Relationship between composition of settling particles and organic carbon flux in the western North Pacific and the Japan Sea

Otosaka, Shigeyoshi  ; Noriki, Shinichiro*

Settling particles play an important role in transport of organic carbon from the surface to the deep ocean. It is known that major components of settling particles are biogenic silicates (opal), biogenic carbonate, lithogenic clays and organic matters. In this study, we estimated organic carbon fluxes that are carried by each component in the western North Pacific Ocean (WNP) including the Japan Sea. Mean organic carbon flux at 1 km depth in the WNP (13.5 mg/m/day) was larger than that in the Eastern North Pacific (7.4), central North Pacific (1.1), Equatorial Pacific (4.2), Southern Ocean (5.8) and Eastern North Pacific (1.8). In the WNP, opal was a dominant component and 55 % of particulate organic carbon was carried by opal particles. Opal is known as a major component even in the Eastern North Pacific and Southern Ocean and opal fluxes in these areas are as much as in the WNP. However, organic carbon flux that was carried by opal particles in the WNP was significantly larger than that in the Eastern North Pacific and the Southern Ocean. It was cleared that opal particles in the WNP had great abilities not only to activate the biological pump in the surface ocean but also to transport organic carbon to the deep ocean.