Work

Global Warming Favors Rapid Burial of Silver in the Vietnam Upwelling Area

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Silver is a highly toxic element for marine organisms. However, its controlling factor in marine sediments remains largely unknown, limiting our understanding of its biogeochemical cycling. Based on a sediment core from the Vietnam upwelling area in the South China Sea, it is found that Ag is significantly enriched in sediments of this area (as high as 0.39 μg/g), and it shows a very similar geochemical behavior to Ca and Sr. Our study supports the theory that Ag could be a marine paleo‐productivity indicator. Burial of Ag over the past 3,200 years shows an abrupt increase at around 1850 CE, in concordance with the global atmospheric CO2 record. It is hypothesized that elevated CO2 and global warming enhance marine productivity in the Vietnam coastal upwelling area, favoring the burial of Ag. Human‐induced global warming thus significantly impacts its biogeochemical cycling.

Source: Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: 10.1029/2023gl106411

Authors: Liqiang Xu, Shiyan Liu, Deming Kong, Xiaodong Liu, Yu Ning

Institutions: Hefei University of Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Guangdong Ocean University, University of Science and Technology of China

Language: English

Topic: Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils

Subfield: Paleontology

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life below water, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,900