A physical geography seminar given by Dr Alessandro Tagliabue (University of Liverpool).

Abstract

Over recent decades the micronutrient iron has been demonstrated to play an important role in regulating ocean productivity, carbon export and the more general biogeochemical cycling of carbon and other nutrients. Due to its role in modulating the biological pump in the Southern Ocean, iron availability also exerts a degree of control on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.  This has led to speculation about past control of climate across glacial and interglacial cycles by changes in dust iron delivery to the Antarctic oceans. In this seminar i will use state of the art numerical modelling results and large scale observational syntheses using GEOTRACES datasets to examine a number of these aspects. For example, how do different sources of iron to the ocean modulate the ocean's iron inventory and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels? Additionally, newly available observational datasets allow the oceanic cycling of iron to be examined in some detail, which permits the transport of iron to surface dwelling biology to be quantified for the first time. This permits the seasonal cycle of iron supply and demand to be generalised. Finally, a number of future challenges and ongoing studies for the better understanding of how iron is cycled in the ocean will be discussed.

Further information

This event is open to all UoB staff and students.