Decoupling between dissolved zinc and silicon in the North Atlantic Ocean driven by mixing of end-members

Science Highlights

22 September 2015

Roshan and Wu (2015, see reference below) reveal that the correlation between dissolved zinc (Zn) and silicon (Si) is relatively weak in the North Atlantic Ocean (GA03 US section). They use the results of an Optimum Multi-Parameter Water Mass Analysis to establish which parameter is mainly controlling the Zn distribution. Surprisingly, they present evidence that remineralization might have an insignificant effect on the zinc distribution in this region. They conclude that dissolved zinc in the North Atlantic Ocean is mainly controlled by water mass mixing, although some water mass end-members exhibit deviations in the Zn-Si correlation, as for example the Mediterranean Outflow Waters. Unexpected large Zn inputs of hydrothermal origin are also perturbing the game…

15 Roshan

Figure: Top panel shows the distribution of dissolved Zn along the GA03. Bottom panel shows the Zn-Si relationship for the zonal (left) and meridional (right) transect. Disappearance of a linear correlation is evident, particularly for the meridional transect where the Mediterranean waters have a great influence. Click here to view the figure larger.

Reference:

Roshan, S., & Wu, J. (2015). Water mass mixing: The dominant control on the zinc distribution in the North Atlantic Ocean. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 29(7), 1060–1074. doi:10.1002/2014GB005026

Latest highlights

The tumultuous life of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current over 5,3 million years, including focus on the glacial-interglacial forcing!

To reconstruct the strength of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the authors used sediment records from the pelagic central and remote South Pacific.

North-South radium-228 section in the Pacific Ocean

Moore and colleagues present results from radium-228 along the U.S. GEOTRACES Pacific Meridional Transect (GP15).

Strong lithogenic imprints in the Indian Ocean waters

Ueki and co-authors reported the first sectional distributions of zirconium, hafnium and niobium along a north-south track in the Indian Ocean.

The development of the modern Antarctic Circumpolar Current occurred much later than previously thought!

This study is challenging the belief that the onset of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current was solely triggered by the opening and deepening of Southern Ocean Gateways.

Rechercher