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Subscriber Access to Full Article (Nonsubscribers may purchase for $9.00, Includes print PDF, file size: 261981 bytes)
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS,
VOL. 29, NO. 24,
2196,
doi:10.1029/2002GL015948,
2002
Seasonal and inter-annual variability of particulate organic matter in the global ocean
Hubert Loisel
Laboratoire d'Optique Atmosphérique,
Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille,
France
Jean-Marc Nicolas
Laboratoire d'Optique Atmosphérique,
Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille,
France
Pierre-Yves Deschamps
Laboratoire d'Optique Atmosphérique,
Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille,
France
Robert Frouin
Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
University of California San Diego,
La Jolla,
USA
Abstract
The geographic distribution and seasonal to inter-annual variability of the particulate backscattering coefficient, bbp, is described and compared with that of chlorophyll concentration, Chl. Both variables are obtained from satellite-derived ocean color and inverse modeling. In general, bbp exhibits larger seasonal variations than Chl, and the bbp values are more evenly distributed in space, especially at low and middle latitudes. A phase shift between the annual cycles
of bbp and Chl is evidenced, and is attributed to the presence of an important pool of non-pigmented particles. Converting bbp to particulate organic carbon, POC, the annual mean surface POC pool between 60°S and 60°N is about 19 Tg C per meter.
Published 26
December
2002.
Index Terms: 4806 Oceanography: Biological and Chemical: Carbon cycling; 1640 Global Change: Remote sensing.
Subscriber Access to Full Article (Nonsubscribers may purchase for $9.00, Includes print PDF, file size: 261981 bytes)
Citation: Loisel, H., J. Nicolas, P. Deschamps, and R. Frouin
(2002),
Seasonal and inter-annual variability of particulate organic matter in the global ocean,
Geophys. Res. Lett.,
29(24),
2196,
doi:10.1029/2002GL015948.
Copyright 2002 by the American Geophysical Union.
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