Carbon and Calcium Carbonate Export Driven by Appendicularian Faecal Pellets in the Humboldt Current System off Chile

摘要

The role of appendicularian faecal pellet (FPa) size fractions on coccolithophore-derived particulate organic carbon (POC) and calcium carbonate (CaCOsub3/sub) export to the deep sea was assessed from sediment traps within a period of ten years (1995-2004) off Coquimbo (CQ, 30°S) and five years (2005-2009) off Concepción (CC, 36°S) in the Humboldt Current System (HCS) off Chile. The composition and size distribution of 1,135 FPa samples from sediment traps deployed at 2,300 and 1,000?m depths showed non-linear, inverse relationships between the FPa size-fractions and their volume-specific POC and CaCOsub3/sub contents, which were up to ten times higher for small (100?μm in diameter) than large (100?μm) FPa. On average, 13 and 2% of the total POC and CaCOsub3/sub fluxes, respectively, were contributed mainly by small FPa (90%), with maxima during the autumn and summer. Thus, a non-linear, exponential model of volume-specific POC and CaCOsub3/sub contents of FPa substantially improved vertical flux rate estimates. In the HCS, annual carbon flux based on a non-linear FPa carbon load was double the estimate assuming a linear-volume to carbon load for FPa (345 and 172 kton C ysup-1/sup). We recommend a widespread consideration of this non-linear model in global carbon estimates.