Marine Science Faculty Publications
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
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
