Size-differentiated Export Flux in Different Dynamical Regimes in the Ocean

• DOI: 10.1002/essoar.10503896.1
• Publication Date: 2020-08-04T17:09:49Z
• Authors: Mathieu Dever; D Nicholson; M M Omand; A Mahadevan
• Keywords: Settling; Particle (ecology)

Export of Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) is mainly driven by gravitational sinking. Thus, traditionally, it thought that larger, faster-sinking particles make up most the POC export flux. However, this need not be case for whose sinking speeds are comparable to vertical velocities a dynamic flow field can influence descent rate particles. Particles with different settling released in two process-oriented model simulations an upper ocean eddying Northeast Pacific evaluate impact (1) dynamics on respective contribution sinking-velocity classes export, and (2) particle number size-spectrum slope. The analysis reveals leading mechanism changes from gravitationally-driven advectively-driven as submesoscale become more active region. velocity associated enhances slower-sinking flux factor ranging 3 10, especially where relative abundance small large, (i.e., steep slope). Remineralization generally decreases total amount biomass exported, but its weaker dynamical regimes present advectively-driven.