| Investigators | Yuan-Hui Li and Tsung-Hung Peng |
| Co-Investigators | none |
| SMP Project | Re-evaluation of Redfield ratios using OACES and DOE/WOCE/JGOFS CO2 |
| Product | Remineralization ratios along WOCE and Geosecs transects in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans |
| Description | These data are provided as a table of P/N/Corg/-O2 remineralization ratios, organized by ocean basin. These ratios are based on a three-end-member mixing model presented in Li and Peng (submitted; see reference/abstract below). |
| Submitted | October 2001 |
| e-Citation | Yuan-Hui, L. and T.-H. Peng. Live Access to US JGOFS SMP Data: Remineralization Ratios in the Oceans. U.S. JGOFS. iPub: October 2001. 'date you accessed the data' http://usjgofs.whoi.edu/mzweb/redfield_peng.html |
| References | Yuan-Hui Li and Tsung-Hung Peng. (submitted).
Latitudinal change of remineralization ratios in the oceans and its
implication for nutrient cycles.
ABSTRACT: A new three-end-member mixing model is introduced to obtain the remineralization ratios of organic matter in the water column. The remineralization ratios (P/N/Corg/-O2) of organic matter in the deep water column change systematically from the northern Atlantic to the Southern Oceans, then to the equatorial Indian and the northern Pacific oceans, more or less along the global ocean circulation route of deep water. The average remineralization ratios for the northern Atlantic are P/N/Corg/-O2 = 1/(16±1)/(73±8)/(137±7), and for the Southern Oceans P/N/Corg/-O2 = 1/(15±1)/(80±3)/(133±5). Those values are similar to the traditional Redfield ratios of P/N/Corg/-O2 = 1/16/106/138 for marine plankton, except for the low Corg/P ratio. Conversion of organic nitrogen into gaseous N2O and N2 in a low-oxygen or reducing micro-environment of organic matter and/or bacteria is an important process throughout the oxygenated water column of the equatorial Indian and the northern Pacific oceans. If one adopts an N/P ratio of 15±1, the average remineralization ratios for the equatorial Indian Ocean are P/N/Corg/-O2 = 1/(15±1)/(92±5)/(130±7), which are closest to the traditional Redfield ratios. The average remineralization ratios for the northern Pacific Ocean are P/N/Corg/-O2 = 1/(15±1)/(123±11)/(162±11), indicating high organic carbon content in remineralized organic matter. No temporal trends of the remineralization ratios are detected when comparing the results obtained by the GEOSECS and WOCE data sets. |
| Contact | Tsung-Hung Peng
NOAA/AOML 4301 Rickenbaker Causeway Miami, FL 33149 tsung-hung.peng@noaa.gov |