Biogenic silica fluxes and accumulation rates in the Gulf of California

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1994 · Geology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1994)022<0303:BSFAAR>2.3.CO;2· OSTI ID:7015897

Thunell, R C; Pride, C J; Tappa, E ^[1]; Muller-Karger, F E ^[2]

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1. Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States)
2. Univ. of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL (United States)

The Gulf of California, though small in size, plays an important role in the global silica cycle. The seasonal pattern of biogenic silica flux in the gulf is closely related to that of phytoplankton biomass levels and is controlled by changes in weather and hydrographic conditions. The highest opal fluxes ([approximately] 0.35 g[center dot]m[sup [minus]2][center dot]d[sup [minus]1]) occur during winter and spring, and they are comparable to those measured in some of the most productive ecosystems of the world. Approximately 15%-25% of the biogenic silica produced in surface waters is preserved in gulf sediments, a figure significantly higher than the average global ocean preservation rate. However, the flux of opal at 500 m water depth is less than 25% of that being produced at the surface, suggesting that most of the recycling of biogenic silica in the Gulf of California occurs in the upper water column. 28 refs., 3 figs.

• OSTI ID: 7015897
• Journal Information: Geology; (United States), Vol. 22:4; ISSN 0091-7613
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
SILICA
GLOBAL ASPECTS
ORIGIN
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
BIOMASS
ECOSYSTEMS
GULF OF CALIFORNIA
HYDROLOGY
MINERAL CYCLING
OPALS
PHYTOPLANKTON
SEDIMENTS
WEATHER
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
ENERGY SOURCES
GEOCHEMISTRY
MINERALS
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACIFIC OCEAN
PLANKTON
PLANTS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SEAS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SURFACE WATERS
580000* - Geosciences
540310 - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (1990-)