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Iron fertilization won't work in much of Pacific, says study
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-05/teia-ifw051216.php[font face=Serif]Public Release: 16-May-2016
[font size=5]Iron fertilization won't work in much of Pacific, says study[/font]
[font size=4]Earth's own experiments during ice ages showed little effect[/font]
[font size=3]Over the past half-million years, the equatorial Pacific Ocean has seen five spikes in the amount of iron-laden dust blown in from the continents. In theory, those bursts should have turbo-charged the growth of the ocean's carbon-capturing algae - algae need iron to grow - but a new study shows that the excess iron had little to no effect.
The results are important today, because as groups search for ways to combat climate change, some are exploring fertilizing the oceans with iron as a solution.
Algae absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Proponents of iron fertilization argue that adding iron to the oceans would fuel the growth of algae, which would absorb more CO2 and sink it to the ocean floor. The most promising ocean regions are those high in nutrients but low in chlorophyll, a sign that algae aren't as productive as they could be. The Southern Ocean, the North Pacific, and the equatorial Pacific all fit that description. What's missing, proponents say, is enough iron.
The new study, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, adds to growing evidence, however, that iron fertilization might not work in the equatorial Pacific as suggested.
…[/font][/font]
[font size=5]Iron fertilization won't work in much of Pacific, says study[/font]
[font size=4]Earth's own experiments during ice ages showed little effect[/font]
[font size=3]Over the past half-million years, the equatorial Pacific Ocean has seen five spikes in the amount of iron-laden dust blown in from the continents. In theory, those bursts should have turbo-charged the growth of the ocean's carbon-capturing algae - algae need iron to grow - but a new study shows that the excess iron had little to no effect.
The results are important today, because as groups search for ways to combat climate change, some are exploring fertilizing the oceans with iron as a solution.
Algae absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Proponents of iron fertilization argue that adding iron to the oceans would fuel the growth of algae, which would absorb more CO2 and sink it to the ocean floor. The most promising ocean regions are those high in nutrients but low in chlorophyll, a sign that algae aren't as productive as they could be. The Southern Ocean, the North Pacific, and the equatorial Pacific all fit that description. What's missing, proponents say, is enough iron.
The new study, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, adds to growing evidence, however, that iron fertilization might not work in the equatorial Pacific as suggested.
…[/font][/font]
