Abstract
SEDIMENT traps are widely used to measure the vertical flux of particulate matter in the oceans. In the upper ocean, sediment traps have been used to determine the extent to which CO2 Axed by primary producers is exported as particulate organic carbon1–3. In addition, the observed decrease of particle flux with depth has been used to predict regeneration rates of organic matter and associated elements3. Over seasonal or annual timescales, the import of limiting nutrients into the upper ocean (new production) should be balanced by particle export4,5. Given the importance of accurately determining the sinking particle flux, it has been suggested that 234Th might be used to 'calibrate' shallow-trap fluxes6. Here I present a re-evaluation of existing 234Th data which indicates that trap-derived and model-derived 234Th particle fluxes can differ by a factor of ±3–10, suggesting that shallow traps may not provide an accurate measure of particle fluxes.
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Buesseler, K. Do upper-ocean sediment traps provide an accurate record of particle flux?. Nature 353, 420–423 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/353420a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/353420a0
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