The influence of Antarctic subglacial volcanism on the global iron cycle during the Last Glacial Maximum

Marine sediment records suggest that episodes of major atmospheric CO 2 drawdown during the last glacial period were linked to iron (Fe) fertilization of subantarctic surface waters. The principal source of this Fe is thought to be dust transported from southern mid-latitude deserts. However, uncert...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 15425 - 9
Main Authors: Frisia, Silvia, Weyrich, Laura S., Hellstrom, John, Borsato, Andrea, Golledge, Nicholas R., Anesio, Alexandre M., Bajo, Petra, Drysdale, Russell N., Augustinus, Paul C., Rivard, Camille, Cooper, Alan
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 09.06.2017
Nature Publishing Group
Nature Portfolio
Subjects:
45/23
704/106/413
704/47/4112
Archives & records
Bioavailability
Carbon dioxide fixation
Drainage
Drawdown
Dust
Earth Sciences
Environmental Sciences
Geothermal power
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hydrology
Ice sheets
Marine sediments
multidisciplinary
Productivity
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Sciences of the Universe
Surface water
New Zealand
Ross Sea
Australia
France
Southern Ocean
ISSN:2041-1723, 2041-1723
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Marine sediment records suggest that episodes of major atmospheric CO 2 drawdown during the last glacial period were linked to iron (Fe) fertilization of subantarctic surface waters. The principal source of this Fe is thought to be dust transported from southern mid-latitude deserts. However, uncertainty exists over contributions to CO 2 sequestration from complementary Fe sources, such as the Antarctic ice sheet, due to the difficulty of locating and interrogating suitable archives that have the potential to preserve such information. Here we present petrographic, geochemical and microbial DNA evidence preserved in precisely dated subglacial calcites from close to the East Antarctic Ice-Sheet margin, which together suggest that volcanically-induced drainage of Fe-rich waters during the Last Glacial Maximum could have reached the Southern Ocean. Our results support a significant contribution of Antarctic volcanism to subglacial transport and delivery of nutrients with implications on ocean productivity at peak glacial conditions. Contributions of iron sources to Southern Ocean CO 2 sequestration during the last glacial period remain uncertain. Here, based on the biogeochemical analysis of subglacial calcites, the authors propose Antarctic volcanism, via subglacial drainage of Fe-rich waters, as a key contributor.
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ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/ncomms15425