Dynamic aeolian deposition of glacial iron to the open ocean: 2 Years of Time-series Observations from Middleton Island and the Copper River Delta

ron (Fe) is thought to be a limiting nutrient for phytoplankton in much of the north Pacific and the Gulf of Alaska (GoA) in particular. In the subarctic GoA, we have a limited knowledge of the role of glaciers in driving the supply of iron to marine ecosystem, and in particular, the role that dust derived from glacial flour plays in delivering bioavailable iron to the offshore ecosystems. In order to better understand glacial dust deposition in the GoA and its potential role in marine productivity, we combine time-series satellite, meteorological, and aerosol geochemical data from over 2 years of monitoring at Middleton Island and the Copper River Valley. Middleton Island is located on the edge of the continental shelf and is ideally positioned to monitor the flux of aerosol iron into adjacent Fe-limited waters, while the Copper River Delta and Valley are thought to be the source of much of the glacial dust that reaches Middleton. In fact, widespread dust events have been frequently observed (MODIS imagery) emanating from exposed floodplains within the heavily glacierized Copper River Valley. These events are most common in the fall, when high pressure in the AK interior and low pressure in the central GoA establish a pressure gradient that drives anomalously strong northerly winds capable of entraining the abundant glacial flour that is exposed under low water conditions in the Copper River floodplain. Here we present Fe geochemical data from continuous automated aerosol sampling on Middleton Island from 2011-2013. These time-series geochemical data, when coupled with MODIS and meteorological observations, present a remarkable opportunity to examine the drivers of these dust events and how inter-annual meteorological variability between dust seasons influences the annual flux of soluble Fe associated with these phenomena. The dust season of 2011-12, characterized by early and heavy snows and onshore winds, generated very little dust with minimal and infrequent iron deposition observed on Middleton Island and estimated via MODIS. This was in stark contrast to the dust season of 2012-2013, when sustained high offshore winds and dry conditions during the fall generated close to continuous strong dust activity for over a month and delivered a high flux of soluble glacial Fe offshore. As a whole, these time-series data reveal the dramatic inter-annual variability of the influence of glaciers on eolian iron deposition in offshore GoA waters, and clearly demonstrate that the potential role of glacial dust in marine nutrient cycles is highly dynamic and sensitive to regional and local climatological and hydrologic conditions.