Studying seasonal variations in carbonaceous aerosol particles in the atmosphere over central Siberia

The results of 2-year (2010–2012) measurements of the concentrations of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), which were taken at the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory (ZOTTO) Siberian background station (61° N, 89° E), are given. Despite the fact that this station is located far from populated areas and industrial zones, the concentrations of OC and EC in the atmosphere over boreal forests in central Siberia significantly exceed their background values. In winter and fall, high concentrations of atmospheric carbonaceous aerosol particles are caused by the long-range transport (~1000 km) of air masses that accumulate pollutants from large cities located in both southern and southwestern regions of Siberia. In spring and summer, the pollution level is also high due to regional forest fires and agricultural burning in the steppe zone of western Siberia in the Russian–Kazakh border region. Background concentrations of carbonaceous aerosol particles were observed within relatively short time intervals whose total duration was no more than 20% of the entire observation period. In summer, variations in the background concentrations of OC closely correlated with air temperature, which implies that the biogenic sources of organic-particle formation are dominating.     

Sources of and variations in tropospheric CO in Central Siberia: Numerical experiments and observations at the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory

Contributions of climatically significant natural and anthropogenic emission sources in northern Eurasia to seasonal carbon monoxide (CO) variations observed at the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory (ZOTTO) in Central Siberia in 2007–2011 have quantitatively been estimated using the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model. It is shown that the formation of a stable continental pollution plume from sources in Western Europe, European Russia and southern Siberia during winter plays an important role in the regional balance of surface CO and allows one to explain 55–80% of the amplitude of the CO annual cycle observed at the ZOTTO station (~70–90 ppbv). During the warm period, the effect of the anthropogenic factor is weakly pronounced, and the background concentration of CO is regulated, first and foremost, by the oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds and fire activity in the region.     

Anthropogenic Pb in settling particulate matter in the Northwestern Pacific examined using stable isotopes of Pb

We have investigated Pb concentrations and isotopic compositions in settling particles collected by sediment traps experiments over a period of two years, from May 2005 to April 2007, at two depths, 770 and 5100 m, at station KNOT in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean (44°N, 155°E). To the identify provenances of Pb, the samples were separated into two fractions by chemical leaching techniques, with the leachate expected to contain Pb of anthropogenic origin. Isotopic compositions of Pb and concentrations of Pb, Sc, Mn, La, Yb, and Th were measured by quadrupole ICP-MS. The isotope ratios of leachable Pb in settling particles were ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb = 0.860 ± 0.001; ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb = 2.116 ± 0.002 (mean ± 95% confidence intervals), which are similar to those of aerosols in China that are greatly affected by pollution from coal combustion. We estimated the mean contribution from anthropogenic Pb sources to the Pb in settling particles, using the conventional binary (anthropogenic and natural Pb) mixing equation for Pb isotopes, as 90% in the upper trap and 78% in the lower trap. Furthermore, we found a significant negative correlation between the isotope ratios of Pb and concentrations of leachable Mn, normalized to those of leachable Pb, suggesting that manganese oxides play an important role in transporting Pb from the upper layers of the ocean to the deeper layers. Our results support the speculation published in a previous study that Pb might be scavenged by Mn oxides in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean.     

Ozone and nitric oxides in the surface air over northern Eurasia according to observational data obtained in TROICA experiments

The results of the 1995–2008 observations of the concentrations of ozone and nitric oxides in the surface air over the Trans-Siberian Railway using a mobile laboratory (the TROICA experiments) are analyzed. The features of the spatial distribution and time variability of these gases over the continent within the latitudinal belt 48°–58° N are revealed individually for polluted and background conditions. The characteristic features of their distribution are a decrease in the concentration of nitric oxides and an increase in the concentration of ozone in an eastward direction. On the whole, the process of photochemical ozone formation over the territory of Siberia is slow. Noticeable increases in the concentration of ozone are associated with both forest and steppe fires and with the transboundary transport of pollution from the countries of eastern Asia. The dry precipitation of trace gases plays a significantly larger role in Siberia than in coastal and high-altitude unpolluted regions due to powerful and long temperature inversions.     

