Global Synthesis of Deep Ocean Carbon, Carbonate, Opal and Nutrient Particle Fluxes, Benthic Fluxes and Sediment Accumulation

Skidaway Institute Of Oceanography, Savannah GA

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT OCE-9911707 The development of an accurate understanding of global biogenic fluxes will require the synthesis of satellite, process, time-series and seafloor studies, each providing unique information. Satellite observations provide global, synoptic images of surface pigment distributions, but by themselves do not constrain fluxes from the photic zone to the deep ocean. Process and time-series studies provide detailed information about the production, transformation and fluxes of biogenic materials, but at a very limited number of specific locations. Seafloor studies, while not constraining short-term temporal variability, provide an assessment of the global distribution of the deep oceanic fluxes. For this reason, the PI proposes to develop a basin-wide, quantitative description of carbon fluxes based on a general diagenetic model into which global seafloor measurements of organic carbon, calcium carbonate, opal and benthic oxygen are assimilated. In addition, the PI also will compile nutrient and selected metal fluxes (Ba and Ge) into the same data set so that flux patterns of these components can be compared to carbon fluxes. It is expected that results from this study will yield an organic carbon-calcium carbonate-opal model by which the impact of calcium carbonate and opal accumulations on the organic carbon accumulation can be represented, as well as the permit other environmental factors to be considered in developing an improved description of seafloor biogenic fluxes.