A&O SCI M105 Lecture 14: Lecture 14
28 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
We have reached the bottom of our scheme here. We talked about the surface ocean where primary productivity is happening. Organic matter is produced that sinks where only respiration takes place. Everything not decomposed on water column will settle on seafloor and be further degraded by organisms. Some will be buried in sediment or some be recycled back to water column. We have particles rising through water column. Some might be degraded already in water column or some will be built up on sea floor. Marine snow: organic matter produced in the light penetrated zone by photosynthesis. Further away from coastal areas to open oceans. Strong decrease of organic matter reaching seafloor deeper the seafloor is. Beyond the green area, we only have carbon export. Exponential relationship between carbon flux and water depth. The deeper the ocean is the deeper the seafloor is. What reaches seafloor depends on water depth and productivity.
