Publication Date:
2022-06-08
Description:
Atmospheric deposition of volcanic ash has recently been recognized as an important nutrient source into the
surface ocean. Mount Etna (Italy), one of the world's most active volcanoes, is located in the oligotrophic
Mediterranean Sea (MedSea). Despite the active volcanismonMount Etna, the biogeochemical impacts of volcanic
ash fallouts on the marine primary productivity (MPP) remain largely unknown. Here we present the results of
seawater nutrient release experiments with volcanic ash samples fromMount Etna that have been collected during
different eruptive episodes between 2001 and 2007. Our results show that volcanic ash fromMount Etna releases
significant amounts of fixed-N (35–855 nmol/g), P (7–970 nmol/g), Si (3–2060 nmol/g), Fe (10–130 nmol/g) and
Zn (b21 nmol/g). We further estimated an example representative of ash-fall from Etna based on the case-study
focusing on 4–5 November 2002 activity, by using the general relation between the thicknesses of the ash deposits
and the ash depositional areas. Etna explosive eruptions can transport volcanic ash as far as 800 km,with ashemissions
exceeding the particle flux during dust stormevents (of 10 g/m2 input) as far as 400 km downwind fromthe
volcano. Our results emphasize that Etna ash can provide a significant supply of nutrients, which can favor theMPP
in the central MedSea.
Description:
Published
Description:
32-42
Description:
1.8. Osservazioni di geofisica ambientale
Description:
JCR Journal
Description:
restricted
Keywords:
Oceanic fertilization
;
Volcanic ash
;
Mount Etna
;
Mediterranean Sea
;
Phosphate
;
Nitrate
;
Iron
;
03. Hydrosphere::03.03. Physical::03.03.01. Air/water/earth interactions
Repository Name:
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
Type:
article
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