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Thinning Antarctic glaciers expose high-altitude nunataks delivering more bioavailable iron to the Southern Ocean

Kate Winter Orcid Logo, John Woodward Orcid Logo, Stuart A. Dunning, Jim Jordan Orcid Logo, Joseph A. Graly, Matthew J. Westoby Orcid Logo, Sian F. Henley Orcid Logo, Robert Raiswell

Nature Communications, Volume: 16, Issue: 1

Swansea University Author: Jim Jordan Orcid Logo

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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...

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Published in: Nature Communications
ISSN: 2041-1723
Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2025
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70994
first_indexed 2025-11-26T16:36:50Z
last_indexed 2025-11-27T05:26:49Z
id cronfa70994
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spelling 2025-11-26T16:36:48.4772463 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 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65714-y COLLEGE NANME Biosciences Geography and Physics School COLLEGE CODE BGPS Swansea University 2025-11-26T16:36:48.4772463 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
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
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65714-y
document_store_str 0
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 2025-11-24T05:27:51Z
_version_ 1851641426720325632
score 11.090009

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