Earth System Science 53

Front 1

Q10

Back 1

Temperature increase by 10 degrees Celsius equals a doubling in growth rate amongst phytoplankton.
Max growth rate: 3 cell divisions in 32 degrees celsius
0.5 cell divisions in the coldest waters

Front 2

Key Limiting Nutrients in the Ocean

Back 2

Nitrate:NO3 and Ammonium NH4
Phospate: PO4
Iron: Fe bound to ligands
Silicate: SiO2

Front 3

Liebig's Law of the Minimum

Back 3

Whichever nutrient is lowest in concecntration relative to nutritional needs of plants will limit growth rates.
Only one nutrient can be limiting at a time.

Front 4

Redfield Ratio

Back 4

C/N/P
106:16:1
Typical elemental ratios for phytoplankton and marine organisms.
Found in surface waters. Deep Ocean ratios show 15/1 because of denitrification which removes nitrate and not phosphate.

Front 5

Anderson and Sarmiento

Back 5

117/16/1 @ depths greater than 400M.

Front 6

Deviations from Redfield Composition

Back 6

Areas with denitrification will have high C/N , low N/P.
More plasticity in silicon and iron content.

Front 7

Phosphate Distribution

Back 7

At 2000 meter depth- Higher in North Pacific than in North Atlantic

Front 8

Nitrate Distribution

Back 8

Higher in North Pacific than in North Atlantic

Front 9

Silicate Distribution

Back 9

Higher in North Pacific than in North Atlantic

Front 10

Iron Distribution

Back 10

High in Arctic and Atlantic and Indian Ocean