Volcanic eruption boosts ocean life
The volcanic eruption in Iceland gave scientists a opportunity to study further effects on marine biology. Team of scientists is testing in North Atlantic Ocean whether volcanic eruptions have effect of increasing absorptions of carbon dioxide into the great depths of the sea.
Eruptions of volcano provided the opportunity to many scientists to see how ash from volcano can effect iron levels in the water and how is growth of the vital organism phytoplankton affected.
Phytoplankton is very important to the large eco-systems because it takes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (like living plants) into the deep sea when it dies. In certain areas growth of phytoplankton is usually limited by low concentrations of iron in the water and it usually blooms in the spring and dies back in the summer.
Scientists are testing theory that the volcanic eruption increased iron in the water and thus will prolong the spring blooms of phytoplankton into summer.
Leading professor Eric Achterberg says:
“We are extremely lucky that the volcano has given us a fantastic natural experiment. Normally iron is so low here that after a massive spring bloom, it doesn’t grow well in the summer. But after the volcano there’s been a lot more iron falling in to the ocean, so we have a fantastic opportunity to check whether iron makes the bloom last longer. We are seeing enhanced iron levels compared with other years and we think that’s because of the volcano. We need to do a lot more analysis back at the lab before we can confirm the volcano has caused extra phytoplankton growth.”
Despite this research opportunity offered by Icelandic volcano, scientists had to abandon initial aim of their expedition to test normal iron levels in the non affected sea region.
The oceans take up 40% of all carbon dioxide from the atmosphere so this is pretty significant for all life on Earth.
Related posts:
- Tambora – biggest eruption recorded
- Volcanoes and global warming
- Argentinian lake maybe holds secret of life on Earth
- Toba, supervolcano in Indonesia
- Sulphur dioxide cooling Earth
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Volcanic eruption releases various salts and minerals and this will definitely boost the life in ocean and off course ocean is vital for carbon dioxide absorption.
Interesting approach towards this. What are your thoughts on expansion on a global scale? There are times when things like this begin to have global expansion and frustration. I will be back soon and follow up with a response.