Physical Forcing-Driven Productivity and Sediment Flux to the Deep Basin of Northern South China Sea: A Decadal Time Series Study

Hon-Kit Lui, Kuang-Yu Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur Chen, Bo-Shian Wang, Hui-Ling Lin, Shih-Hu Ho, Chiung-Jung Tseng, Yih Yang and Jui-Wen Chan
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Hon-Kit Lui: Taiwan Ocean Research Institute, National Applied Research Laboratories, Kaohsiung 80143, Taiwan
Kuang-Yu Chen: Taiwan Ocean Research Institute, National Applied Research Laboratories, Kaohsiung 80143, Taiwan
Chen-Tung Arthur Chen: Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan
Bo-Shian Wang: Taiwan Ocean Research Institute, National Applied Research Laboratories, Kaohsiung 80143, Taiwan
Hui-Ling Lin: Taiwan Ocean Research Institute, National Applied Research Laboratories, Kaohsiung 80143, Taiwan
Shih-Hu Ho: Taiwan Ocean Research Institute, National Applied Research Laboratories, Kaohsiung 80143, Taiwan
Chiung-Jung Tseng: Taiwan Ocean Research Institute, National Applied Research Laboratories, Kaohsiung 80143, Taiwan
Yih Yang: Taiwan Ocean Research Institute, National Applied Research Laboratories, Kaohsiung 80143, Taiwan
Jui-Wen Chan: Taiwan Ocean Research Institute, National Applied Research Laboratories, Kaohsiung 80143, Taiwan

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 4, 1-10

Abstract: Understanding the driving forces of absorption of anthropogenic CO 2 by the oceans is critical for a sustainable ocean carbon cycle. Decadal sinking particle flux data collected at 1000 m, 2000 m, and 3500 m at the South East Asia Time Series Study (SEATS) Station (18° N, 116° E), which was located in the northern South China Sea (nSCS), show that the fluxes undergo strong seasonal and interannual variability. Changes in the flux data are correlated with the satellite-derived chlorophyll- a concentration, indicating that the mass fluxes of the sinking particles are largely controlled by the export production at or near the SEATS station. The cooling of seawater and the strengthening of wind in winter increase the nutrient inventories in the euphotic zone, thus also increasing export production in the nSCS. This study reveals that the intrusion of low-nutrient seawater from the West Philippine Sea into the nSCS significantly reduces the productivity, and hence the flux, of sinking particles.

Keywords: productivity; carbon cycle; SEATS; West Philippine Sea; export production; South China Sea (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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