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[B-1.1 Studies on Vertical Flux of Particulate Carbon in the Ocean and Factors Controlling the Chemical Fluxes]

[Contact Person]

Kiichi Ohta
Institute for Hydrospheric-Atmospheric Sciences
Nagoya University,
Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-01, Japan
Tel:052-789-3473 Fax:052-789-3436

[Total Budget for FY1993-1995]

24,554,000 Yen (FY1995; 8,312,000 Yen)

[Abstract]

　An aim of this work is to have better understanding on vertical and horizontal transport of organic matter from the coastal areas to the intermediate through deep water layers of the open ocean, because this process is one of the main processes for uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide by the ocean.
　The time series sediment trap experiment was conducted in the site located in the extremely south end of the Japan trench to collect sinking particles at the depths of 1.0, 3.5, 5.5 and 8.5km from March, 1992 to March, 1993. Organic carbon and biogenic silica fluxes ranging from 2.0 to 8.3mgC/m²/day and 6.5 to 9.9mgSi/m²/day respectively were measured with distinctive seasonal variation. However much higher values of organic carbon and biogenic silica fluxes of 9.44 mgC/m2/day and 26. 8mgSi/m²/day respectively were measured in the sinking particles collected from the sediment trap deployed at 8.5km depth.
　Detailed analyses of vertical profiles of organic carbon and nitrogen, and biogenic and lithogenic silica fluxes indicated that significant amounts of organic carbon and biogenic/lithogenic silica were transported from two sources consisting of the particles produced by phytoplankton photosynthesis in the surface and subsurface waters and derived from the land and continental shelf areas to the deep layers of the open ocean.

[Key Words]

Ocean, Organic Matter, Carbon Flux, Sediment Trap, Biogenic Particle, Biogenic Silica