Deep Convective Mixing Research Articles

Fossil Diatoms Reveal Natural and Anthropogenic History of Jackson Lake (Wyoming, USA)

Jackson Lake supplies valuable cultural and provisioning ecosystem services to the Upper Snake River watershed in Wyoming and Idaho (western USA). Construction of Jackson Lake Dam in the early 20th century raised lake level by ∼12 m, generating an important water resource supporting agriculture and ranching, as well as tourism associated with Grand Teton National Park. Outlet engineering drastically altered Jackson Lake’s surface area, morphology, and relationship with the inflowing Snake River, yet the consequences for nutrient dynamics and algae in the lake are unknown. Here, we report the results of a retrospective environmental assessment completed for Jackson Lake using a paleolimnological approach. Paleoecological (diatoms) and geochemical datasets were developed on a well-dated sediment core and compared with available hydroclimate data from the region, to assess patterns of limnological change. The core spans the termination of the Little Ice Age and extends to the present day (∼1654–2019 CE). Diatom assemblages prior to dam installation are characterized by high relative abundances of plankton that thrive under low nutrient availability, most likely resulting from prolonged seasonal ice cover and perhaps a single, short episode of deep convective mixing. Following dam construction, diatom assemblages shifted to planktic species that favor more nutrient-rich waters. Elemental abundances of sedimentary nitrogen and phosphorous support the interpretation that dam installation resulted in a more mesotrophic state in Jackson Lake after ∼1916 CE. The data are consistent with enhanced nutrient loading associated with dam emplacement, which inundated deltaic wetlands and nearshore vegetation, and perhaps increased water residence times. The results of the study highlight the sensitivity of algal composition and productivity to changes in nutrient status that accompany outlet engineering of natural lakes by humans and have implications for water resource management.

Two-year seasonality (2017, 2018), export and long-term changes in coccolithophore communities in the subtropical ecosystem of the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

A two-year (2017, 2018) study of coccolithophores was undertaken in the Gulf of Aqaba in the northern Red Sea to 1) determine the local diversity and community succession patterns with high temporal and taxonomic resolution, 2) determine the contribution to exported inorganic carbon and 3) evaluate changes in communities relative to those in the mid-1970's reported in Winter et al. (1979). As typical, the oceanographic conditions in the Gulf alternated between stratified, oligotrophic through spring/summer, and mesotrophic during winter due to deep convective mixing. Noticeably, the second summer of 2018 was warmer resulting in a more pronounced thermocline. Overall, the coccolithophore dynamics followed the seasonal changes in oceanographic conditions. During the mixing period, coccolithophores were denser (>25 coccospheres mL−1) and were estimated to account on average for 3.46% of the total Chl-a. The communities were fairly homogeneous through depths and over time with a marked dominance of Emiliania huxleyi and Gephyrocapsa ericsonii. During the stratified season, coccolithophore densities were lower, particularly at the surface, such that coccolithophores were estimated to represent on average 0.72% of the total Chl-a. However, the diversity was higher and a clear vertical zonation developed with well-defined upper, intermediate and deep-dwelling communities. These included Umbellosphaera spp., Rhabdosphaera clavigera, a variety of Syracosphaera spp., holococcolithophores and Florisphaera profunda, respectively, as typical in oligotrophic systems. This further underscores the pelagic nature of the Gulf of Aqaba. Noticeably, however, coccolithophores declined in abundances and diversity during 2018, possibly due to the warmer conditions. The relative export of inorganic carbon by coccolithophores largely correlated with the density of living communities, representing <4% and <10% of total inorganic carbon exports during the stratified and mixing periods, respectively. A marked differentiation between different coccolithophore life phases was also detected. Broadly, holococcolithophores inhabited preferentially shallow, oligotrophic water layers in the stratified season, while heterococcolithophores prevailed in deeper water layers or in winter. Yet, species-specific deviations to this pattern were also detected. Finally, comparisons with the 1970's revealed marked changes compared to current communities. G. ericsonii appeared less prevalent and Umbellosphaera spp. displayed a wider temporal residence through spring/summer. Moreover, F. profunda and other deep dwelling species absent in the past are now common during the peak of summer. These observations are indicative of changes in local microbial communities, possibly linked to the ongoing rise in sea temperatures. This study provides a detailed baseline information on coccolithophores for future reassessments of community changes in the GoA.

