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Biogeochemical impacts of dust on the global carbon cycle

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posted on 2023-05-22, 18:11 authored by Jickells, T, Philip BoydPhilip Boyd, Hunter, KA
Dust supply can directly affect primary production in terrestrial and marine ecosystems and thereby affect local and planetary biogeochemistry. The impact on land appears to be primarily in terms of dust providing a supply of phosphorus to phosphorus-limited ecosystems, thereby increasing primary production directly, and to also relieve phosphorus limitation of nitrogen fixation, which then also allows increased primary production. The impact of dust as a phosphorus source seems to have the biggest impacts in terrestrial tropical systems, reflecting both the global dust supply pattern as well as the fundamental biogeochemistry of soil development and biogeochemical cycling in these environments. Dust supply can also in some environments, particularly Caribbean islands, provide a significant part of the soil itself. In marine ecosystems, the most important role of dust appears to be a source of iron. This dust-derived iron supply acts to directly increase primary production in surface waters of high-nitrate low-chlorophyll regions where primary production is iron limited. These areas are predominantly at high latitudes and include the vast Southern Ocean. The dust-derived iron supply also plays an important role in relieving iron limitation of nitrogen fixation in tropical surface ocean waters and thereby increases primary production in these areas.

History

Publication title

Mineral Dust: A Key Player in the Earth System

Editors

P Knippertz, J-BW Stuut

Pagination

359-384

ISBN

978-940178978-3

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Springer

Place of publication

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Extent

19

Rights statement

Copyright 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Oceanic processes (excl. in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean)

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