Background component of methane concentration in surface air (Obninsk monitoring station)

We present measurement data from February 1998 to January 2014 obtained by Fourier spectroscopy for bulk methane concentrations in surface air samples. We have excluded the results of individual measurements of high methane concentrations arising at a temperature inversion and during fires to separate the monthly mean concentrations into the regional natural background concentration of methane and its anthropogenic addition. A seasonal concentration has been separated from the background concentration. Spectral analysis reveals a large number of composite oscillations of variations in the background methane concentra- tion with periods of 3 to 126 months. A model with the use of empirical parameters of these oscillations describes the temporal changes in the methane concentration with an error of less than 3%. The anthropogenic addition of CH₄ in the atmosphere is largely of a random character. Over 16 years of observations, its increase was ~23.7 ppb, which has resulted in an increase in the total CH₄ concentration by the same amount.     

Regional space monitoring of nitrogen dioxide in the troposphere

Satellite instruments for the routine global monitoring of NO₂ in the atmosphere—the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) on the ERS-2 satellite, the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY) on the ENVISAT satellite, the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on the AURA satellite, and the GOME-2 on the MetOp satellite—are briefly described. It is shown that the error of measuring the NO₂ total column amount (∼10% for the background conditions in the troposphere) substantially increases in regions subject to anthropogenic pollution. Examples of practically using multiyear satellite measurements for the regional monitoring of NO₂ in the troposphere are presented, including mapping the tropospheric NO₂ in Russia, identifying the weekly and annual cycles in tropospheric NO₂ variations for megalopolises (St. Petersburg, Moscow, Paris), and estimating the long-term linear trend in 1995–2007.     

Atmospheric transport and input of hydrocarbons to the subtropical North Atlantic

Seawater samples and airborne particulate material were collected in the subtropical North Atlantic during R.V. “Meteor” Cruise M60 (N34°47.2′W26°57.7′/N10°1.3′W32°58.3′). Hydrocarbon concentrations were estimated in the samples. For seawater the concentrations ranged from 0.2 μg to 3.5 μg dm⁻³. In the open ocean air the concentrations of the particulate hydrocarbon measured at 14m above sea level ranged from 2.8 ng to 133.1 ng m⁻³. A significant increase was observed during a Saharan dust outbreak. Comparison with aluminium concentrations in seawater and in the air suggests input of atmospheric hydrocarbons by dry deposition to be an important transportation pathway.     

Stable isotopic ratios of lead in surface waters of the Central Pacific

The geographic variation in the isotopic composition of lead in surface waters of the central Pacific provides new evidence of the global anthropogenic perturbation of the element's cycle. Ratios of ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb decrease from 1.196 in the northern hemisphere (19°N, 158°W) to 1.176 in the southern hemisphere (15°S, 150°W). This decrease parallels the geographic variation in surface concentrations of soluble lead which decrease from 13 ng kg^?1 at the northern station to 4 ng kg^?1 at the southern station. Both the ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb and the ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁸Pb ratios of those waters fit between the isotopic ratios of Australian (Broken Hill) and North American (Mississippi Valley) leads which are the predominant sources of leads in anthropogenic emissions to the Pacific Ocean basin.     

Increase in anthropogenic CO2 in the Atlantic Ocean in the last two decades

Data from the first systematic survey of inorganic carbon parameters on a global scale, the GEOSECS program, are compared with those collected during WOCE/JGOFS to study the changes in carbon and other geochemical properties, and anthropogenic CO₂ increase in the Atlantic Ocean from the 1970s to the early 1990s. This first data-based estimate of CO₂ increase over this period was accomplished by adjusting the GEOSECS data set to be consistent with recent high-quality carbon data. Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and extended Multiple Linear Regression (eMLR) analyses to these carbon data are applied by regressing DIC with potential temperature, salinity, AOU, silica, and PO₄ in three latitudinal regions for the western and eastern basins in the Atlantic Ocean. The results from MLR (and eMLR provided in parentheses) indicate that the mean anthropogenic CO₂ uptake rate in the western basin is 0.70 (0.53) mol m^?2 yr^?1 for the region north of 15°N; 0.53 (0.36) mol m^?2 yr^?1 for the equatorial region between 15°N and 15°S; and 0.83 (0.35) mol m^?2 yr^?1 in the South Atlantic south of 15°S. For the eastern basin an estimate of 0.57 (0.45) mol m^?2 yr^?1 is obtained for the equatorial region, and 0.28 (0.34) mol m^?2 yr^?1 for the South Atlantic south of 15°S. The results of using eMLR are systematically lower than those from MLR method in the western basin. The anthropogenic CO₂ increase is also estimated in the upper thermocline from salinity normalized DIC after correction for AOU along the isopycnal surfaces. For these depths the results are consistent with the CO₂ uptake rates derived from both MLR and eMLR methods.     

