Future climate-driven fires may boost ocean productivity in the iron-limited North Atlantic

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Rapid shifts in fire regimes affect the carbon cycle by releasing carbon and nutrients such as iron (Fe), potentially enhancing marine productivity and carbon export. Here we use fire emission projections and Earth system models to examine how climate-driven changes in fire emissions may alter soluble Fe (SFe) deposition and productivity. By century’s end, climate change could increase Fe emissions from fires by 1.7–1.8 times beyond projections considering only direct human influences. Model projections show rising SFe deposition in Northern Hemisphere high latitudes under increasing socio-economic activity, potentially boosting the impact of SFe deposition on productivity in the Fe-limited North Atlantic by up to 20% annually (40% in summer), assuming stable macronutrient levels. However, declining macronutrient availability may shrink Fe-limited areas, where climate-driven fires could offset productivity losses by 7–8%. In the Southern Ocean, fossil fuel emissions primarily control SFe deposition, as reductions in anthropogenic fires counterbalance climate-driven increases. Fire emissions can be an important source of nutrients such as iron, particularly for the oceans. Here the authors estimate that climate-change-driven changes in fire emissions could increase iron deposition in ocean ecosystems, enhancing productivity particularly in the North Atlantic.

Source: Nature Climate Change

DOI: 10.1038/s41558-025-02356-4

Authors: Elisa Bergas-Masso, Douglas S. Hamilton, Stelios Myriokefalitakis, Sagar Rathod, María Gonçalves Ageitos, Carlos Pérez García-Pando

Institutions: Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, North Carolina State University, National Observatory of Athens, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats

Language: English

Topic: Marine and coastal ecosystems

Subfield: Oceanography

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Life below water, Life on land

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $12,690

Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Commission, AXA Research Fund, Generalitat de Catalunya, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, NextGenerationEU

OpenAlex ID: W4411284751