Reconstructing the Nd oceanic cycle using a coupled dynamical – biogeochemical model

Abstract

Abstract. The decoupling of behaviour observed between Nd isotopic composition (Nd IC, also referred as εNd) and Nd concentration has led to the notion of a "Nd paradox". While εNd behaves in a quasi-conservative way in the open ocean, leading to its broad use as a water-mass tracer, Nd concentration displays vertical profiles that increase with depth together with a deep water enrichment along the global thermohaline circulation, non-conservative behaviour typical of nutrients affected by scavenging in surface waters and remineralisation at depth. In addition, recent studies suggested that the only way to reconcile both concentration and Nd IC oceanic budgets, is to invoke a "Boundary Exchange" process (BE, defined as the co-occurrence of transfer of elements from the margin to the sea with removal of elements from the sea by Boundary Scavenging) as a source-sink term. However, these studies did not simulates the real input/output fluxes of Nd to the ocean, and therefore did prevent from crucial information to apprehend the "Nd paradox". In this study, we investigate this paradox on a global scale using for the first time a fully prognostic coupled dynamical/biogeochemical model and an explicit representation of the sources and sinks to simulate the Nd oceanic cycle. Sources considered are dissolved river fluxes, atmospheric dusts and margin sediment re-dissolution. Sinks are scavenging by settling particles. This model satisfyingly simulate the global Nd oceanic cycle, and produces realistic distribution of Nd concentration and isotopic composition, though a slight overestimation of Nd concentrations in the deep Pacific Ocean, likely revealing an underestimation of the particle fields by the biogeochemical model. Our results underlines that 1) vertical cycling (scavenging/remineralisation) is absolutely necessary to satisfyingly simulate both concentration and εNd, and 2) BE is the dominant Nd source to the ocean. The estimated BE flux (1.1×1010 g(Nd)/yr) is much higher than both dissolved river discharge (2.6×108 g(Nd)/yr) and atmospheric inputs (1.0×108 g(Nd)/yr) that play negligible role in the water column but are necessary to reconcile Nd IC in surface and subsurface. This leads to a recalculated residence time of Nd in the ocean of 360 yrs. The BE flux requires the dissolution of only 3 to 5% of the annually flux of material weathered on the continent and deposited via the solid river discharge on the continental margin.