Two Sources of Deep Decadal Variability in the Central Labrador Sea Open‐Ocean Convection Region

AbstractThe ventilation of the central Labrador Sea is important for the uptake of ocean tracers and carbon. Using historical ocean observations, we construct a simple multiple linear regression model that successfully reconstructs the decadal variability of the upper ∼2,000 m of the central Labrador Sea water properties based on observed indices that represent two different open‐ocean ventilation mechanisms. The first mechanism is the modification of deep ocean properties through local decadal variability of the Labrador Sea deep convective mixing. The second, more novel, mechanism is the climatological convective vertical redistribution of upper central Labrador Sea temperature and salinity anomalies associated with the nonlocal large‐scale subpolar Atlantic Multidecadal Variability and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. The ventilated decadal central Labrador Sea signal subsequently spreads into the western subpolar North Atlantic. The results have important implications for predicting decadal ventilated signals in the Labrador Sea that are associated with the large‐scale climate variability.

Linkages Among Dissolved Organic Matter Export, Dissolved Metabolites, and Associated Microbial Community Structure Response in the Northwestern Sargasso Sea on a Seasonal Scale.

Deep convective mixing of dissolved and suspended organic matter from the surface to depth can represent an important export pathway of the biological carbon pump. The seasonally oligotrophic Sargasso Sea experiences annual winter convective mixing to as deep as 300 m, providing a unique model system to examine dissolved organic matter (DOM) export and its subsequent compositional transformation by microbial oxidation. We analyzed biogeochemical and microbial parameters collected from the northwestern Sargasso Sea, including bulk dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved amino acids (TDAA), dissolved metabolites, bacterial abundance and production, and bacterial community structure, to assess the fate and compositional transformation of DOM by microbes on a seasonal time-scale in 2016–2017. DOM dynamics at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study site followed a general annual trend of DOC accumulation in the surface during stratified periods followed by downward flux during winter convective mixing. Changes in the amino acid concentrations and compositions provide useful indices of diagenetic alteration of DOM. TDAA concentrations and degradation indices increased in the mesopelagic zone during mixing, indicating the export of a relatively less diagenetically altered (i.e., more labile) DOM. During periods of deep mixing, a unique subset of dissolved metabolites, such as amino acids, vitamins, and benzoic acids, was produced or lost. DOM export and compositional change were accompanied by mesopelagic bacterial growth and response of specific bacterial lineages in the SAR11, SAR202, and SAR86 clades, Acidimicrobiales, and Flavobacteria, during and shortly following deep mixing. Complementary DOM biogeochemistry and microbial measurements revealed seasonal changes in DOM composition and diagenetic state, highlighting microbial alteration of the quantity and quality of DOM in the ocean.

The Red Harmful Plague in Times of Climate Change: Blooms of the Cyanobacterium Planktothrix rubescens Triggered by Stratification Dynamics and Irradiance.

