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Intensity of desert storms may affect ocean phytoplankton


August 27, 2015

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Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University and Florida State University have determined that once iron is deposited in the ocean, it has a very short residence time, spending only six months in surface waters before sinking into the deep ocean. This high turnover of iron signals that large, seasonal changes in desert dust may have dramatic effects on surface phytoplankton that depend on iron.Full Story

Source
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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