Nutrient distributions and nitrogen-anomaly (N*) in the tropical North Pacific Ocean

Aiqin Han; Yu Wang; Yunlong Huo; Cai Lin; Kaiwen Zhou; Fangfang Kuang; Hui Lin

doi:10.1007/s13131-021-1918-8

Volume 41 Issue 11

Nov. 2022

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Aiqin Han, Yu Wang, Yunlong Huo, Cai Lin, Kaiwen Zhou, Fangfang Kuang, Hui Lin. Nutrient distributions and nitrogen-anomaly (N*) in the tropical North Pacific Ocean[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2022, 41(11): 23-33. doi: 10.1007/s13131-021-1918-8

Citation:

Aiqin Han, Yu Wang, Yunlong Huo, Cai Lin, Kaiwen Zhou, Fangfang Kuang, Hui Lin. Nutrient distributions and nitrogen-anomaly (N*) in the tropical North Pacific Ocean[J]. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 2022, 41(11): 23-33. doi: 10.1007/s13131-021-1918-8

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Nutrient distributions and nitrogen-anomaly (N*) in the tropical North Pacific Ocean

doi: 10.1007/s13131-021-1918-8

Aiqin Han^{1, T},
Yu Wang^{1, T},
Yunlong Huo¹,
Cai Lin¹,
Kaiwen Zhou¹,
Fangfang Kuang¹,
Hui Lin^{1
,
,}

Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China

Funds: The Eastern Pacific Environment Monitoring and Protection Project under contract No. DY135-E2-5-02; the Global Change and Air-Sea Interaction Project; the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No. 42103077; the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province of China under contract No. 2020J05077.

More Information

Corresponding author: E-mail: linhui@tio.org.cn
Received Date: 2021-05-11
Accepted Date: 2021-07-03

Available Online: 2022-09-26

Publish Date: 2022-11-01

Abstract

Abstract

Based upon cruise observations broadly covering the tropical North Pacific during July−November 2017, together with data obtained from the World Ocean Circulation Experiment Hydrographic Program, this study examined the distribution of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN, nitrate (${{\rm {NO}}_3^-} $)+nitrite (${{\rm {NO}}_2^-} $)), dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) and related N* (nitrogen-anomaly, N*=N−16P+2.9, where N and P are the concentrations of DIN (>1.0 μmol/L) and DIP (>0.1 μmol/L)), used as an index of N₂ fixation, in the upper 1 000 m of the water column. Nutrient concentrations displayed distinct spatial variability in the upper ocean but became relatively constant at a depth of 1 000 m: they were high at low latitudes and in the eastern region, with an obvious nutricline at ~150 m (DIN, ~32.0 μmol/L; DIP, ~2.4 μmol/L) and then generally increased with depth; they decreased markedly (DIN, ~1.2 μmol/L; DIP, ~0.1 μmol/L; at ~150 m) at high latitudes and in the western region, where a nutricline was not apparent. The N* index showed significant meridional and zonal variation, with the most negative values located at low latitudes and in the eastern region (~10°N, ~150°−170°E), while becoming positive towards the northwest (the north of ~18°N, ~160°E westward). A N* concentration larger than 2.0 μmol/L which often used as an indicator of N₂ fixation, was observed between 155°E and 165°E; N* values were 2.0 μmol/L to 6.0 μmol/L at ~15°−28°N, i.e., much higher than those in the southern sector (0−2.0 μmol/L at ~5°−10°N). Zonally, N* decreased gradually from west (−2.0 μmol/L to 4.0 μmol/L, ~145°−165°E) to east (−2.0 μmol/L to −8.0 μmol/L, ~155°W) along ~10°N, which was consistent with the distribution of Trichodesmium abundance and N₂ fixation rates. Furthermore, since such region was also supplied with aeolian deposition, high N* was probably not only induced by N₂ fixation but also influenced by iron and/or nitrogen deposition.
- tropical North Pacific Ocean,
- nutrients,
- nitrogen anomaly,
- nitrogen fixation,
- aeolian deposition

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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