First Calibration Results for the SARAL/AltiKa Altimetric Mission Using the Gavdos Permanent Facilities

This work presents the first calibration results for the SARAL/AltiKa altimetric mission using the Gavdos permanent calibration facilities. The results cover one year of altimetric observations from April 2013 to March 2014 and include 11 calibration values for the altimeter bias. The reference ascending orbit No. 571 of SARAL/AltiKa has been used for this altimeter assessment. This satellite pass is coming from south and nears Gavdos, where it finally passes through its west coastal tip, only 6 km off the main calibration location. The selected calibration regions in the south sea of Gavdos range from about 8 km to 20 km south off the point of closest approach. Several reference surfaces have been chosen for this altimeter evaluation based on gravimetric, but detailed regional geoid, as well as combination of it with other altimetric models.

Based on these observations and the gravimetric geoid model, the altimeter bias for the SARAL/AltiKa is determined as mean value of ?46mm ±10mm, and a median of ?42 mm ±10 mm, using GDR-T data at 40 Hz rate. A preliminary cross-over analysis of the sea surface heights at a location south of Gavdos showed that SARAL/AltiKa measure less than Jason-2 by 4.6 cm. These bias values are consistent with those provided by Corsica, Harvest, and Karavatti Cal/Val sites. The wet troposphere and the ionosphere delay values of satellite altimetric measurements are also compared against in-situ observations (?5 mm difference in wet troposphere and almost the same for the ionosphere) determined by a local array of permanent GNSS receivers, and meteorological sensors.     

Coral communities and reefs from Guerrero,Southern Mexican Pacific

Corals in the Eastern Pacific extend south from the Gulf of California to Ecuador and oceanic Chile, and west from Colombia to Clipperton Atoll. Nevertheless, large stretches of the Mexican Pacific remain fundamentally unstudied. Therefore, to assess the current conditions of coral communities, a coastal fringe ～300 km long (17°40′ N, 101°39′ W to 16°46′ N, 99°49′ W) was surveyed within the Southern Mexican Pacific, between 2005 and 2009. Fifteen stony coral species were identified at 13 coral communities and six Pocillopora‐dominated fringing reefs, with Pocillopora verrucosa and Pocillopora damicornis the primary contributing taxa. Reef development was identified in embayments or behind rocks or islands that offered shelter from northern and northwestern winds. Observations of Pocillopora effusus, Pocillopora inflata, Porites lobata, Pavona clavus, and Pavona varians expanded the species known geographic ranges by several degrees of latitude, suggesting reef building fauna comprised a mixture of widespread and relatively rare Eastern Pacific corals. Results indicated greater live coral cover in the Ixtapa‐Zihuatanejo area (15–73%) than in the Acapulco localities, which had high algal dominance; the reefs in the latter region exhibited high erosion. Regional differences are likely the result of long‐standing anthropogenic pressures around Acapulco since 1950, when it became an important tourist destination. This paper is the first detailed report of ecologically stressed corals and coral reefs from the state of Guerrero on the Mexican Southern Pacific coast.     

Dynamics of surface-air pollution during the passage of a cold front

The dynamics of meteorological parameters, of sodar data on the temperature stratification of the atmospheric boundary layer, and of surface contents of pollutants (nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and ozone) during the passage over Moscow of a structurally complex prominent cold front are discussed. It is shown that the cold front passage is accompanied by stepwise increases in the NO, NO₂, and CO surface contents. A probable cause of this phenomenon is a quick entrainment of smoke plumes from high-altitude sources of pollution into the surface turbulent air near the frontal boundary. Intense advection of cold air at the rear of the cyclone can lead to the development of an unstable stratification in the atmospheric boundary layer even in the nighttime. Under these conditions, the minute-scale variability of contents of trace gases increases abruptly as compared to that occurring in the frontal zone of the cyclone prior to the passage of the front. This effect is statistically significant. The dynamics of surface ozone reflects an increase in its background concentrations in arctic air masses.     

