Abstract
Little is known about processes which remove particles with radii of <5 µm from surface layers of the oceans although they influence the geochemical cycling of many substances. Agglomeration resulting from particle–particle interactions and/or incorporation into faecal pellets by organisms may accelerate the settling rate of such particles1,2. We report here the vertical distribution of particulate aluminium in the Gulf Stream which is consistent with that expected if primary input were from the atmosphere and first-order removal occurred in the upper 100 m of the water column. We hypothesize that filter feeding, particularly by salps, may be responsible for calculated removal rates.
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Wallace, G., Mahoney, O., Dulmage, R. et al. First-order removal of particulate aluminium in oceanic surface layers. Nature 293, 729–731 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/293729a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/293729a0
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