyancy forcing on ocean oxygen trends in recent decades," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    5. Yuhao Dai & Jimin Yu & Haojia Ren & Xuan Ji, 2022. "Deglacial Subantarctic CO2 outgassing driven by a weakened solubility pump," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Gagan Mandal & Shih-Yu Lee & Jia-Yuh Yu, 2021. "The Roles of Wind and Sea Ice in Driving the Deglacial Change in the Southern Ocean Upwelling: A Modeling Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-21, January.

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