Planktothrix rubescens is a harmful planktonic cyanobacterium, forming concentrated metalimnetic populations in deep oligo- and mesotrophic lakes, even after successful restoration. In Lake Zurich (Switzerland), P. rubescens emerged as a keystone species with annual mass developments since the 1970s. Its success was partly attributed to effects of lake warming, such as changes in thermal stratification and seasonal deep mixing. However, recent observations based on a biweekly monitoring campaign (2009–2020) revealed two massive breakdowns and striking seasonal oscillations of the population. Here, we disentangle positive from negative consequences of secular lake warming and annual variations in weather conditions on P. rubescens dynamics: (i) despite the high survival rates of overwintering populations (up to 25%) during three consecutive winters (2014–2016) of incomplete deep convective mixing, cyanobacterial regrowth during the following stratified season was moderate and not overshooting a distinct standing stock threshold. Moreover, we recorded a negative trend for annual population maxima and total population size, pointing to a potential nutrient limitation after a series of incomplete winter mixing. Thus, the predication of steadily increasing blooms of P. rubescens could not be confirmed for the last decade. (ii) The seasonal reestablishment of P. rubescens was strongly coupled with a timely formation of a stable metalimnion structure, where the first positive net growth in the following productive summer season was observed. The trigger for the vertical positioning of filaments within the metalimnion was irradiance and not maximal water column stability. Repetitive disruptions of the vernal metalimnion owing to unstable weather conditions, as in spring 2019, went in parallel with a massive breakdown of the standing stock and marginal regrowth during thermal stratification. (iii) Driven by light intensity, P. rubescens was entrained into the turbulent epilimnion in autumn, followed by a second peak in population growth. Thus, the typical bimodal growth pattern was still intact during the last decade. Our long-term study highlights the finely tuned interplay between climate-induced changes and variability of thermal stratification dynamics and physiological traits of P. rubescens, determining its survival in a mesotrophic temperate lake.

Ice‐Covered Lakes of Tibetan Plateau as Solar Heat Collectors

AbstractThe Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau possesses the largest alpine lake system, which plays a crucial role in the land‐atmosphere interaction. We report first observations on the thermal and radiation regime under ice of the largest freshwater lake of the Plateau. The results reveal that freshwater lakes on the Tibetan Plateau fully mix under ice. Due to strong solar heating, water temperatures increase above the maximum density value 1–2 months before the ice break, forming stable thermal stratification with subsurface temperatures &gt;6°C. The resulting heat flow from water to ice makes a crucial contribution to ice cover melt. After the ice breakup, the accumulated heat is released into the atmosphere during 1–2 days, increasing lake‐atmosphere heat fluxes up to 500 W m−2. The direct biogeochemical consequences of the deep convective mixing are aeration of the deep lake waters and upward supply of nutrients to the upper photic layer.

The Formation of Subtropical Phytoplankton Blooms Is Dictated by Water Column Stability During Winter and Spring in the Oligotrophic Northwestern North Pacific

AbstractSubtropical phytoplankton blooms were observed in winter and late spring (rather than in early spring, as is typical) via shipboard observations in an area south of the Kuroshio Extension in the northwestern North Pacific subtropical gyre. Satellite‐based observations revealed that these submesoscale blooms occurred in warmer water masses in winter and in cooler water masses in late spring. The fact that winter blooms occurred in warmer areas suggests that they depend on water column stratification caused by solar heating. In contrast, the fact that the late‐spring blooms occurred in cooler areas suggests a breakdown of stratification due to a recurrence of convective mixing. Mesoscale blooms occurred at intermediate water temperatures in early spring, suggesting a repeating sequence of stratification and mixing during this period. Wintertime deep convective mixing in the northwestern North Pacific subtropical gyre creates Subtropical Mode Water. The behavior of the wintertime mixed‐layer depth, which determines the thickness of Subtropical Mode Water, also dictates the characteristics of subtropical blooms such as their magnitude and the timing of onset and demise. Based on in situ observations and a model analysis, we conclude that deeper winter mixing, which increases nutrient concentrations, will intensify early‐spring blooms and facilitate the formation of episodic blooms in winter and late spring. On the other hand, shallower winter mixing should increase stratification and thus facilitate the formation of smaller blooms, even in winter.

Enhancement of the North Atlantic CO&amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;2&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt; sink by Arctic Waters

