Patterns of production and sedimentation in the boreal and polar Northeast Atlantic

[摘要] Pelagic systems are potentially capable of retaining and recycling all autochthonous organic material, although some losses due to sinking particles inevitably occur. Relating processes in the surface layers quantitatively to vertical particle flux is difficult because only a small percentage of the total production is lost annually via sinking in the open ocean. Further, only a few types of particles contribute to this flux and only a smalt proportion of these may actually reach greater depths.Measurements of vertical flux with sediment traps revealed seasonal and regional patterns also within the northwestern Atlantic and indicate imbalances between particle formation and degradation. The classical pattern of spring bloom sedimentation followed by reduced loss rates has been found in shelf and shallow water regions such as the Norwegian Coastal Current and fjords and is also encountered in the Barents Sea. In the Norwegian Sea. however, the seasonal pattern appears different as the seasonal maximum has ...

[学科分类] 自然科学（综合）