Size‐Fractionated Compositions of Marine Suspended Particles in the Western Arctic Ocean: Lateral and Vertical Sources

Abstract

AbstractWe present full water depth sections of size‐fractionated (1–51 μm; >51 μm) concentrations of suspended particulate matter and major particle phase composition (particulate organic matter [POM], including its carbon isotopic composition [POC‐δ13C] and C:N ratio, calcium carbonate [CaCO3], opal, lithogenic particles, and iron and manganese [oxyhydr]oxides) from the U.S. GEOTRACES Arctic Cruise (GN01) in the western Arctic in 2015. Whereas biogenic particles (POM and opal) dominate the upper 1,000 m, lithogenic particles are the most abundant particle type at depth. Minor phases such as manganese (Mn) oxides are higher in GN01 than in any other U.S. GEOTRACES cruises so far. Extremely depleted POC‐δ13C, as low as ~ −32‰, is ubiquitous at the surface of the western Arctic Ocean as a result of different growth rates of phytoplankton. Moderate penetration of depleted POC‐δ13C to depth indicates active sinking of large particles in the central basin. Lateral transport from the Chukchi shelf is also of significance in the western Arctic, as is evident from increases in biogenic silica to POC ratios and Mn oxide concentrations in the halocline, as well as lithogenic element contents in the deep waters. Our study supports previous suggestions of the near absence of CaCO3 in the Arctic Basin. This study presents the first data set of concentration and composition of suspended particles in the western Arctic Ocean and sheds new light on the vertical and lateral processes that govern particle distribution in this enclosed ocean basin.