Work

Iron isotope constraints on source and transport of sediment-derived dissolved Fe in the Weddell Sea region

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: In the Weddell Sea (WS), low iron (Fe) concentration limits primary productivity, making Fe supply and cycling crucial for air-sea exchange of CO 2 . This study investigates dissolved Fe concentrations ([dFe]) and isotope compositions (δ 56 Fe) in the western WS (south of 60°S), identifying Fe sources and tracing sediment-derived Fe transport along a transect from the Antarctic Peninsula to the central WS. Reductive dissolution within WS shelf sediments supplies isotopically light Fe to overlying shelf waters. Nearly identical δ 56 Fe depth profiles (–1.25 to –1.38‰) with varying [dFe] (1.20 to 7.14 nmol L −1 ) over the continental shelf suggest a consistent sedimentary δ 56 Fe signature with minimal fractionation during Fe loss. This isotope signal appears to advect from the shelf out into the central WS, as indicated by a persistent δ 56 Fe minimum (–0.66 to –0.34‰) at a depth of ∼200–300 m across the transect, following an isopycnal (28.1 to 28.2 kg m −3 ). Besides lateral transport, dense shelf water extensively mixes with Warm Deep Water and Weddell Sea Deep Water while descending along the slope, acting to prevent sediment-derived Fe from reaching the deep basin, instead diluting it into shallower waters where it is scavenged or upwelled, supporting phytoplankton growth. This study underscores the dominance of WS shelf sediment-derived Fe and its long-range transport within the WS, having far reaching impact via the connection with the Southern Ocean and beyond. The study also provides evidence for the use of relatively conserved δ 56 Fe signatures as a tracer of sedimentary Fe supply to the global ocean.

Source: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2026.01.033

Authors: Hung-An Tian, Mathijs van Manen, Zach B. Bunnell, Gert-Jan Reichart, Tim M. Conway, Rob Middag

Institutions: Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, University of South Florida St. Petersburg, Utrecht University, University of Groningen

Language: English

Topic: Marine and coastal ecosystems

Subfield: Oceanography

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life below water

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,090