Intense summer Si-recycling in the surface Southern Ocean

Type Article
Date 2004-05-16
Language English
Author(s) Beucher Charlotte1, Treguer Paul1, Hapette Ana-Maria1, Corvaisier Rudolph1, Metzl Nicolas2, Pichon Jean-Jacques3
Affiliation(s) 1 : European Inst Marine Studies, LEMAR, UMR 6539, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
2 : Univ Paris 06, LBCM, IPSL, UMR 7094, F-75252 Paris, France.
3 : Univ Bordeaux, EPOC, UMR 5805, F-33405 Talence, France.
Source Geophysical Research Letters (0094-8276) (Amer Geophysical Union), 2004-05-16 , Vol. 31 , N. 9 , P. 1-4
DOI 10.1029/2003GL018998
WOS© Times Cited 31
Abstract Si-cycle in surface waters was investigated in summer 2003 during a transect conducted from south-Australia to Antarctica. Diatoms dominated the microphytoplankton. Silicic acid was depleted up to 60degreesS; a subsurface maximum of biogenic silica (= biosilica) was observed in the Permanent Open Ocean Zone. In the 100-0.01% light zone, the ratio of depth-integrated biosilica dissolution rate ( D) to depth-integrated biosilica production rate ( P) ranged between 0 to 3.1, being > 1 for 5 of our 6 stations. The biosilica dissolution was related to the percentage of dead diatoms but not to the temperature and might be, at least partially, under bacteria mediation. This study shows that during summer the Southern Ocean silicate pump can be much less efficient than usually expected. Existence of scenarios with intense surface Si-recycling in the Southern Ocean has major consequences both for modelers and paleoceanographers.
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