Data compilation of fluxes of sedimenting material from sediment traps in the Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

Abstract. We provide a data set assemblage of directly observed and derived fluxes of sedimenting material (total mass, POC, PON, bSiO2, CaCO3, PIC and lithogenic/terrigenous fluxes) obtained using sediment traps. This data assemblage contains over 5900 data points distributed across the Atlantic, from the Arctic Ocean to the Southern Ocean. Data from the Mediterranean Sea are also included. Data were compiled from a variety of sources: data repositories (e.g. BCO-DMO, PANGAEA®), time-series sites (e.g. BATS, CARIACO), published scientific papers and data provided by the originating principal investigators (PIs). All sources are specified within the combined data set. Data from the World Ocean Atlas 2009 were extracted to coincide with flux data to provide additional environmental information where available. Specifically, contemporaneous data were extracted for temperature, salinity, oxygen (concentration, AOU and percentage saturation), nitrate, phosphate and silicate. Data show a broad range of flux estimates, with marked differences between ocean domains. Data also reveal important differences in the contribution that a given variable provides to the total mass flux, which is relevant towards understanding the factors that control the strength of the biological carbon pump. This data set has been submitted to the data repository PANGAEA® (http://www.pangaea.de), who have made it available under doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.807946.