Abstract. The North Atlantic north of 50∘ N is one of the most intense ocean sink areas for atmospheric CO2 considering the flux per unit area, 0.27 Pg-C yr−1, equivalent to −2.5 mol C m−2 yr−1. The northwest Atlantic Ocean is a region with high anthropogenic carbon inventories. This is on account of processes which sustain CO2 air–sea fluxes, in particular strong seasonal winds, ocean heat loss, deep convective mixing, and CO2 drawdown by primary production. The region is in the northern limb of the global thermohaline circulation, a path for the long-term deep-sea sequestration of carbon dioxide. The surface water masses in the North Atlantic are of contrasting origins and character, with the northward-flowing North Atlantic Drift, a Gulf Stream offspring, on the one hand and on the other hand the cold southward-moving low-salinity Polar and Arctic waters with signatures from Arctic freshwater sources. We have studied by observation the CO2 air–sea flux of the relevant water masses in the vicinity of Iceland in all seasons and in different years. Here we show that the highest ocean CO2 influx is to the Arctic and Polar waters, respectively, -3.8±0.4 and -4.4±0.3 mol C m−2 yr−1. These waters are CO2 undersaturated in all seasons. The Atlantic Water is a weak or neutral sink, near CO2 saturation, after poleward drift from subtropical latitudes. These characteristics of the three water masses are confirmed by data from observations covering 30 years. We relate the Polar Water and Arctic Water persistent undersaturation and CO2 influx to the excess alkalinity derived from Arctic sources. Carbonate chemistry equilibrium calculations clearly indicate that the excess alkalinity may support at least 0.058 Pg-C yr−1, a significant portion of the North Atlantic CO2 sink. The Arctic contribution to the North Atlantic CO2 sink which we reveal was previously unrecognized. However, we point out that there are gaps and conflicts in the knowledge about the Arctic alkalinity and carbonate budgets and that future trends in the North Atlantic CO2 sink are connected to developments in the rapidly warming and changing Arctic. The results we present need to be taken into consideration for the following question: will the North Atlantic continue to absorb CO2 in the future as it has in the past?

Nordic Seas Hydrography in the Context of Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean Dynamics

AbstractThe hydrography of the Nordic seas, a critical site for deep convective mixing, is controlled by various processes. On one hand, Arctic Ocean exports are thought to freshen the North Atlantic Ocean and the Nordic seas, as in the Great Salinity Anomalies (GSAs) of the 1970s–1990s. On the other hand, the salinity of the Nordic seas covaries with that of the Atlantic inflow across the Greenland–Scotland Ridge, leaving an uncertain role for Arctic Ocean exports. In this study, multidecadal time series (1950–2018) of the Nordic seas hydrography, Subarctic Front (SAF) in the North Atlantic Ocean [separating the water masses of the relatively cool, fresh Subpolar Gyre (SPG) from the warm, saline Subtropical Gyre (STG)], and atmospheric forcing are examined and suggest a unified view. The Nordic seas freshwater content is shown to covary on decadal time scales with the position of the SAF. When the SPG is strong, the SAF shifts eastward of its mean position, increasing the contribution of subpolar relative to subtropical source water to the Atlantic inflow, and vice versa. This suggests that Arctic Ocean fluxes primarily influence the hydrography of the Nordic seas via indirect means (i.e., by freshening the SPG). Case studies of two years with anomalous NAO conditions illustrate how North Atlantic Ocean dynamics relate to the position of the SAF (as indicated by hydrographic properties and stratification changes in the upper water column), and therefore to the properties of the Atlantic inflow and Nordic seas.

Rapid transfer of oxygen to the deep ocean mediated by bubbles

The concentration of oxygen exerts major controls on life in the ocean, and its distribution in the ocean and atmosphere carries information about biological productivity, transports of mass and heat, ocean deoxygenation and global carbon sinks. Our understanding of processes underlying oxygen distributions, their key features and variability is often lacking. Here we investigate the magnitude, variability and uncertainty of the air–sea flux of oxygen, carbon dioxide and atmospheric potential oxygen over an annual cycle in the Labrador Sea. We demonstrate that two-thirds of the annual oxygen uptake occurs over only 40 days in winter and is associated with a bubble-mediated component of air–sea gas transfer linked to episodic high winds, strong cooling and deep convective mixing. By neglecting the bubble-mediated flux component, global models may underestimate oxygen and atmospheric potential oxygen uptake in regions of convective deep-water formation by up to an order of magnitude. Uncertainties in wind speed products lead to additional major (up to 80%) uncertainty in air–sea fluxes in these critical regions. Our findings may help explain observation–model discrepancies in distributions of atmospheric potential oxygen and imply that oxygen levels in the deep ocean are more sensitive to climate change than currently thought. Bubble-mediated flux of oxygen into the Labrador Sea surface ocean contributes to air–sea gas exchange, suggest observations from moored profiling and Argo float data. Climate models that omit the process may underestimate oxygen in the deep ocean.

