Journal article 135 views 5 downloads
Thinning Antarctic glaciers expose high-altitude nunataks delivering more bioavailable iron to the Southern Ocean
Kate Winter 
,
John Woodward ,
Stuart A. Dunning,
Jim Jordan ,
Joseph A. Graly,
Matthew J. Westoby ,
Sian F. Henley ,
Robert Raiswell
,
John Woodward ,
Stuart A. Dunning,
Jim Jordan ,
Joseph A. Graly,
Matthew J. Westoby ,
Sian F. Henley ,
Robert Raiswell
Nature Communications, Volume: 16, Issue: 1
Swansea University Author:
Jim Jordan
-
PDF | Version of Record
© The Author(s) 2025. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Download (1.46MB)
DOI (Published version): 10.1038/s41467-025-65714-y
Abstract
Glacial systems entrain and transfer sediment, rich in essential nutrients, from continental sources to the ocean, where they are released by meltwater. In the Southern Ocean, primary producers are limited by the availability of micronutrients, like iron (Fe), so any increase in continental sediment...
| Published in: | Nature Communications |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2041-1723 |
| Published: |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
2025
|
| Online Access: |
Check full text
|
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70994 |
| first_indexed |
2025-11-26T16:36:50Z |
|---|---|
| last_indexed |
2026-01-13T05:32:11Z |
| id |
cronfa70994 |
| recordtype |
SURis |
| fullrecord |
<?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2026-01-12T13:24:47.6400410</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>70994</id><entry>2025-11-26</entry><title>Thinning Antarctic glaciers expose high-altitude nunataks delivering more bioavailable iron to the Southern Ocean</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>6f28f48bfe39cb898ba51e3114889cbe</sid><ORCID>0000-0001-8117-1976</ORCID><firstname>Jim</firstname><surname>Jordan</surname><name>Jim Jordan</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2025-11-26</date><deptcode>BGPS</deptcode><abstract>Glacial systems entrain and transfer sediment, rich in essential nutrients, from continental sources to the ocean, where they are released by meltwater. In the Southern Ocean, primary producers are limited by the availability of micronutrients, like iron (Fe), so any increase in continental sediment supply could enhance primary productivity and subsequent drawdown of atmospheric CO2. Here we provide a systematic account of labile Fe concentrations in Antarctic continental sediments. Ferrihydrite and crystalline Fe (oxyhydr)oxides were extracted from 27 Antarctic samples collected from nunataks, lateral moraines and blue ice areas in the Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica. We report ascorbate extractable Fe (FeA) in all samples and enhanced precipitation of dithionite extractable Fe (FeD) in subaerially exposed mountain sediments. Our results suggest that as temperatures rise and Antarctic glaciers thin, newly exposed rock surfaces could supply more bioavailable iron to glacier systems, and subsequently the Southern Ocean.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Nature Communications</journal><volume>16</volume><journalNumber>1</journalNumber><paginationStart/><paginationEnd/><publisher>Springer Science and Business Media LLC</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint/><issnElectronic>2041-1723</issnElectronic><keywords/><publishedDay>24</publishedDay><publishedMonth>11</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2025</publishedYear><publishedDate>2025-11-24</publishedDate><doi>10.1038/s41467-025-65714-y</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Biosciences Geography and Physics School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>BGPS</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>Another institution paid the OA fee</apcterm><funders>Antarctic fieldwork was funded by the Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship, awarded to K.W. in October 2018. The Polar Regions Department (UK) provided K.W. with a permit for rock collection in Antarctica (permit no. 24/2018). J.R.J. received funding from PROTECT, a European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, under grant agreement No 869304.</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2026-01-12T13:24:47.6400410</lastEdited><Created>2025-11-26T16:14:55.3083440</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Science and Engineering</level><level id="2">School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Kate</firstname><surname>Winter</surname><orcid>0000-0003-2389-8637</orcid><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>John</firstname><surname>Woodward</surname><orcid>0000-0002-4980-4080</orcid><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Stuart A.</firstname><surname>Dunning</surname><order>3</order></author><author><firstname>Jim</firstname><surname>Jordan</surname><orcid>0000-0001-8117-1976</orcid><order>4</order></author><author><firstname>Joseph A.</firstname><surname>Graly</surname><order>5</order></author><author><firstname>Matthew J.</firstname><surname>Westoby</surname><orcid>0000-0002-2070-5580</orcid><order>6</order></author><author><firstname>Sian F.</firstname><surname>Henley</surname><orcid>0000-0003-1221-1983</orcid><order>7</order></author><author><firstname>Robert</firstname><surname>Raiswell</surname><order>8</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>70994__35699__60ba2e5ada264fcdaebaa5ecbbb112f6.pdf</filename><originalFilename>70994.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2025-11-26T16:36:28.9513595</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>1530596</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>© The Author(s) 2025. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.</documentNotes><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect><language>eng</language><licence>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</licence></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807> |
