Cael, B. B., Cavan, E. L., & Britten, G. L. (2021). Reconciling the Size-Dependence of Marine Particle Sinking Speed. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(5), e2020GL091771. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091771
Summary
Sinking particles in the ocean comprise a major flux within the global carbon, nutrient, and oxygen cycles. Particle flux is strongly influenced by sinking speed, which in turn is thought to be strongly influenced by particle size. However, observed variability in particle geometry and composition complicates this size-sinking relationship and has introduced significant uncertainty into ocean flux numerical models. This study revised flux models currently used in earth system model predictions and has implications for the predicted shrinking of marine particles with climate change.