Nitrogen uptake regime regulated by ice melting during austral summer in the Prydz Bay, Antarctica

Zhang Run; Ma Qiang; Chen Min; Zheng Minfang; Cao Jianping; Qiu Yusheng

doi:10.1007/s13131-019-1434-2

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Article Navigation > Acta Oceanologica Sinica > 2019 > 38(8): 1-7

Zhang Run, Ma Qiang, Chen Min, Zheng Minfang, Cao Jianping, Qiu Yusheng. Nitrogen uptake regime regulated by ice melting during austral summer in the Prydz Bay, Antarctica[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2019, 38(8): 1-7. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1434-2

Citation:

Zhang Run, Ma Qiang, Chen Min, Zheng Minfang, Cao Jianping, Qiu Yusheng. Nitrogen uptake regime regulated by ice melting during austral summer in the Prydz Bay, Antarctica[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2019, 38(8): 1-7. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1434-2

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Nitrogen uptake regime regulated by ice melting during austral summer in the Prydz Bay, Antarctica

doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1434-2

1.
College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
2.
College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China;Key Laboratory of Estuarine Ecological Security and Enviromental Health, Xiamen University Tan Kah Kee College, Zhangzhou 363105, China

Received Date: 2018-08-18

Abstract

Abstract

Using a combination of stable isotope (¹⁵N) and radionuclide (²²⁶Ra) analyses, we examine possible controls on the interactions between melting ice and the uptake of nitrogen in the Prydz Bay during the 2006 austral summer. We find that specific rates of uptake for nitrate and ammonium correlate positively to their concentrations, thus suggesting a substrate effect. In the study area, we observe that regions along open, oceanic water have high f-ratios (nitrate uptake/nitrate+ammonium uptake), while areas near the Amery Ice Shelf have significantly low f-ratios. Further analysis reveals a negative correlation between the f-ratio and the melt water fraction, thus implying that the melting of ice plays an essential role in regulating pelagic N dynamics in the Southern Ocean (SO). Stratification, produced by melting ice, should profoundly affect the efficiency of the SO’s biological pump and consequently affect the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere. Results presented in this study add information to an already significant base of understanding of the controls on pelagic C and N dynamics in the SO. This provides unique insights for either interpreting past changes in geologic records or for predicting future climate change trends.
- nitrogen uptake regime,
- ice melting,
- Prydz Bay,
- Antarctica

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References(35)

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