Emissions from potential Patagonian dust sources and associated biological response in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean

Abstract. The effect of Patagonian dust over primary producers in the Southern Ocean has long been disputed. Here we present new remote sensing evidence in favour of dust mediated biological response and postulate a hypothesis to explain the spatial relation observed. A new remote sensing definition of dust source areas based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Absorbing Aerosol Index (AAI) correlation is presented and interannual variation in AAI is evaluated within the source regions as a proxy for dust activity. Correlation of this data with annual chlorophyll concentration, phytoplankton biomass, and diatom dominance reveals a spatially coherent latitudinal band of positive correlation concentrated between the Polar Front and the Subtropical Front. This pattern is restricted to western areas in the biomass correlation and extends toward Africa for the chlorophyll and diatom correlation. This region is equivalent to the area of the Subantarctic Mode Water formation, characterized by a ratio Si : N ≪ 1 in late summer, an unfavourable condition for diatom development, especially under iron limitation. Therefore, due to Si–Fe co-limitation, the positive correlation could be the consequence of an enhanced sensibility of this area to external iron addition for diatom growth. For the Argentinean shelf-break, is not clear whether direct dust input and/or wind stress driving water masses upwelling could be responsible for the positive correlation.