The Chemistry, Biology, and Vertical Flux of Particulate Matter from the Upper 400 M of the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean.

摘要

Particulate matter, obtained from the upper 400 m in the equatorial Atlantic using large volume in situ filtration, was analyzed for major cations, carbonate, silica, trace metals, radioisotopes and organismal distributions. The profiles indicate that chemical distributions in particulates are controlled largely by biological mechanisms. The largest elemental and mass concentration gradient occurs between 50 and 113 m, coinciding with the particle and organismal maximum and the base of the mixed layer. The three major phases and fluxes of settling material are organic matter (94 m moles C/sq cm/1000 yr), carbonate (10.9 m moles CaC03/sq cm/1000 yr), and opal (12.1 m moles Si/sq cm/1000 yr). A settling model is constructed and indicates that fecal material comprises only 4% of the suspended mass concentration but carries 99% of the vertical mass flux through 388 m.