The distribution of iron in three different environments has been studied in an attempt to understand what processes control its concentration in the open ocean. In the Ochlockonee Estuary, dissolved Fe concentrations are dominated by a high molecular weight colloidal fraction ($>$10,000 molecular weight) that is also significant in controlling the dissolved organic carbon concentration. These Fe-oxyhydroxides are greater than 80% removed before the salinity reaches open ocean values. In the eastern Atlantic ocean, surface water Fe concentrations are controlled by atmospheric deposition of Saharan dust as evidenced by a strong correlation with Al. The concentration of Fe in the surface waters of the Sargasso Sea show a large variation between spring and fall with the highest concentrations in the fall correlating with a time of high atmospheric deposition. During this period of elevated surface water concentrations, between 60 and 80 percent of the Fe is not truly dissolved but colloidal in size (between 1000 molecular weight and 0.45 $\mu$m). The colloidal size fraction plays a significant role in the dissolved Fe cycle when concentrations greatly exceed saturation ($>$1 nM). / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-12, Section: B, page: 6619. / Major Professor: William M. Landing. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1995.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77638 |
| Contributors | Powell, Rodney T., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 82 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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