Conway and co-authors (2019, see reference below) present the first evidence that anthropogenic iron (Fe) from combustion sources is visible at the basin scale, using iron isotopic composition (δ56Fe) analysis of the soluble aerosol phases collected during GEOTRACES cruise GA03 in the North Atlantic Ocean. Off Sahara, soluble aerosol samples have near-crustal δ56Fe whereas those from near […]
Oct / 08 / 2019
Atmospheric dust is considered an important source of trace elements to the ocean. As part of the Eastern Pacific Zonal Transect GEOTRACES cruise (EPZT GP16), Buck and co-workers collected 17 (3-day integrated) aerosol samples along this transect known for its low dust input. Chemical composition and elemental ratios indicate crustal sources for aluminium (Al), titanium […]
Feb / 13 / 2019
Dust particles settling into the surface of open ocean environments are for years assumed to provide nutrients to these distant nutrient-limited areas. Torfstein and Kienast (2018, see reference below) present a unique high-resolution coupling between dust concentrations (hourly resolution) and chlorophyll-a concentrations (daily time scale resolution) across a 4-year period in the deep, nutrient-poor water […]
Sep / 05 / 2018
Alex Baker and Tim Jickells (2017, see reference below) propose to answer to this question thanks to analysis of aerosols collected in the framework of the Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT). They established the soluble concentrations of a range of trace metals (iron, aluminium, manganese, titanium, zinc, vanadium, nickel and copper) and major ions. They reveal […]
Jan / 25 / 2018
Shelley and co-workers (2016, see reference below) established that atmospheric deposition of trace elements was low throughout May-June 2014 along the GEOVIDE (GA01) cruise track in the North Atlantic Ocean. They also demonstrate that the aerosol trace element composition could be represented as simply the mixing of two aerosol sources: mineral dust and mixed mineral […]
Dec / 16 / 2016
Organic matter is an important component of aerosols, which can absorb (or scatter) light, contributing a warming (or cooling) effect to the atmospheric radiative budget. However, this impact is tightly linked to the molecular characteristics of aerosol organic matter. It is, therefore, of prime importance to establish the organic matter molecular details of aerosols from […]
Nov / 07 / 2014
Results from the first US-GEOTRACES cruise in the North Atlantic are coming out! Andrew Wozniak and co-authors show that aerosols from European-influenced air masses (combustion influenced) have higher relative iron (Fe) and aluminium (Al) solubilities, higher Water Soluble Organic Carbon (WSOC)/trace metal ratios, and distinct organic matter (OM) chemical characteristics compared to those from North African-influenced […]
Oct / 28 / 2013
Scientists participating in GEOTRACES have developed a new strategy to evaluate trace element fluxes to the ocean from aerosols (Hsieh et al, 2011). The new approach uses the common geochemical behaviour of two isotopes of the same chemical element (thorium;Th), whose sources to the surface seawater are totally different (and independent). 230Th is a decay product […]
Apr / 23 / 2012