89 research outputs found
Trace elements in the sea surface microlayer : rapid responses to changes in aerosol deposition
© The Author(s), 2017. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Elementa Science of the Anthropocene 5 (2017): 42, doi:10.1525/elementa.237.Natural and anthropogenic aerosols are a significant source of trace elements to oligotrophic ocean surface waters, where they provide episodic pulses of limiting micronutrients for the microbial community. However, little is known about the fate of trace elements at the air-sea interface, i.e. the sea surface microlayer. In this study, samples of aerosols, sea surface microlayer, and underlying water column were collected in the Florida Keys during a dusty season (July 2014) and non-dusty season (May 2015) and analyzed for the dissolved and particulate elements Al, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb. Microlayer samples were collected using a cylinder of ultra-pure SiO2 (quartz glass), a novel adaptation of the glass plate technique. A significant dust deposition event occurred during the 2014 sampling period which resulted in elevated concentrations of trace elements in the microlayer. Residence times in the microlayer from this event ranged from 12 to 94 minutes for dissolved trace elements and from 1.3 to 3.4 minutes for particulate trace elements. These residence times are potentially long enough for the atmospherically derived trace elements to undergo chemical and biological alterations within the microlayer. Characterizing the trace element distributions within the three regimes is an important step towards our overall goals of understanding the rates and mechanisms of the solubilization of trace elements following aeolian dust deposition and how this might affect microorganisms in surface waters.NSF OCE-1357140 (to WML)
Total particulate trace element concentrations from bulk aerosol samples collected during the US GEOTRACES EPZT section cruise (R/V Thomas G. Thompson TN303) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific from October to December 2013
Dataset: Total Particulate AerosolsAtmospheric input is important to the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals in the ocean. This dataset provides total particulate trace metal values from bulk aerosols over the Equatorial Pacific along the US GEOTRACES EPTZ transect (TN303) from Peru to Tahiti. This region is characterized as one of the lowest atmospheric deposition regimes in the ocean. Bulk aerosols were collected from the boundary layer (~15 m above sea level) using a high-volume aerosol sampler drawing approximately 1.2 cubic meters of air per minute over Whatman 41 ash-less filter discs. Despite low aerosol loadings, triplicate agreement for most samples was good for Al, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, and Cu. Away from the coast, Cd and Pb values in most samples were close to, or below detection limit. Total digestions were carried out with a combination of hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid, heat and pressure. Total particulate trace metal concentrations were determined at the University of Alaska Fairbanks by inductively couple plasma mass spectrometry (Thermo Element-2) using external calibration curves. For a complete list of measurements, refer to the supplemental document 'Field_names.pdf', and a full dataset description is included in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: http://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/675632NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) OCE-1234417, NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) OCE-145436
Acetic acid leachable trace metals from bulk aerosol samples collected during the US GEOTRACES EPZT section cruise (R/V Thomas G. Thompson TN303) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific from October to December 2013
Dataset: Acetic Acid Leachable Trace Metals from AerosolsAtmospheric input is important to the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals in the ocean. The fraction of aerosol trace metals that can potentially dissolve after deposition is of interest for improving knowledge of aerosol/surface ocean interactions. This dataset provides acetic acid leachable trace metal values from bulk aerosol from the Equatorial Pacific along the US GEOTRACES EPTZ transect (TN303) from Peru to Tahiti. This region is characterized as one of the lowest atmospheric deposition regimes in the ocean. Bulk aerosols were collected from the boundary layer (~15 m above sea level) using a high-volume aerosol sampler drawing approximately 1.2 cubic meters of air per minute over Whatman 41 ash-less filter discs. Despite low aerosol loadings, triplicate agreement for most samples was good for Al, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, and Cu. Away from the coast, Cd and Pb values in most samples were close to, or below detection limit. Acetic acid leaches were carried out with a combination of 25% acetic acid and a reducing agent. Leachable trace metal concentrations were determined at the University of Alaska Fairbanks by inductively couple plasma mass spectrometry (Thermo Element-2) using external calibration curves. The aerosol trace metal fractional solubility was calculated as a percent of the total bulk aerosol data from the same cruise (https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/675632). For a complete list of measurements, refer to the supplemental document 'Field_names.pdf', and a full dataset description is included in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: http://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/709276NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) OCE-1234417, NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) OCE-145436
Shelf Inputs and Lateral Transport of Mn, Co, and Ce in the Western North Pacific Ocean
