The Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

2027 Xiamen Symposium on Marine Environmental Sciences

January 12-15, 2027

Constraining Seasonality in Global Ocean's Biological Carbon Pump Pathways
ID:601 Oral Presentation

2027-01-14 16:35 (China Standard Time)

Session:Session 49 - Biological Carbon Pump: New Insights from Field Observations and Model Constraints

Abstract
The ocean’s biological carbon pump transports organic carbon from the surface to depth via three main pathways: the gravitational sinking of particles, active transport by vertically migrating zooplankton, and mixing and advection of suspended and dissolved organic carbon. Here, we use a global data-assimilated ocean biogeochemical model coupled with a new cyclo-stationary ocean circulation inverse model to diagnose the seasonal variability of carbon export and sequestration by these gravitational, migrant, and mixing pumps. The model reveals various seasonal cycles of the carbon export pathways in different ocean biomes. In subtropical regions, the seasonality of gravitational and migrant pump export is weak, while mixing pump export shows strong seasonality with a peak during spring. Contrastingly, in subpolar regions, export and sequestration by the gravitational and migrant pumps peak in the summer, while the mixing pump strongly opposes this seasonality, reaching a maximum during the winter. The gravitational "e-ratio", or ratio of gravitational carbon export to net primary production, shows strong seasonal variability at high latitudes, with higher values in the summer compared to winter. Resolving seasonality suggests sampling bias toward summer could lead to a more contrasting geographic variability of e-ratio. Moreover, the seasonal model also reconciles previous contradictory latitudinal trend in transfer efficiency of particles. These results demonstrate the importance of seasonal observations and models to understand the processes regulating carbon export and sequestration.
Speaker
Renjian Li University of California Santa Barbara

Author
Renjian Li University of California Santa Barbara

    Important Dates

    • Jan 30

      2026

      Session / Event proposals open

    • Mar 31

      2026

      Session / Event proposals close
      (Extended to April 7)

    • Apr 30

      2026

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    • 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