Alkenones in the Northwestern Mediterranean sea: interannual variability and vertical transfer

Type Article
Date 1999-06
Language English
Author(s) Sicre Ma1, Ternois Y1, Miquel Jc2, Marty Jc3
Affiliation(s) 1 : Lab Sci Climat & Environm, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette, France.
2 : IAEA, Marine Environm Lab, MC-98012 Monaco, Monaco.
3 : Univ Paris 06, Lab Phys & Chim Marines, CNRS, INSU, F-06230 Villefranche Sur Mer, France.
Source Geophysical Research Letters (0094-8276) (Amer Geophysical Union), 1999-06 , Vol. 26 , N. 12 , P. 1735-1738
DOI 10.1029/1999GL900353
WOS© Times Cited 42
Abstract C-37 alkenone fluxes were measured with sediment traps at 200 m depth over the years 1989/1990 and 1993/1994 to assess the interannual variability of the alkenone flux from the surface waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Fall and spring were identified as the high flux periods. SST estimates derived from the U-37(K) index indicated 50 m and 30 m as major production depths in spring and fall, respectively. Althought interannual variation of alkenone fluxes was notable, the seasonality and depth of production appeared to be recurrent features of the coccolithophorid cycle of production. Alkenone fluxes at 1000 m measured over the year 1993/1994 were about 5 times lower than at 200 m and show no evidence of preferential preservation relative to the organic carbon between these depths. SST predicted at 200 m and 1000 m indicated a remarkably good transfer of the surface temperature signal to deeper layers.
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