The margin of the western North Pacific Ocean releases redox-active elements like Mn, Co, and Ce into the water column to undergo further transformation through oxide formation, scavenging, and reductive dissolution. Near the margin, the upper ocean waters enriched in these elements are characterized by high dissolved oxygen, low salinity, and low temperature, and are a source of the North Pacific Intermediate Water. High dissolved concentrations are observed across the Western Subarctic Gyre, with a rapid decrease in concentrations away from the margin and across the subarctic-subtropical front. The particulate concentrations of Mn, Co, and Ce are also high in the subarctic surface ocean and enriched relative to Ti and trivalent rare earth elements. Furthermore, the particles enriched in Mn, Co, and Ce coincide at the same depth range, suggesting that these elemental cycles are coupled through microbial oxidation in the subarctic gyre as the waters travel along the margin before being subducted at the subarctic-subtropical front. Away from the margin, the Mn, Co, and Ce cycles decouple, as Mn and Ce settle out as particles while dissolved Co is preserved and transported within the North Pacific Intermediate Water into the central North Pacific Ocean
Shelf Inputs and Lateral Transport of Mn, Co, and Ce in the Western North Pacific Ocean
The margin of the western North Pacific Ocean releases redox-active elements like Mn, Co, and Ce into the water column to undergo further transformation through oxide formation, scavenging, and reductive dissolution. Near the margin, the upper ocean waters enriched in these elements are characterized by high dissolved oxygen, low salinity, and low temperature, and are a source of the North Pacific Intermediate Water. High dissolved concentrations are observed across the Western Subarctic Gyre, with a rapid decrease in concentrations away from the margin and across the subarctic-subtropical front. The particulate concentrations of Mn, Co, and Ce are also high in the subarctic surface ocean and enriched relative to Ti and trivalent rare earth elements. Furthermore, the particles enriched in Mn, Co, and Ce coincide at the same depth range, suggesting that these elemental cycles are coupled through microbial oxidation in the subarctic gyre as the waters travel along the margin before being subducted at the subarctic-subtropical front. Away from the margin, the Mn, Co, and Ce cycles decouple, as Mn and Ce settle out as particles while dissolved Co is preserved and transported within the North Pacific Intermediate Water into the central North Pacific Ocean
Does Sea Spray Aerosol Contribute Significantly To Aerosol Trace Element Loading? A Case Study From the U.S. GEOTRACES Pacific Meridional Transect (GP15)
Atmospheric deposition represents a major input for micronutrient trace elements (TEs) to the surface ocean and is often quantified indirectly through measurements of aerosol TE concentrations. Sea spray aerosol (SSA) dominates aerosol mass concentration over much of the global ocean, but few studies have assessed its contribution to aerosol TE loading, which could result in overestimates of “new” TE inputs. Low-mineral aerosol concentrations measured during the U.S. GEOTRACES Pacific Meridional Transect (GP15; 152°W, 56°N to 20°S), along with concurrent towfish sampling of surface seawater, provided an opportunity to investigate this aspect of TE biogeochemical cycling. Central Pacific Ocean surface seawater Al, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb concentrations were combined with aerosol Na data to calculate a “recycled” SSA contribution to aerosol TE loading. Only vanadium was calculated to have a SSA contribution averaging \u3e1% along the transect (mean of 1.5%). We derive scaling factors from previous studies on TE enrichments in the sea surface microlayer and in freshly produced SSA to assess the broader potential for SSA contributions to aerosol TE loading. Maximum applied scaling factors suggest that SSA could contribute significantly to the aerosol loading of some elements (notably V, Cu, and Pb), while for others (e.g., Fe and Al), SSA contributions largely remaine
Methods for the sampling and analysis of marine aerosols: results from the 2008 GEOTRACES aerosol intercalibration experiment
Atmospheric deposition of trace elements and isotopes (TEI) is an important source of trace metals to the open ocean, impacting TEI budgets and distributions, stimulating oceanic primary productivity, and influencing biological community structure and function. Thus, accurate sampling of aerosol TEIs is a vital component of ongoing GEOTRACES cruises, and standardized aerosol TEI sampling and analysis procedures allow the comparison of data from different sites and investigators. Here, we report the results of an aerosol analysis intercalibration study by seventeen laboratories for select GEOTRACES-relevant aerosol species (Al, Fe, Ti, V, Zn, Pb, Hg, NO3-, and SO42-) for samples collected in September 2008. The collection equipment and filter substrates are appropriate for the GEOTRACES program, as evidenced by low blanks and detection limits relative to analyte concentrations. Analysis of bulk aerosol sample replicates were in better agreement when the processing protocol was constrained (+/- 9% RSD or better on replicate analyses by a single lab, n = 7) than when it was not (generally 20% RSD or worse among laboratories using different methodologies), suggesting that the observed variability was mainly due to methodological differences rather than sample heterogeneity. Much greater variability was observed for fractional solubility of aerosol trace elements and major anions, due to differing extraction methods. Accuracy is difficult to establish without an SRM representative of aerosols, and we are developing an SRM for this purpose. Based on these findings, we provide recommendations for the GEOTRACES program to and macro-nutrients to the open ocean (Okin et al. 2011) and is a key component of the international GEOTRACES program (GEOTRACES Planning Group 2006). A priority of the GEOTRACES program is to quantify both major and trace elements (e. g., Al, Fe, Ti, V, Zn, Pb, and Hg) and species such as nitrate and sulfate in marine aerosols. Therefore, marine aerosol samples collected during GEOTRACES cruises must follow sampling protocols that permit the collection and analysis of as many elements and compounds as possible, while meeting the constraints associated with basin-wide oceanographic cruises (e. g., space limitations, high-frequency sampling, etc.)
