| Title: |
The Variability of the Size Distributions of Submicron Particles in the Oceans. |
| Authors: |
Xiong, Yuanheng1 (AUTHOR) yuanheng.xiong@usm.edu, Zhang, Xiaodong1 (AUTHOR), Huot, Yannick2 (AUTHOR), Stephens, Brandon M.3,4 (AUTHOR), Carlson, Craig A.3 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: |
Journal of Geophysical Research. Oceans. Oct2024, Vol. 129 Issue 10, p1-12. 12p. |
| Subject Terms: |
*Particle size distribution, *Ocean, Particle motion, Brownian motion, Bacterioplankton |
| Abstract: |
The size distribution of submicron particles is essential for understanding their biogeochemical and optical roles, but it has seldom been measured. This study utilizes ViewSizer 3000, an instrument that tracks Brownian motions of particles, to measure the particle size distributions (PSD) from 250 to 1,050 nm in the North Pacific Ocean (NP) and the North Atlantic Ocean (NA) at depths from 5 to 500 m. The concentration of particles varies over one order of magnitude at any given size bin, with greater variations up to two orders of magnitude at sizes >600 nm. In both locations, concentrations decrease with depth. Bacterioplankton are a dominant component, accounting for 65%–90% of the submicron particles in the surface waters (<100 m) and approximately 30%–40% at depths >150 m at both sites. In the NP, the volume mean diameter increased approximately 5% from the morning to noon at the surface, probably resulting from the diurnal growth of bacterioplankton. In the NA, the concentration and mean size increased by >60% and ∼10% respectively after one storm that introduced a different particle population into the study area. Plain Language Summary: This study investigates the abundance of particles of sizes from 250 to 1,050 nm in the North Pacific Ocean (NP) and North Atlantic Ocean (NA). These submicron particles have seldom been measured but play an important role in various biogeochemical processes and light interactions in the ocean. We found that the abundances of submicron particles, while differing at various locations by up to two orders of magnitude, generally decrease with depth. Most of these submicron particles are bacterioplankton, making up 65%–90% of these particles near the surface and about 30%–40% in depths greater than 150 m. We observed a ∼5% increase of mean size in the surface water of NP from morning to noon, probably resulting from the diurnal growth of bacterioplankton. We also observed an increase of 60% in abundance and 10% in size in the NA after one storm that introduced a different particle population into the study area. Key Points: Bacterioplankton are a dominant component, accounting for 30%–90% of submicron particlesAt the North Pacific surface, submicron particle sizes increased by ∼5% from dawn to noon, likely due to diurnal growth of bacterioplanktonA storm at the North Atlantic site introduced a different submicron particle population that was ∼10% larger in mean size [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: |
GreenFILE |