Summer and winter air–sea CO2 fluxes in the Southern Ocean

The seasonal variability of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) system in the Southern Ocean, south of 50°S, is analysed from observations obtained in January and August 2000 during OISO cruises conducted in the Indian Antarctic sector. In the seasonal ice zone, SIZ (south of 58°S), surface ocean CO₂ concentrations are well below equilibrium during austral summer. During this season, when sea-ice is not obstructing gas exchange at the air–sea interface, the oceanic CO₂ sink ranges from −2 to −4 mmol/m²/d in the SIZ. In the permanent open ocean zone, POOZ (50–58°S), surface oceanic fugacity fCO₂ increases from summer to winter. The seasonal fCO₂ variations (from 10 to 30 μatm) are relatively low compared to seasonal amplitudes observed in the subtropics or the subantarctic zones. However, these variations in the POOZ are large enough to cross the atmospheric level from summer to winter. Therefore, this region is neither a permanent CO₂ sink nor a permanent CO₂ source. In the POOZ, air–sea CO₂ fluxes calculated from observations are about −1.1 mmol/m²/d in January (a small sink) and 2.5 mmol/m²/d in August (a source). These estimates obtained for only two periods of the year need to be extrapolated on a monthly scale in order to calculate an integrated air–sea CO₂ flux on an annual basis. For doing this, we use a biogeochemical model that creates annual cycles for nitrate, inorganic carbon, total alkalinity and fCO₂. The changing pattern of ocean CO₂ summer sink and winter source is well reproduced by the model. It is controlled mainly by the balance between summer primary production and winter deep vertical mixing. In the POOZ, the annual air–sea CO₂ flux is about −0.5 mol/m²/yr, which is small compared to previous estimates based on oceanic observations but comparable to the small CO₂ sink deduced from atmospheric inverse methods. For reducing the uncertainties attached to the global ocean CO₂ sink south of the Polar Front the regional results presented here should be synthetized with historical and new observations, especially during winter, in other sectors of the Southern Ocean.     

Consequences of powerful volcanic eruptions according to dendrochronological data

For the first time we identify the peculiarities of the effect of the most powerful (VEI > 5) volcanic eruptions on the regional climate of the Murmansk region on the basis of Kola Peninsula dendrochronological data for a period of more than 560 years. The analysis was based on the tree-ring chronology covering the period from 1445 to 2005. This chronology was derived from Pinus sylvestris samples collected near the northern tree line at Loparskaya station (68°37′ N; 33°14′ E). The data were processed using modern techniques adopted in dendrochronology (cross dating and standardization). We reveal a significant decrease in the radial tree-ring growth over 8 years (on average) after the eruptions; then its value is restored to the normal level. This finding will help evaluate the response of the regional climate system to external climate forcings in this economically important region for Russia.     

Multiyear trends of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and temperature in the south of Krasnoyarsk Krai

It is found that the nonlinear positive Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) trend of mountain taiga in the south of Krasnoyarsk Krai has been negative since 1999–2000. A comparison with the boreal belt of northern Eurasia showed that, though still nonnegative, the positive trend has distinctly decreased to nearly a plateau. A trend analysis of radiation temperature of the surface revealed that the temperature shows a decreasing trend for the selected region of mountainous taiga and an increasing trend for northern Eurasia. We compared air-temperature data from the Yermakovskoe meteorological station to eliminate a preliminary data-processing error. Regression analysis demonstrated a fairly high degree of correlation. Also, we found a quite high degree of correlation between time series and trends of air temperature and NDVI. Trends in air temperature in northern Eurasia according to NCEP-DOE Reanalysis 2 data also confirm the trend found on the basis of satellite data.     

