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Iron is a key micronutrient for phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean. Yet the significance of volcanism for the marine biogeochemical iron-cycle is poorly constrained. Recent studies, however, suggest that offshore deposition of airborne ash from volcanic eruptions is a way to inject significant amounts of bio-available iron into the surface ocean. Volcanic ash may be transported up to several tens of kilometers high into the atmosphere during largescale eruptions and fine ash may stay aloft for days to weeks, thereby reaching even the remotest and most ironstarved oceanic regions. Scientific ocean drilling demonstrates that volcanic ash layers and dispersed ash particles are frequently found in marine sediments and that therefore volcanic ash deposition and iron-injection into the oceans took place throughout much of the Earth's history. Natural evidence and the data now available from geochemical and biological experiments and satellite techniques suggest that volcanic ash is a so far underestimated source for iron in the surface ocean, possibly of similar importance as aeolian dust. Here we summarise the development of and the knowledge in this fairly young research field. The paper covers a wide range of chemical and biological issues and we make recommendations for future directions in these areas. The review paper may thus be helpful to improve our understanding of the role of volcanic ash for the marine biogeochemical iron-cycle, marine primary productivity and the ocean-atmosphere exchange of CO2 and other gases relevant for climate in the Earth's history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil response to acid and sulphur inputs is influenced largely by the soil's physico-chemical properties. We studied the effects of such depositions in two types of Andosols exposed to volcanogenic emission (Masaya, Nicaragua), namely Eutric Andosols rich in allophanic constituents, and Vitric Andosols rich in volcanic glass. Small mineral reserves and large contents of secondary short-range ordered minerals indicate a more advanced weathering of the Eutric than the Vitric Andosols. Strong correlations between soil specific surface and oxalate-extractable Al, Si and Fe contents highlight the predominant contribution of short-range ordered minerals to surface area.Both types of Andosols showed a decrease in pH upon acid input. Sulphur deposition increased the soil's S content to 5470 mg S kg−1. However, the acid neutralizing capacity of the soil solid phase (ANCs) was not significantly affected by the acid and S inputs. Non-exchangeable (mineral reserve) and exchangeable cations and total contents of sulphur and phosphorus dictate most of the ANCs variation. In the Vitric Andosols, mineral reserves contributed up to 97% to these four additive pools, whereas the exchangeable cations accounted for 1–4%. In the Eutric Andosols, the contribution of mineral reserves was less (71–92%), but the exchangeable cation content was greater (1–20%), whereas the contribution of sulphur and phosphorus was significant at 1–15% and 2–7%, respectively. The main process involved in H+ consumption is mineral weathering in Vitric Andosols and ion exchange in Eutric Andosols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulphate sorption on to the surface of short-range ordered minerals and precipitation of Al-hydroxy sulphate contribute to the acid neutralizing capacity of soils. The correct measurement of total inorganic sulphate is thus essential in soils that are accumulating SO42– anions. We extracted SO42– by various solutions, namely 0.005 mCa(NO3)2, 0.016 mKH2PO4, 0.5 mNH4F and 0.2 macidic NH4-oxalate (pH 3), from Vitric and Eutric Andosols exposed to prolonged deposition of acid and SO2 from an active volcano (Masaya, Nicaragua). We attributed sulphate extractable by KH2PO4 (20–3030 mg kg−1) to anion-exchangeable SO42–, which was much smaller than NH4F- and oxalate-extractable SO42– (400–9680 and 410–10 480 mg kg−1, respectively). Our results suggest the occurrence of a sparingly soluble Al-hydroxy-mineral phase extractable by both NH4F and oxalate. The formation of Al-hydroxy minerals would result from the combination of enhanced weathering caused by strong acid loading and simultaneous occurrence of large SO42– concentrations in soil solution. Oxalate extracted slightly more inorganic SO42– than did NH4F, this additional amount of SO42– correlating strongly with oxalate-extractable Si and Fe contents. Preferential occlusion of SO42– by short-range ordered minerals, especially ferrihydrite, explains this behaviour. If we exclude the contribution of occluded sulphate then oxalate and NH4F mobilize similar amounts of SO42– and are believed to mobilize all of the inorganic SO42– pool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]