High variability of export fluxes along the North Atlantic GEOTRACES section GA01: Particulate organic carbon export deduced from the 234 Th method

Abstract. In this study, we report Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) export fluxes estimated using the 234 Th-based approach in different biogeochemical basins of the North Atlantic, as part of the GEOTRACES GA01 expedition (GEOVIDE, May–June 2014). Surface POC export fluxes were deduced by combining export fluxes of 234 Th with the POC to 234 Th ratio of sinking particles at the depth of export. Particles were collected in two size classes (> 53 µm and 1–53 µm) using in-situ pumps and the large size fraction was considered as representative of sinking material. Surface POC export fluxes revealed latitudinal variations between provinces ranging from 1.4 mmol C m −2 d −1 in the Irminger basin where the bloom was close to its maximum peak, to 12 mmol C m −2 d −1 near the Iberian Margin where the bloom had already declined. In addition to the bloom staging, the variations of POC export fluxes were also related to the phytoplankton community structure. In line with previous studies, the presence of coccolithophorids and diatoms appeared to increase the POC export flux while stations dominated by pico-phytoplankton cells, such as cyanobacteria, were characterized by lower fluxes. The surface POC export fluxes were then compared to in-situ and satellite primary production (PP) in order to assess the export efficiency. This ratio strongly varied regionally and was generally low (≤ 14 %), except at two stations located near the Iberian margin (35 %) and within the Labrador basin (38 %), which were characterized by unusual low in-situ PP. We thus conclude that the North Atlantic during this period was not as efficient in exporting carbon from the surface, as described in recent studies. Finally, we estimated the flux of POC exported 100 m below the surface export depth in order to investigate the transfer efficiency along the section. This parameter was also highly regional-dependent but the lowest attenuation of the POC flux was observed at stations where coccolithophorids dominated.