Hyung Jeek Kim

Sr‐Nd isotope composition and clay mineral assemblages in eolian dust from the central Philippine Sea over the last 600 kyr: Implications for the transport mechanism of Asian dust

Dust transport to the tropical/subtropical northwestern Pacific over the past 600 kyr was investigated using radiogenic isotopes (87Sr/86Sr and eNd), together with the clay mineral composition, of eolian dust preserved in a sediment core obtained from the Philippine Sea (12°30′N, 134°60′E). These data revealed the influence of two prevailing dust sources, namely, the Asian deserts and nearby volcanic arcs (e.g., the Luzon Arc), with average contributions of around 70% and 30%, respectively, from each. The clay mineral composition of the core resembled dust from the central Asian deserts (CADs; e.g., the Taklimakan Desert) as in the north-central Pacific, but published aerosol data collected near the study site during winter/spring have the mineralogical signature of dust originating from the East Asian deserts (EADs). These data indicate that the relative contribution of EAD dust increases with the northeasterly surface winds associated with the East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) during winter/spring, but the Prevailing Westerlies and Trade Winds that carry dust from the CADs is the dominant transport agent in the overall dust budget of the study site. The results of this study contradict the prevailing view that direct dust transport by the EAWM winds in spring dominates the annual flux of eolian dust in the northwest Pacific.

Evaluation of Resuspended Sediments to Sinking Particles by Benthic Disturbance in the Clarion-Clipperton Nodule Fields

The geochemical properties of sinking particles and sediments in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone were examined to develop a quantitative indicator with which to evaluate the contribution of sediment resuspended by nodule mining activity to sinking particles. The ratio of lithogenic material to organic carbon varies from ∼3 in sinking particles to ∼211 in sediments. This ratio is easily measured and is not easily affected by degradation and/or dissolution in the water column. A mixing model indicates that the ratio may be used as a potential proxy for estimating the contribution of resuspended sediment derived from mining operations to sinking particles.

The reduction in the biomass of cyanobacterial N 2 fixer and the biological pump in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean

The comparison of sediment trap data with physical and biogeochemical variables in the surface water column of the Tropical Northwestern Pacific Ocean (TNWPO) indicated that the magnitude of the springtime biological pump has reduced with time due to a corresponding decrease in the biomass of cyanobacterial N2 fixer. The decrease in the biomass of N2 fixer likely resulted from a reduction in phosphate concentrations in response to surface water warming and consequent shoaling of the mixed layer depth during the study period (2009−2014). The same reduction in biological pump was also observed during summer. However, the cause of the summer reduction remains uncertain and is worth assessing in future studies. Our findings have major implications for predicting future trends of the biological pump in the TNWPO, where significant warming has occurred.

Reply to Comment by Xu et al. on “Sr‐Nd isotope composition and clay mineral assemblages in eolian dust from the central Philippine Sea over the last 600 kyr: Implications for the transport mechanism of Asian dust” by Seo et al.

Against Xu et al. (2016), who argued that East Asian Desert (EAD) dust that traveled on East Asian Winter Monsoon winds dominates over Central Asian Desert (CAD) dust in the Philippine Sea with presentation of additional data, we reconfirm Seo et al.s (2014) conclusion that CAD dust carried on the Prevailing Westerlies and Trade Winds dominates over EAD dust in overall dust budget of the central Philippine Sea. The relative contribution of dust from EADs and CADs using clay mineral composition should be evaluated with elimination of mineralogical contribution from the volcanic end-member which is enriched in kaolinite and overestimate the contribution of EAD dust.

Sinking Particle Flux in the Subtropical Oligotrophic Northwestern Pacific from a Short-term Sediment Trap Experiment

