Impact of Dust and Temperature on Primary Productivity in Late Miocene Oceans

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AbstractMost of the primary productivity in the ocean comes from phytoplankton, and is impacted, among other things, by the amount of nutrients available, as well as by temperature. The Late Miocene and Pliocene were marked by global aridification, linked to the emergence of the large deserts, likely increasing the input of dust and thus nutrients into the ocean. There was also a global decrease in temperature during this period, linked to a decline in atmospheric CO2 concentration. The objective of this study is to explore the sensitivity to dust and CO2 levels on primary productivity in the oceans under Late Miocene boundary conditions. Here we used simulations performed with the coupled ocean‐atmosphere model IPSL‐CM5A2 and its marine biogeochemistry component PISCES and a Late Miocene paleogeography. Our results show that an increase in dust input produces a quasi‐generalized increase in primary productivity, associated with a decrease in nutrient limitation. This increase in productivity also leads to nutrient deficits in some areas, such as coastlines and the Eastern Equatorial Pacific. The decrease in CO2 levels and the associated lower water temperatures lead to a reduction in primary productivity. This decrease is mainly due to a reduction in the supply of nutrients resulting from less intense remineralization. In addition, our results show that change in carbon export resulting from change in dust input and temperature are highly heterogeneous spatially. Simulations combined with sedimentary data suggesting a link between aridification, cooling and the Biogenic Bloom of the Late Miocene and Pliocene.