Interannual SST variability in the Japan/East Sea and relationship with environmental variables

Interannual variability of the Japan/East Sea (JES) sea surface temperature (SST) is investigated from the reconstructed NOAA/AVHRR Oceans Pathfinder best SST data (1985–2002) using the complex empirical function (CEOF) analysis. The iterative empirical function analysis is used for the SST data reconstruction. The first two leading CEOFs account for 86.0% of total variance with 66.4% for the first mode and 19.6% for the second mode. The first CEOF mode represents a standing oscillation and a maximum belt in the central JES. There are two near-7-year events and one 2–3-year event during the period of 1985–2002. The first mode oscillates by adjacent atmospheric systems such as the Aleutian Low, the North Pacific High, the Siberian High, and the East Asian jet stream. Positive correlation in a zonal belt between the first mode JES SST anomaly and the background surface air temperature/SST anomaly reveals intensive ocean-atmosphere interaction near the Polar Front in the North Pacific. The second CEOF mode represents two features: standing oscillation and propagating signal. The standing oscillation occurs in the northern (north of 44°N) and southern (south of 39°N and west of 136°E) JES with around 180° phase difference. A weak southwestward propagating signal is detected between the two regions. The eastward propagating signal is detected from the East Korean Bay to near 135°E. The second mode contains 4–5-year periodicity before 1998 and 2–3-year periodicity thereafter. It is associated with the Arctic Oscillation, which leads it by 1–5-year. Furthermore, a strong correlation with the background surface air temperature/SST anomaly is detected in the tropical to subtropical western Pacific.     

Mesoscale and seasonal variability of community production and respiration in the surface waters of the N.E. Atlantic Ocean

Gross community production (GCP) and dark community respiration (DCR) rates were measured in the N.E. Atlantic Basin (38–45°N and 15°20′–21°20′W) during the Programme Océanographique Multidisciplinaire Méso-Echelle (POMME). Three cruises were conducted over a one-year period (2001), and GCP and DCR were measured at 20 stations using seawater taken from 5 m. In winter, GCP is light limited whereas DCR, which is mainly due to bacteria, is limited by substrate availability. GCP and DCR were under the influence of mesoscale features, with the cyclonic structure enhancing the autotrophy. In spring, light and resource availability remain the major controlling parameters, which are constrained by north–south zonation, rather than mesoscale features. The most productive area is south of 41°N at the start of the bloom and is associated with greater DCR as autotrophs contribute to community respiration. The late-summer period is oligotrophic, which contrasts with the previous winter and spring period, characterised by a large quantity of TOC accumulated (+13.2 μM C from spring to late-summer) and with greater DCR in the southern area. The GCP/DCR ratio greatly varied seasonally, ranging from 0.6 in late summer to 1.3 in winter and 2.4 in spring. These results, even restricted to surface ecosystem metabolism (5 m), strongly suggest that the trophic status of a regional system in the open ocean should be determined over a seasonal cycle.     

Seasonal variability in nitrogenous nutrition of phytoplankton assemblages in the northeastern subarctic Pacific Ocean

Nitrogen uptake rates, and physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the euphotic zone were studied in winter, spring and late summer during the period 1992–1994 along a transect (Line P) extending from the continental slope off the southwest corner of Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada; station P4; 49°N, 127°W) to open waters in the NE Pacific (OSP; 50°N, 145°W). Nitrate (NO₃⁻) and silicic acid (Si(OH)₄) concentrations increased offshore during every season. Lowest NO₃⁻ and Si(OH)₄ values were observed during late summer and spring, and highest during winter throughout the euphotic zone. For spring and late summer, surface depletion of NO₃⁻ was observed at the inshore end of the transect, while offshore concentrations were never limiting for phytoplankton growth. Silicic acid was never depleted at any depth or station during the period covered by this study. Ammonium (NH₄⁺) and urea concentrations exhibited a patchy distribution along the transect, with no seasonal variations. Chlorophyll a and particulate nitrogen did not show a consistent longitudinal pattern from year to year. In general, the highest concentrations of chlorophyll a and particulate nitrogen were measured during the late summer cruises, with lower values in spring and lowest in winter. Phytoplankton assemblages were numerically dominated by flagellates <5 μm throughout the water column on each cruise transect. Ammonium, urea and NO₃⁻ uptake rates represented on average 55, 24 and 21% of the depth-integrated total nitrogen uptake, both longitudinally and seasonally; hence, phytoplankton utilized nitrogen in the following order: NH₄⁺>urea>NO₃⁻ along Line P. Ammonium may have inhibited the uptake rates of NO₃⁻ and urea. Urea uptake rates were lower than those of NH₄⁺, but higher values were occasionally observed at a few depths along the transect, particularly during the spring of 1993. Depth-integrated NH₄⁺ uptake rates were generally higher inshore, while NO₃⁻ uptake rates showed higher values offshore during most seasons. In contrast, urea uptake rates did not exhibit a consistent longitudinal trend. The depth-integrated f-ratio ranged from 0.05 to 0.37 with an average of 0.21 for all stations and cruises, and was overestimated on average by 36% when urea was excluded from the calculation. On a yearly basis, primary productivity in the NE subarctic Pacific was based on regenerated nitrogen.     

