>Scientists from the US measured the relative amounts of ‘bioreactive’ iron in four sediment cores from the bottom of the Atlantic. They showed for the first time that the further dust is blown from the Sahara, the more iron in it becomes bioreactive through chemical processes in the atmosphere. These results have important implications for our understanding of the growth-promoting effect of iron on oceanic phytoplankton, terrestrial ecosystems, and carbon cycling, including under global change.
>
>Iron is a micronutrient indispensable for life, enabling processes such as respiration, photosynthesis, and DNA synthesis. Iron availability is often a limiting resource in today’s oceans, which means that increasing the flow of iron into them can increase the amount of carbon fixed by phytoplankton, with consequences for the global climate.
>
>Iron ends up in oceans and terrestrial ecosystems through rivers, melting glaciers, hydrothermal activity, and especially wind. But not all its chemical forms are ‘bioreactive’, that is, available for organisms to take up from their environment.
don’t they also say, that’s what makes the rainforest so fertile?
SloppyMeathole on
Another little known fact. The Amazon rainforest is fueled by Saharan dust as well. The soil has practically no nutrients and is unsuitable for raising crops due to the unique escosystem.
scwalls on
Also, that dust blowing off the coast of Africa does wonders for lessening the formation of hurricanes.
VerySluttyTurtle on
Which is then prepared by an iron chef
Eco_Blurb on
While the iron part is true, it’s ridiculous to have any headline saying “oceanic life is thriving”. Bite my ass Frontiers
systematicolu on
How connected the planet is so beautiful. It’s at once complex and yet simple once the underlying phenomena are understood. It may be controversial but it’s why I believe so strongly in a Supreme Being. This entire thing was created, not by random chance at all.
ursastara on
Period blood also has lots of iron! Could we somehow collect all the menstrual blood in the world and dump it in the ocean for similar effects?
8 Comments
>Scientists from the US measured the relative amounts of ‘bioreactive’ iron in four sediment cores from the bottom of the Atlantic. They showed for the first time that the further dust is blown from the Sahara, the more iron in it becomes bioreactive through chemical processes in the atmosphere. These results have important implications for our understanding of the growth-promoting effect of iron on oceanic phytoplankton, terrestrial ecosystems, and carbon cycling, including under global change.
>
>Iron is a micronutrient indispensable for life, enabling processes such as respiration, photosynthesis, and DNA synthesis. Iron availability is often a limiting resource in today’s oceans, which means that increasing the flow of iron into them can increase the amount of carbon fixed by phytoplankton, with consequences for the global climate.
>
>Iron ends up in oceans and terrestrial ecosystems through rivers, melting glaciers, hydrothermal activity, and especially wind. But not all its chemical forms are ‘bioreactive’, that is, available for organisms to take up from their environment.
Paper: [Frontiers | Long-range transport of dust enhances oceanic iron bioavailability](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1428621/full)
don’t they also say, that’s what makes the rainforest so fertile?
Another little known fact. The Amazon rainforest is fueled by Saharan dust as well. The soil has practically no nutrients and is unsuitable for raising crops due to the unique escosystem.
Also, that dust blowing off the coast of Africa does wonders for lessening the formation of hurricanes.
Which is then prepared by an iron chef
While the iron part is true, it’s ridiculous to have any headline saying “oceanic life is thriving”. Bite my ass Frontiers
How connected the planet is so beautiful. It’s at once complex and yet simple once the underlying phenomena are understood. It may be controversial but it’s why I believe so strongly in a Supreme Being. This entire thing was created, not by random chance at all.
Period blood also has lots of iron! Could we somehow collect all the menstrual blood in the world and dump it in the ocean for similar effects?