Biogeochemical properties and transports in the North East Atlantic

Johnson, Clare; Fraser, Neil; Cunningham, Stuart; Burmeister, Kristin; Jones, Sam; Drysdale, Lewis; Abell, Richard; Brown, Peter ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1152-1114; Dumont, Estelle; Fox, Alan; Holliday, N. Penny ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9733-8002; Inall, Mark; Reed, Sarah. 2024 Biogeochemical properties and transports in the North East Atlantic. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 129 (4). 10.1029/2023JC020427

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Preview	Text An edited version of this paper was published by AGU. Published (2024) American Geophysical Union. johnson_manuscript_asaccepted.pdf - Accepted Version Download (3MB) | Preview
Preview	Text An edited version of this paper was published by AGU. Published (2024) American Geophysical Union. johnson_SM_asaccepted.pdf - Accepted Version Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract/Summary

The eastern subpolar North Atlantic is a source of nutrients to the Northwest European Shelf and Arctic; however, biogeochemical transports in this important region are unknown. We examine variability in nutrients and carbon at the eastern boundary of the subpolar North Atlantic between 2017 and 2020, and calculate their transport by a branch of the North Atlantic Current and the European Slope Current. By combining observations from moorings and ship-based surveys, we derive novel biogeochemical property transports at high temporal resolution. Data from 63 m provide new evidence of a strong seasonal signal with silicate declining between April and May (−2.3 μmol kg−1) and a concurrent increase in pH (0.04) and oxygen saturation (3.5%). Additionally, pH and oxygen saturation show a secondary peak in October during the autumn bloom. Biogeochemical transports are northwards and highly variable with volume transport dominating the variability over a multi-annual timescale. However, historical data suggests that nitrate and phosphate transports were 15% and 19% lower respectively in the late 2000s when the subpolar gyre circulation was weaker and lower nutrient source waters were dominant. These changes may have been amplified by concurrent reductions in volume transport. Changes in carbon and nutrient transports in the eastern subpolar North Atlantic may propagate downstream with potential effects on the Northwest European Shelf and Eurasian Arctic.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1029/2023JC020427
ISSN:	2169-9275
Date made live:	10 Jun 2024 16:37 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/537550

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