Three Nearby K-Giants with Planets: Accurate Determination of Basic Parameters, Including an Analysis of Metallicity Based on Fe I Lines

Fundamental parameters are determined for three bright, nearby K-giants, {\beta} Gem (K0 III), {\mu} Leo (K2 III), and {\alpha} Tau (K5 III). It is notable that around all three stars the giant planets have been found. Our results are compared with published high-precision data for benchmark stars included in the Gaia project. Very good agreement was obtained for all three giants with these data for the basic parameters Teff, logg, and M. Special attention was devoted to analysis of the Fe I lines which are the basis of a simultaneous determination of the metallicity index [Fe/H] and microturbulent parameter Vt. The equivalent widths W of the Fe I lines are automatically measured from published spectra for the benchmark stars. An analysis of Fe I lines from the list of "golden lines" selected in a study of benchmark stars led to the conclusion that the excitation potential El of the low level of the lines plays an substantial role in determining [Fe/H] and Vt. It is shown that in the case of the early K-giants {\beta} Gem and {\mu} Leo for lines in the range of W from 100 to 300 m{\AA} there is a dependence of the [Fe/H] and Vt values on El. It is shown that a correct accounting for it leads an ambiguity in the determination of [Fe/H] and Vt for {\beta} Gem and {\mu} Leo. In the case of the coolest K-giant {\alpha} Tau (Aldebaran) with a temperature Teff = 3920K, this effect seems to be less pronounced. Recommendations are given for the Fe I lines selection for [Fe/H] and Vt determination. It is sonfirmed for the example of the three stars studied here that the non-LTE effects in the Fe I lines for the K-giants with normal metallicity are very minor, so they cannot be the reason of the revealed ambiguity in [Fe/H] and Vt values. The low ratios of the carbon 12C/13C and oxygen 16O/17O isotopes confirm that all three giants passed the phase of deep convective mixing.

On Venus' cloud top chemistry, convective activity and topography: A perspective from HST

Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (HST/STIS) observations were obtained on 3 dates in December 2010 and January 2011 recording the cloud top properties over Aphrodite Terra and a low elevation region downwind of Aphrodite through LSTs extending from 7 to 11 a.m. From these data we trace the cloud top sulfur-oxide chemistry and UV albedo sensitivity to LST, latitude and topography. Above regions co-located in LST and latitude, albedo variations observed at 245 nm parallel those observed at 365 nm-following the pattern expected from Hadley cell circulation. However, darkening of the cloud top albedo at LSTs between 9.5 and 11 h beyond that expected from simple Hadley circulation was also observed. Above the plains the albedo darkening intensified rapidly with LST and was observed at latitudes extending as high as ~30 N; however, above the mountains the darkening was either entirely absent or evident only at 0 N at an intensity 2× lower than that observed over the plains. Because the observed 245 nm albedo LST variations were inconsistent with that expected from multiple scattering of the coincidently retrieved SO2 gas abundance, we conclude that the 245 nm albedo is diagnostic of the vertical and spatial distribution, abundance (and potentially the identity) of Venus' unidentified UV absorber—rather than SO2 gas. The LST albedo trends are best explained by the onset of subsolar convective activity that intensifies with LST expanding vertically from the boundary between the middle and upper clouds to the cloud tops and increasing the detectability of the unknown absorbing species at the cloud tops. The terrain dependence in the observed intensity implies the time at which the expansion reaches the cloud tops is later above the mountains than over the plains. Additionally, at the time of observation, the low-latitude large-scale vertical mixing rates that control the latitudinal gradients of the SO2 and unknown absorber abundances above and within the cloud top region were lower over Aphrodite Terra than the plains, to the extent that photochemical processing destroyed the spatial correlation between those absorbing species. These observations show the power of UV spectroscopy to diagnose the distinct influences of deep (Hadley-cell type) and shallow convective mixing processes on the vertical and horizontal distribution of Venus' unknown absorbing species, and the sensitivity of these processes to LST and topography, relative to the sulfur oxide chemistry. These results are essential for accurate climate modeling—and when compared to recent Venus missions motivate a need for additional follow-on observing campaigns that simultaneously trace key cloud top chemistry and dynamic processes including the LST dependent evolution of planetary scale gravity waves (GWs). With the inevitable aging of the Hubble Telescope, follow-on observations providing temporally coincident traces of the cloud top albedo, sulfur-oxide chemistry and GW features will require a new age of space-based telescopes and Venus orbiting mission with sensitivity to UV, visible and IR wavelengths.

