Publications by authors named "Maria Fernanda Gastelu Barcena"
A Close Look at Dissolved Silica Dynamics in Disko Bay, West Greenland.
Global Biogeochem Cycles
January 2025
Article Synopsis
- The discharge of calved ice and subglacial runoff in Disko Bay, home to Sermeq Kujalleq glacier, is expected to influence marine biogeochemistry, particularly affecting the marine silica cycle due to elevated dissolved silica (dSi) from glaciers.
- The study analyzes silica dynamics in various regions around Disko Bay, finding that land-terminating glaciers show conservative dSi patterns, whereas marine-terminating glaciers significantly alter nutrient distribution through subglacial discharge plumes.
- The research quantifies contributions to dSi enrichment, highlighting that a large fraction comes from saline water entrainment, with minor contributions from icebergs and amorphous silica dissolution, ultimately adding a small but significant dSi flux to the environment.