The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

2027 Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

January 12-15, 2027

Weakened aeolian iron stimulation for N2 fixation in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre during deglaciation
ID:258 Oral Presentation

2027-01-12 14:30 (China Standard Time)

Session:Session 4 - Ocean Biogeochemistry Across Timescales: Past, Present, Future

Abstract
In the modern ocean, N2 fixation serves as a major source of bioavailable nitrogen to the ocean and support biologic productivity in nitrate-limited oligotrophic subtropical gyres. Yet variations in N2 fixation across these regions remain poorly constrained, particularly during glacial–interglacial cycle characterized by contrasting climatic regimes and major perturbations to the marine nitrogen reservoir. Here we present a new foraminifera-bound δ15N (FB-δ15N) record from the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG) spanning the past 24 ka. Our FB-δ15N record exhibits a glacial–interglacial amplitude of ~1.5‰, reaching relatively elevated δ15N values during the early Holocene. Our data reveal comparable intensities of N2 fixation during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the late Holocene, with a gradual decline from the LGM to the early Holocene. We suggest that enhanced aeolian iron supply during the LGM elevated surface-water Fe/N ratios, thereby stimulating diazotroph proliferation, whereas reduced aeolian iron flux during deglaciation attenuated this stimulation on regional N2 fixation. The aeolian iron input stimulated N2 fixation, thereby alleviating glacial nitrogen limitation and enhancing regional biological productivity during LGM. Our records provide direct evidence for the regulatory role of aeolian iron on N2 fixation, and demonstrate that N2 fixation in the NPSG during the LGM was comparable to that of the Holocene, a finding that contrasts markedly with predicted LGM declines of N2 fixation. Our findings highlight the regional heterogeneity of oceanic N2 fixation variability and its driving mechanisms on glacial–interglacial timescales, such spatial disparities must be considered in both past reconstructions and future projections of the oceanic nitrogen budget.
 
Speaker
Xudong Xu China; Nanjing; Nanjing University;State Key Laboratory of Critical Earth Material Cycling and Mineral Deposits; School of Earth Sciences and Engineering

Author
Xudong Xu China; Nanjing; Nanjing University;State Key Laboratory of Critical Earth Material Cycling and Mineral Deposits; School of Earth Sciences and Engineering

    Important Dates

    • Jan 30

      2026

      Session / Event proposals open

    • Mar 31

      2026

      Session / Event proposals close
      (Extended to April 7)

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Session acceptance notifications

    • Apr 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions & registration open

    • Jun 30

      2026

      Abstract submissions close
      (Extended to July 21)

    • Aug 31

      2026

      Abstract acceptance notifications

    • Sep 15

      2026

      Scientific program released

    • Oct 15

      2026

      Early bird registration closes

    • Jan 12–15

      2027

      XMAS 2027