New Evidence for Enhanced Ocean Primary Production Triggered by Tropical Cyclone

Authors

I. Lin, National Center for Ocean Research
W. Timothy Liu, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA
Chun-Chieh Wu, National Taiwan University
George T. F. Wong, Old Dominion University
Chuanmin Hu, University of South FloridaFollow
Zhiqiang Chen, University of South Florida
Wen-Der Liang, National Center for Ocean Research
Yih Yang, National Center for Ocean Research
Kon-Kee Liu, National Center for Ocean Research

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-2003

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL017141

Abstract

New evidence based on recent satellite data is presented to provide a rare opportunity in quantifying the long-speculated contribution of tropical cyclones to enhance ocean primary production. In July 2000, moderate cyclone Kai-Tak passed over the South China Sea (SCS). During its short 3-day stay, Kai-Tak triggered an average 30-fold increase in surface chlorophyll-a concentration. The estimated carbon fixation resulting from this event alone is 0.8 Mt, or 2–4% of SCS's annual new production. Given an average of 14 cyclones passing over the SCS annually, we suggest the long-neglected contribution of tropical cyclones to SCS's annual new production may be as much as 20–30%.

Rights Information

Terms of use for work posted in Scholar Commons.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

Yes

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Geophysical Research Letters, v. 30, issue 13, art. 1718

©2003. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Scholar Commons Citation

Lin, I.; Liu, W. Timothy; Wu, Chun-Chieh; Wong, George T. F.; Hu, Chuanmin; Chen, Zhiqiang; Liang, Wen-Der; Yang, Yih; and Liu, Kon-Kee, "New Evidence for Enhanced Ocean Primary Production Triggered by Tropical Cyclone" (2003). Marine Science Faculty Publications. 2043.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/2043