Impact of the Elemental Composition of Exported Organic Matter on the Observed Dissolved Nutrient and Trace Element Distributions in the Upper Layer of the Ocean

Systematic regional variations in the ratio of nutrient depth gradients dissolved inorganic carbon (ΔDIC):nitrate (ΔNO3):phosphate (ΔPO4) upper layer (300 m) Pacific Ocean are observed. Regional ΔDIC/ΔNO3/ΔPO4 primarily result three processes, that is, C/N/P organic matter (OM) being exported and subsequently degraded, nitrogen fixation, air-sea CO2 gas exchange. The link between observed OM is established using surface DIC, NO3, PO4 budgets. These budgets, turn, provide a means to indirectly estimate from ocean. estimated reach maxima subtropical gyres at 177/22/1, significantly greater than Redfield minimum equatorial ocean 109/16/1 with both results agreeing available particle biogeochemical models. budget approach was applied bioactive trace element (TE) measured Cadmium (Cd) Cd/P Ocean. Combining method availability high-quality TE data collected during GOSHIP GEOTRACES programs could potentially estimates C/N/P/TE on global scales which would improve our understanding ocean's biological pump distributions