The GEOTRACES Intermediate Data Product 2017
The GEOTRACES Intermediate Data Product 2017 (IDP2017) is the second publicly available data product of the international GEOTRACES programme, and contains data measured and quality controlled before the end of 2016. The IDP2017 includes data from the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Southern and Indian oceans, with about twice the data volume of the previous IDP2014. For the first time, the IDP2017 contains data for a large suite of biogeochemical parameters as well as aerosol and rain data characterising atmospheric trace element and isotope (TEI) sources. The TEI data in the IDP2017 are quality controlled by careful assessment of intercalibration results and multi-laboratory data comparisons at crossover stations. The IDP2017 consists of two parts: (1) a compilation of digital data for more than 450 TEIs as well as standard hydrographic parameters, and (2) the eGEOTRACES Electronic Atlas providing an on-line atlas that includes more than 590 section plots and 130 animated 3D scenes. The digital data are provided in several formats, including ASCII, Excel spreadsheet, netCDF, and Ocean Data View collection. Users can download the full data packages or make their own custom selections with a new on-line data extraction service. In addition to the actual data values, the IDP2017 also contains data quality flags and 1-σ data error values where available. Quality flags and error values are useful for data filtering and for statistical analysis. Metadata about data originators, analytical methods and original publications related to the data are linked in an easily accessible way. The eGEOTRACES Electronic Atlas is the visual representation of the IDP2017 as section plots and rotating 3D scenes. The basin-wide 3D scenes combine data from many cruises and provide quick overviews of large-scale tracer distributions. These 3D scenes provide geographical and bathymetric context that is crucial for the interpretation and assessment of tracer plumes near ocean margins or along ridges. The IDP2017 is the result of a truly international effort involving 326 researchers from 25 countries. This publication provides the critical reference for unpublished data, as well as for studies that make use of a large cross-section of data from the IDP2017. This article is part of a special issue entitled: Conway GEOTRACES - edited by Tim M. Conway, Tristan Horner, Yves Plancherel, and Aridane G. González.We gratefully acknowledge financial support by the Scientific
Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) through grants from the U.S.
National Science Foundation, including grants OCE-0608600, OCE0938349, OCE-1243377, and OCE-1546580. Financial support was also
provided by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the
Ministry of Earth Science of India, the Centre National de Recherche
Scientifique, l'Université Paul Sabatier de Toulouse, the Observatoire
Midi-Pyrénées Toulouse, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the
Kiel Excellence Cluster The Future Ocean, the Swedish Museum of
Natural History, The University of Tokyo, The University of British
Columbia, The Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, the
GEOMAR-Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, and the Alfred
Wegener Institut
Pyrogenic iron: The missing link to high iron solubility in aerosols
Atmospheric deposition is a source of potentially bioavailable iron (Fe) and thus can partially control biological productivity in large parts of the ocean. However, the explanation of observed high aerosol Fe solubility compared to that in soil particles is still controversial, as several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this observation. Here, a statistical analysis of aerosol Fe solubility estimated from four models and observations compiled from multiple field campaigns suggests that pyrogenic aerosols are the main sources of aerosols with high Fe solubility at low concentration. Additionally, we find that field data over the Southern Ocean display a much wider range in aerosol Fe solubility compared to the models, which indicate an underestimation of labile Fe concentrations by a factor of 15. These findings suggest that pyrogenic Fe-containing aerosols are important sources of atmospheric bioavailable Fe to the open ocean and crucial for predicting anthropogenic perturbations to marine productivity
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