Sack Lunch Seminar (SLS)

Abstract:
The sinking and remineralization of particulate organic matter forms an important limb of the oceanic biological pump. Characterization of this sinking flux has often been achieved through empirical fits to measured particle flux profiles in the ocean, beginning with the Martin (1987) curve. Advancements in imaging have allowed abundant observations of particle sizes and characteristics; however the chemical, biological and physical processes that drive the biological pump pose an ongoing challenge. Through integration of the Stokes equation, we propose a mechanistic model framework that allows us to identify and test the important factors that produce this canonical flux profile.