| spelling |
2026-01-12T13:24:47.6400410 v2 70994 2025-11-26 Thinning Antarctic glaciers expose high-altitude nunataks delivering more bioavailable iron to the Southern Ocean 6f28f48bfe39cb898ba51e3114889cbe 0000-0001-8117-1976 Jim Jordan Jim Jordan true false 2025-11-26 BGPS Glacial systems entrain and transfer sediment, rich in essential nutrients, from continental sources to the ocean, where they are released by meltwater. In the Southern Ocean, primary producers are limited by the availability of micronutrients, like iron (Fe), so any increase in continental sediment supply could enhance primary productivity and subsequent drawdown of atmospheric CO2. Here we provide a systematic account of labile Fe concentrations in Antarctic continental sediments. Ferrihydrite and crystalline Fe (oxyhydr)oxides were extracted from 27 Antarctic samples collected from nunataks, lateral moraines and blue ice areas in the Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica. We report ascorbate extractable Fe (FeA) in all samples and enhanced precipitation of dithionite extractable Fe (FeD) in subaerially exposed mountain sediments. Our results suggest that as temperatures rise and Antarctic glaciers thin, newly exposed rock surfaces could supply more bioavailable iron to glacier systems, and subsequently the Southern Ocean. Journal Article Nature Communications 16 1 Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2041-1723 24 11 2025 2025-11-24 10.1038/s41467-025-65714-y COLLEGE NANME Biosciences Geography and Physics School COLLEGE CODE BGPS Swansea University Another institution paid the OA fee Antarctic fieldwork was funded by the Baillet Latour Antarctica Fellowship, awarded to K.W. in October 2018. The Polar Regions Department (UK) provided K.W. with a permit for rock collection in Antarctica (permit no. 24/2018). J.R.J. received funding from PROTECT, a European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, under grant agreement No 869304. 2026-01-12T13:24:47.6400410 2025-11-26T16:14:55.3083440 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography Kate Winter 0000-0003-2389-8637 1 John Woodward 0000-0002-4980-4080 2 Stuart A. Dunning 3 Jim Jordan 0000-0001-8117-1976 4 Joseph A. Graly 5 Matthew J. Westoby 0000-0002-2070-5580 6 Sian F. Henley 0000-0003-1221-1983 7 Robert Raiswell 8 70994__35699__60ba2e5ada264fcdaebaa5ecbbb112f6.pdf 70994.pdf 2025-11-26T16:36:28.9513595 Output 1530596 application/pdf Version of Record true © The Author(s) 2025. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| title |
Thinning Antarctic glaciers expose high-altitude nunataks delivering more bioavailable iron to the Southern Ocean |
| spellingShingle |
Thinning Antarctic glaciers expose high-altitude nunataks delivering more bioavailable iron to the Southern Ocean Jim Jordan |
| title_short |
Thinning Antarctic glaciers expose high-altitude nunataks delivering more bioavailable iron to the Southern Ocean |
| title_full |
Thinning Antarctic glaciers expose high-altitude nunataks delivering more bioavailable iron to the Southern Ocean |
| title_fullStr |
Thinning Antarctic glaciers expose high-altitude nunataks delivering more bioavailable iron to the Southern Ocean |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Thinning Antarctic glaciers expose high-altitude nunataks delivering more bioavailable iron to the Southern Ocean |
| title_sort |
Thinning Antarctic glaciers expose high-altitude nunataks delivering more bioavailable iron to the Southern Ocean |
| author_id_str_mv |
6f28f48bfe39cb898ba51e3114889cbe |
| author_id_fullname_str_mv |
6f28f48bfe39cb898ba51e3114889cbe_***_Jim Jordan |
| author |
Jim Jordan |
| author2 |
Kate Winter John Woodward Stuart A. Dunning Jim Jordan Joseph A. Graly Matthew J. Westoby Sian F. Henley Robert Raiswell |
| format |
Journal article |
| container_title |
Nature Communications |
| container_volume |
16 |
| container_issue |
1 |
| publishDate |
2025 |
| institution |
Swansea University |
| issn |
2041-1723 |
| doi_str_mv |
10.1038/s41467-025-65714-y |
| publisher |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
| college_str |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| hierarchytype |
|
| hierarchy_top_id |
facultyofscienceandengineering |
| hierarchy_top_title |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| hierarchy_parent_id |
facultyofscienceandengineering |
| hierarchy_parent_title |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| department_str |
School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography |
| document_store_str |
1 |
| active_str |
0 |
| description |
Glacial systems entrain and transfer sediment, rich in essential nutrients, from continental sources to the ocean, where they are released by meltwater. In the Southern Ocean, primary producers are limited by the availability of micronutrients, like iron (Fe), so any increase in continental sediment supply could enhance primary productivity and subsequent drawdown of atmospheric CO2. Here we provide a systematic account of labile Fe concentrations in Antarctic continental sediments. Ferrihydrite and crystalline Fe (oxyhydr)oxides were extracted from 27 Antarctic samples collected from nunataks, lateral moraines and blue ice areas in the Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica. We report ascorbate extractable Fe (FeA) in all samples and enhanced precipitation of dithionite extractable Fe (FeD) in subaerially exposed mountain sediments. Our results suggest that as temperatures rise and Antarctic glaciers thin, newly exposed rock surfaces could supply more bioavailable iron to glacier systems, and subsequently the Southern Ocean. |
| published_date |
2025-11-24T05:34:09Z |
| _version_ |
1856987044146839552 |
| score |
11.096295 |