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Insights Into the Major Processes Driving the Global Distribution of Copper in the Ocean From a Global Model
- Source :
- Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Global Biogeochemical Cycles: an international journal of global change
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Abstract
- Copper (Cu) is an unusual micronutrient as it can limit primary production but can also become toxic for growth and cellular functioning under high concentrations. Cu also displays an atypical linear profile, which will modulate its availability to marine microbes across the ocean. Multiple chemical forms of Cu coexist in seawater as dissolved species and understanding the main processes shaping the Cu biogeochemical cycling is hampered by key knowledge gaps. For instance, the drivers of its specific linear profile in seawater are unknown, and the bioavailable form of Cu for marine phytoplankton is debated. Here we developed a global 3‐D biogeochemical model of oceanic Cu within the NEMO/PISCES global model, which represents the global distribution of dissolved copper well. Using our model, we find that reversible scavenging of Cu by organic particles drives the dissolved Cu vertical profile and its distribution in the deep ocean. The low modeled inorganic copper (Cu') in the surface ocean means that Cu' cannot maintain phytoplankton cellular copper requirements within observed ranges. The global budget of oceanic Cu from our model suggests that its residence time may be shorter than previously estimated and provides a global perspective on Cu cycling and the main drivers of Cu biogeochemistry in different regions. Cu scavenging within particle microenvironments and uptake by denitrifying bacteria could be a significant component of Cu cycling in oxygen minimum zones.<br />Key Points Phytoplankton uptake of ligand‐bound copper is necessary to meet phytoplankton copper requirementsReversible scavenging is responsible for the linear profile of dissolved copperLigands are important drivers of the surface Cu cycling
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Atmospheric Science
Biogeochemical cycle
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
trace metals
chemistry.chemical_element
Particle (ecology)
Marine Geochemistry
Biogeosciences
01 natural sciences
Deep sea
Biogeochemical Kinetics and Reaction Modeling
Chemical Speciation and Complexation
Oceanography: Biological and Chemical
Paleoceanography
Phytoplankton
Environmental Chemistry
14. Life underwater
Global Change
Scavenging
Research Articles
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
General Environmental Science
Global and Planetary Change
010604 marine biology & hydrobiology
Trace Element Cycling
fungi
Biogeochemistry
modeling
Nutrients and Nutrient Cycling
Copper
ocean
Trace Elements
Chemical Tracers
Geochemistry
chemistry
13. Climate action
Environmental chemistry
copper
phytoplankton
Environmental science
Seawater
Cryosphere
Biogeochemical Cycles, Processes, and Modeling
Research Article
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19449224 and 08866236
- Volume :
- 33
- Issue :
- 12
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Global Biogeochemical Cycles
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....a9f2b239f093afab9007ad99760613d1
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gb006280