Localization of areas of deep convection in the Nordic seas, the Labrador Sea and the Irminger Sea

Using EN4 data-set from 1950 to 2015, the areas of the most intense deep convective mixing are identified as the maximum depths of the upper mixed layer during the cold season. It has been shown that the areas with the maximum registered convection depth of 1500–2000 m are found in the Greenland basin (73°–76° N, 5° W-1° E) and the Boreas basin (77° N, 1–2.5° W). This refines the areas of the deep convection derived from in situ data and results of hydrodynamic modeling. It has been shown that the previously separated in literature areas of deep convection in the Labrador Sea (55–59° N 50–56° W) and the Irminger Sea (57–60° N, 35–43° W), are in fact linked into one region by the episodic re-occurrence of the deep convection (1000 m and more) south of Greenland (between 56°–58° N). The intra-annual variability of deep convection was studied over the whole period of observations of 1950–2015. It is shownthat the maximum depths of the upper mixed layer in all three seas was usually registered between December and May. The most often convection reaches the maximum depth in the Labrador and Irminger seas in March, and in the Greenland Sea — in April.

Optimizing the parameterization of deep mixing and internal seiches in one-dimensional hydrodynamic models: a case study with Simstrat v1.3

Abstract. This paper presents an improvement of a one-dimensional lake hydrodynamic model (Simstrat) to characterize the vertical thermal structure of deep lakes. Using physically based arguments, we refine the transfer of wind energy to basin-scale internal waves (BSIWs). We consider the properties of the basin, the characteristics of the wind time series and the stability of the water column to filter and thereby optimize the magnitude of wind energy transferred to BSIWs. We show that this filtering procedure can significantly improve the accuracy of modelled temperatures, especially in the deep water of lakes such as Lake Geneva, for which the root mean square error between observed and simulated temperatures was reduced by up to 40 %. The modification, tested on four different lakes, increases model accuracy and contributes to a significantly better reproduction of seasonal deep convective mixing, a fundamental parameter for biogeochemical processes such as oxygen depletion. It also improves modelling over long time series for the purpose of climate change studies.

Analysis of the Non-LTE Lithium Abundance for a Large Sample of F-, G-, and K-Giants and Supergiants

A five-dimensional interpolation method and corresponding computer program are developed for using published calculations to determine the non-LTE correction {\Delta\}NLTE to the lithium abundance log{\epsilon}(Li) derived from the Li I 6707.8 {\AA} line. The {\Delta\}NLTE values is determined from the following five parameters: {\Delta\}NLTE the effective temperature Teff, the acceleration of gravity logg, the metallicity index [Fe/H], the microturbulent velocity Vt, and the LTE Li abundance log {\epsilon}(Li). The program is used to calculate values of {\Delta\}NLTE and the non-LTE Li abundance for 91 single bright giants from the list of Lebre, et al. By combining these results with data for 55 stars, we obtain the non-LTE values of log {\epsilon}(Li) for 146 FGK-giants and supergiants. We confirm that, in the spectra of most of these stars, it is only possible to estimate for them an upper limit for the Li abundance. A large spread is confirmed in log {\epsilon}(Li) for stars with masses M<6Msun. A comparison of these results with model calculations of stars confirms the unique sensitivity of the lithium abundance to the initial rotation velocity V0. We discuss the giants and supergiants with lithium abundances log {\epsilon}(Li) = 1.4 +- 0.3, which could have a rotation velocity V0=0 km/s and have already undergone deep convective mixing. Li-rich giants with lithium abundances log {\epsilon}(Li)>2 and nearly up to the initial value of log {\epsilon}(Li) = 3.2 +- 0.1 are examined. It is shown that the fraction of Li-rich giants with V0 = 0 - 50 km/s is consistent with current evolutionary models. The other stars of this type, as well as all of the "super Li-rich" giants, for which the standard theory is untenable, can be explained by invoking the hypothesis of recent lithium synthesis in the star or an alternative hypothesis according to which a giant planet is engulfed by the star.

