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Significance The deposition of mineral dust can stimulate primary productivity in the remote Southern Ocean through the supply of the micronutrient iron (Fe), leading to a removal of atmospheric CO2… Click to show full abstract
Significance The deposition of mineral dust can stimulate primary productivity in the remote Southern Ocean through the supply of the micronutrient iron (Fe), leading to a removal of atmospheric CO2 especially during glacial periods. By analyzing the geochemistry of marine sediments, we show that dust-borne Fe input in the Subantarctic South Pacific was related primarily to the circumpolar transport of dust from South American sources. Increasing input from more proximal sources in Australia and New Zealand represents important secondary components during the latter part of the two glacial cycles. Our quantitative dust provenance data vary systematically with dust grain size and dust-Fe fluxes, highlighting how source-specific changes in Southern Hemisphere dust transport influenced the efficiency of Southern Ocean CO2 removal.
Journal Title: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Year Published: 2022
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