Nitrogen assimilation and the f-ratio in the northwestern Indian Ocean during an intermonsoon period

Rates of nitrogen assimilation by phytoplankton were measured at 13 stations along a transect in the northwestern Indian Ocean, from the Gulf of Oman, southwards to approximately 8°N, during November and December 1994. Nitrate (NO₃), ammonium (NH₄) and urea assimilation were measured using simulated in situ ¹⁵N incubation techniques. These measurements were supported by simultaneous rate measurements of primary production using ¹⁴C incubation techniques and detailed vertical distributions of temperature and chlorophyll concentrations. Euphotic zone integrated nitrogen assimilation rates varied between 1.1 and 23.6 mmol N m^-2 day^-1, with generally higher rates occurring at the northern and southern ends of the transect. At the majority of stations ammonium was the preferred nitrogen substrate assimilated; the average integrated assimilation rate of ammonium being 3.7 mmol N m^-2 day^-1 compared to 1.6 and 1.8 mmol N m^-2 day^-1 for urea and nitrate respectively. This general preference is reflected in the low f-ratios, which were ⩽0.52 for all stations and in the relative preference indices (RPI) values which were consistently >1 for ammonium and <1 for nitrate. A further examination of the data has lead to an apparent partitioning of the northwestern Indian Ocean into 2 regions; a region north of 17°30′N and a region south of this, to about 8°N. This division is based on: (i) the relationship between the f-ratio and ambient nitrate levels; (ii) nitrogen assimilation and primary production and (iii) the biomass distribution. It is suggested that this partitioning should be investigated further with the development of biogeochemical provinces in mind and the estimation of f-ratios on much larger, horizontal scales.     

Particulate aluminium fluxes in the eastern Atlantic

The atmospheric, primary down-column and sedimentary fluxes of particulate aluminium (Al_p) have been calculated for a number of regions in the Atlantic Ocean.The vertical down-column flux of Al_p from Atlantic surface waters exhibits a strong geographical variation, and its magnitude is influenced by supply mechanisms, which control the surface Al_p concentrations, and primary production, which affects the rate of down-column transport. Overall, the down-column transport of Al_p is greatest in the marginal regions of the Atlantic. In the eastern margins the highest surface water concentrations are found in the region lying between ～30°N and ～10°N, i.e. under the general path of the northeast trades. In this region there is excellent agreement between the dry (i.e. 1 cm^?1 s^?1 deposition velocity) atmospheric flux (～80 000 ng Al_p cm^?2 y^?1), the primary vertical down-column flux ($\text{? 70 000}\text{ng Al}{}_{\mathrm{p}}\text{cm}{}^{\mathrm{?2}}\text{y}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$) and the sediment flux (～90 000 ng Al_p cm^?2 y^?1). In the regions to the north (i.e. ～40°N to ～30°N) and to the south (i.e. ～10°N to ～5°S) the primary down-column Al_p flux decreases to an average of ～19 000 μg cm^?2 y^?1, which makes a direct maximum contribution of ～20% of the sediment Al_p requirement. In the open-ocean South Atlantic the primary down-column flux of Al_p is ～3300 μg cm^?2 y^?1, this is similar to the dry (i.e. 1 cm^?1 s^?1 deposition velocity) atmospheric flux, and contributes ～20% of the Al_p required by the underlying deep-sea sediment.