Comparison of dust emissions, transport, and deposition between the Taklimakan Desert and Gobi Desert from 2007 to 2011

The Taklimakan Desert (TD) and Gobi Desert (GD) are two of the most important dust sources in East Asia, and have important impact on energy budgets, ecosystems and water cycles at regional and even global scales. To investigate the contribution of the TD and the GD to dust concentrations in East Asia as a whole, dust emissions, transport, and deposition over the TD and the GD in different seasons from 2007 to 2011 were systematically compared, based on the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem). Dust emissions, uplift, and long-range transport related to these two dust source regions were markedly different due to differences in topography, elevation, thermal conditions, and atmospheric circulation. Specifically, the topography of the GD is relatively flat, and at a high elevation, and the area is under the influence of two jet streams at high altitudes, resulting in high wind speeds in the upper atmosphere. Deep convective mixing enables the descending branch of jet streams to continuously transport momentum downward to the mid-troposphere, leading to enhanced wind speeds in the lower troposphere over the GD which favors the vertical uplift of the GD dust particles. Therefore, the GD dust was very likely to be transported under the effect of strong westerly jets, and thus played the most important role in contributing to dust concentrations in East Asia. Approximately 35% and 31% of dust emitted from the GD transported to remote areas in East Asia in spring and summer, respectively. The TD has the highest dust emission capabilities in East Asia, with emissions of about 70.54 Tg yr−1 in spring, accounting for 42% of the total dust emissions in East Asia. However, the TD is located in the Tarim Basin and surrounded by mountains on three sides. Furthermore, the dominant surface wind direction is eastward and the average wind speed at high altitudes is relatively small over the TD. As a result, the TD dust particles are not easily transported outside the Tarim Basin, such that most of the dust particles are re-deposited after uplift, at a total deposition rate of about 40 g m−2. It is only when the TD dust particles are uplifted above 4 km, and entrained in westerlies that they begin to undergo a long-range transport. Therefore, the contribution of the TD dust to East Asian dust concentrations was relatively small. Only 25% and 23% of the TD dust was transported to remote areas over East Asia in spring and summer, respectively.

The Nevada Rural Ozone Initiative (NVROI): Insights to understanding air pollution in complex terrain

The Nevada Rural Ozone Initiative (NVROI) was established to better understand O3 concentrations in the Western United States (US). The major working hypothesis for development of the sampling network was that the sources of O3 to Nevada are regional and global. Within the framework of this overarching hypothesis, we specifically address two conceptual meteorological hypotheses: (1) The high elevation, complex terrain, and deep convective mixing that characterize Nevada, make this state ideally located to intercept polluted parcels of air transported into the US from the free troposphere; and (2) site specific terrain features will influence O3 concentrations observed at surface sites. Here, the impact of complex terrain and site location on observations are discussed. Data collected in Nevada at 6 sites (1385 to 2082m above sea level (asl)) are compared with that collected at high elevation sites in Yosemite National Park and the White Mountains, California. Average daily maximum 1-hour concentrations of O3 during the first year of the NVROI ranged from 58 to 69ppbv (spring), 53 to 62ppbv (summer), 44 to 49ppbv (fall), and 37 to 45ppbv (winter). These were similar to those measured at 3 sites in Yosemite National Park (2022 to 3031m asl), and at 4 sites in the White Mountains (1237 to 4342m asl) (58 to 67ppbv (summer) and 47 to 58ppbv (fall)). Results show, that in complex terrain, collection of data should occur at high and low elevation sites to capture surface impacts, and site location with respect to topography should be considered. Additionally, concentrations measured are above the threshold reported for causing a reduction in growth and visible injury for plants (40ppbv), and sustained exposure at high elevation locations in the Western USA may be detrimental for ecosystems.

