Aragonite saturation state and dynamic mechanism in the southern Yellow Sea, China

Xuemei Xu; Kunpeng Zang; Cheng Huo; Nan Zheng; Huade Zhao; Juying Wang; Bing Sun

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06.009

Aragonite saturation state and dynamic mechanism in the southern Yellow Sea, China

Mar Pollut Bull. 2016 Aug 15;109(1):142-150. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06.009. Epub 2016 Jun 9.

Authors

Xuemei Xu¹, Kunpeng Zang², Cheng Huo², Nan Zheng², Huade Zhao², Juying Wang³, Bing Sun⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Environment Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China; Key Laboratory for Ecological Environment in Coastal Areas (State Oceanic Administration), National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China.
² Key Laboratory for Ecological Environment in Coastal Areas (State Oceanic Administration), National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China.
³ Key Laboratory for Ecological Environment in Coastal Areas (State Oceanic Administration), National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023, China. Electronic address: jywang@nmemc.org.cn.
⁴ College of Environment Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, China. Electronic address: sunb88@dlmu.edu.cn.

PMID: 27289282
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06.009

Abstract

Based upon surveys conducted in November 2012 and June 2013, the distribution and dynamics of aragonite saturation state (Ωarag) were investigated in the southern Yellow Sea (SYS) of China. In summer, surface water Ωarag ranged from 2.1-3.8 and enhanced biological production fueled by Changjiang River freshwater input increased Ωarag to 3.8 in the southern SYS. However, subsurface water Ωarag was <2.0 in the central SYS. During autumn, surface water Ωarag was 2.0-2.9, lower than that in summer due to ventilation between surface and low Ωarag (1.0-1.4) subsurface waters in the central SYS. Community respiration and/or aerobic remineralization dominated low Ωarag in subsurface waters, while water stratification influenced the level and scale of acidity accumulation. By the end of this century, waters with Ωarag>2.0 could disappear from the SYS with increasing atmospheric CO2, while bottom waters Ωarag may become undersaturated due to the impact of eutrophication.

Keywords: Aragonite saturation state; Dynamic mechanism; Southern Yellow Sea.

MeSH terms

Aerobiosis
Calcium Carbonate / analysis*
China
Environmental Monitoring
Eutrophication
Fresh Water
Rivers
Seasons
Seawater / analysis*
Seawater / chemistry

Substances

Calcium Carbonate