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Biological and chemical response of the equatorial Pacific Ocean to the 1997-98 El Nino

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-20, 13:48 authored by Chavez, FP, Peter StruttonPeter Strutton, Friederich, GE, Feely, RA, Feldman, GC, Foley, DG, McPhaden, MJ

During the 1997–98 El Niño, the equatorial Pacific Ocean retained 0.7 × 1015 grams of carbon that normally would have been lost to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. The surface ocean became impoverished in plant nutrients, and chlorophyll concentrations were the lowest on record. A dramatic recovery occurred in mid-1998, the system became highly productive, analogous to coastal environments, and carbon dioxide flux out of the ocean was again high. The spatial extent of the phytoplankton bloom that followed recovery from El Niño was the largest ever observed for the equatorial Pacific. These chemical and ecological perturbations were linked to changes in the upwelling of nutrient-enriched waters. The description and explanation of these dynamic changes would not have been possible without an observing system that combines biological, chemical, and physical sensors on moorings with remote sensing of chlorophyll.

History

Publication title

Science

Volume

286

Issue

5447

Pagination

2126-2131

ISSN

0036-8075

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Amer Assoc Advancement Science

Place of publication

1200 New York Ave, Nw, Washington, USA, Dc, 20005

Rights statement

Copyright 1999 The American Association for the Advancement of Science

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the earth sciences

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