Time-series sediment traps were deployed in the subtropical oligotrophic northwestern Pacific (SONP) at three depths from August to September 2015 to better understand vertical flux of sinking particles. Sinking particles were collected at 5-day intervals over the sediment trap deployment period. The average total mass flux at water depths of 400 m, 690 m, and 1,710 m was 9.1, 4.4, and 4.1 mg m-2day-1, respectively. CaCO3 materials constituted 50 to 70% of sinking particles while in comparison particulate organic carbon (POC) constituted up to 20%. A synchronous variation of total mass flux was observed at the three depths, indicating that calcite-dominated particles sank from 400 to 1,710 m within a 5-day period. POC flux at these water depths was 2.4, 0.38, and 0.31 mg m-2day-1, respectively. Our results indicate low transfer efficiencies of 16% from 400 to 690 m and 13% for the 400 to 1,710 m depth range. The estimated transfer efficiencies were significantly lower than those observed at the K2 station in the northwest Pacific subarctic gyre, presumably because of a prevalence of pico-cyanobacteria in the SONP. Because cyanobacteria have a semi-permeable proteinaceous shell, they are more readily remineralized by bacteria than are siliceous phytoplankton in the northwest Pacific subarctic gyre. Continued surface water warming and expansion of the SONP will likely have a profound impact on ocean acidification in the northwest Pacific, possibly affecting the transfer efficiency of sinking POC to the deep-sea.

Resource Assessment of Polymetallic Nodules Using Acoustic Backscatter Intensity Data from the Korean Exploration Area, Northeastern Equatorial Pacific

A high level of confidence in resource data is a key prerequisite for conducting a reliable economic feasibility study in deep water seafloor mining. However, the acquisition of accurate resource data is difficult when employing traditional point-sampling methods to assess the resource potential of polymetallic nodules, given the vast size of the survey area and high spatial variability in nodule distribution. In this study, we analyzed high-resolution acoustic backscatter intensity images to estimate nodule abundance and increase confidence levels in nodule abundance data. We operated a 120 kHz deep-towed sidescan sonar (DSL-120) system (1×1 m resolution) across a 75 km2 representative area in the Korean Exploration Area for polymetallic nodules in the Northeastern Equatorial Pacific. A deep-towed camera system was also run along two tracks in the same area to estimate the abundance of polymetallic nodules on the seafloor. Backscatter data were classified into four facies based on intensity. The facies with the weakest and strongest backscatter intensities occurred in areas of high slope gradient and basement outcrops, respectively. The backscatter intensities of the two other facies correlated well with the nodule abundances estimated from still-camera images. A linear fit between backscatter intensity and mean nodule abundance for 10 zones in the study area yielded an excellent correlation (r2 = 0.97). This allowed us to compile a map of polymetallic nodule abundance that shows greater resolution than a map derived from the extrapolation of point-sampling data. Our preliminary analyses indicate that it is possible to greatly increase the confidence level of nodule resource data if the relationship between backscatter intensity and nodule abundance is reliably established. This approach has another key advantage over point sampling and image analyses in that detailed maps of mining obstacles along the seafloor are produced when acquiring data on the abundance of polymetallic nodules. The key limitation of this work is a poor correlation between nodule coverage, as observed from photographs, and nodule abundance. Significant additional ground truth sampling using well located box cores should be completed to determine whether or not there is a real correlation between the backscatter and abundance.

Latitudinal change in benthic foraminiferal fauna by ITCZ movement along the ~131°W transect in the equatorial Pacific Ocean

Modern and fossil benthic foraminifera were examined from nine surface sediments and two piston cores along the ~131°W transect in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. This study was conducted to clarify the biotic response of abyssal benthic foraminifera during the last 220 ka to changes in the seasonal extent of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The abundance of modern benthic foraminifera was high at stations between the equator and 6°N, whereas it was low at stations north of 6°N, which is generally consistent with the latitudinal CaCO3 distribution of surface sediments. The northward increase of Epistominella exigua from the equator to ~6°N is similar to the seasonal variations in chlorophyll-a concentrations in the surface water and ITCZ position along ~131°W. This species was more common at core PC5103 (~6°N) than at core PC5101 (~2°N) after ~130 ka, when the Shannon-Wiener diversity (H’) between the two cores started to diverge. Hence, the presentday latitudinal difference in benthic foraminifera (E. exigua and species diversity) between ~2°N and ~6°N along ~131°W has been generally established since ~130 ka. According to the modern relationship between the seasonality of primary production and seasonal ITCZ variations in the northern margin of the ITCZ, the latitudinal divergence of benthic foraminiferal fauna between ~2°N and ~6°N since ~130 ka appear to have been induced by more distinct variations in the seasonal movement of ITCZ.