Physiological constrains on Sverdrup's Critical-Depth-Hypothesis: the influences of dark respiration and sinking

Abstract Discussions on the controls initiating the onset of the phytoplankton spring bloom in particular in the North Atlantic have since Sverdrup been dominated by the role of physical and biological drivers. Undoubtedly, these drivers play an important role in phytoplankton dynamics and thus the onset of the spring bloom. However, they neglect the cells ability to modify vital rates in response to changes in the external environment. In this study, we use a non-hydrostatic convection model coupled to an Individual-Based-Model to simulate changes phytoplankton cells during the transition from winter conditions as driven by convective mixing, and the onset of thermal stratification resulting in the spring bloom. The comparison between a simulation using a standard fixed rate approach in line with the original Sverdrup hypothesis and a simulation parameterized to include variable respiration and sinking rates showed that the latter approach was able to capture the observed phytoplankton concentration during deep convective mixing, the timing and magnitude of the spring bloom as well as simulating realistic physiological rates. In contrast, the model employing fixed rate parameterizations could only replicate field observations when employing unrealistic parameter values. These results highlight the necessity to consider not only the physical and biological external controls determining phytoplankton dynamics but also the cells ability to modify critical physiological rates in response to external constraints. Understanding these adaptive qualities will be of increasing importance in the future as species assemblages and physical controls change with changing climate.

Dissolved organic carbon and apparent oxygen utilization in the Atlantic Ocean

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) distributions along two Atlantic Meridional Transects conducted in 2005 in the region between 47°N and 34°S showed clear latitudinal patterns. The DOC concentrations in the epipelagic zone (0–100m) were the highest (70–90µM) in tropical and subtropical waters with stable mixed layers, and lowest (50–55µM) at the poleward extremities of the transects due to deep convective mixing supplying low DOC waters to the surface. A decrease in DOC occurred with depth, and lowest DOC concentrations (41–45µM) in the 100–300m depth range were observed in the equatorial region due to upwelling of low DOC waters. A strong relationship between DOC and AOU was observed in the σ–t 26–26.5 isopycnal layer which underlies the euphotic zone and outcrops at the poleward extremities of the North and South Atlantic Subtropical Gyres (NASG and SASG) in the region ventilating the thermocline waters. Our observations reveal significant north–south variability in the DOC–AOU relationship. The gradient of the relationship suggests that 52% of the AOU in the σ–t 26–26.5 density range was driven by DOC degradation in the NASG and 36% in the SASG, with the remainder due to the remineralisation of sinking particulate material. We assess possible causes for the greater contribution of DOC remineralisation in the NASG compared to the SASG.

Apportioning global and non-global components of mercury deposition through 210Pb indexing

Our previous work has documented a correlation between Hg concentrations and 210Pb activity measured in wet deposition that might be used to help apportion sources of Hg in precipitation. Here we present the results of a 27-month precipitation collection effort using co-located samplers for Hg and 210Pb designed to assess this hypothesis. Study sites were located on the east and west coasts of North America, in the continental interior, and on the Florida Peninsula. Relatively high variability in Hg/210Pb ratios was found at all sites regionally and seasonally (e.g., overall: 0.99–9.13ngdpm−1). The ratio of average volume-weighted Hg concentrations and 210Pb activities showed consistent trends (higher in impacted area), with Glacier Bay in southeast Alaska, exhibiting the lowest value. Assuming that Glacier Bay represents a benchmark for a site with no regional contribution, we estimate less than 50% of the Hg input was “global” at the Seattle and Florida sites. Differences in Hg/210Pb in wet deposition could be due to either a regional/local source contribution of Hg, or a regional/local enhancement in the removal of Hg from the atmosphere (i.e., oxidants), however, this approach is not capable of discerning between these two possibilities. Thus, this method of source apportionment represents an estimate of the maximal amount of Hg contributed by regional sources and may be limited in regions of deep convective mixing.