Submarine Groundwater Discharge helps making nearshore waters heterotrophic

Shu Lun Wang, Chen Tung Arthur Chen*, Ting Hsuan Huang, Hsiao Chun Tseng, Hon Kit Lui, Tsung Ren Peng, Selvaraj Kandasamy, Jing Zhang, Liyang Yang, Xuelu Gao, Jiann Yuh Lou, Fu Wen Kuo, Xue Gang Chen, Ying Ye, Yi Jie Lin

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is the submarine seepage of all fluids from coastal sediments into the overlying coastal seas. It has been well documented that the SGD may contribute a great deal of allochthonous nutrients to the coastlines. It is, however, less known how much carbon enters the ocean via the SGD. Nutrients (NO3, NO2, NH4, PO4, SiO2), alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the submarine groundwater were measured at 20 locations around Taiwan for the first time. The total N/P/Si yields from the SGD in Taiwan are respectively 3.28 ± 2.3 × 104, 2.6 ± 1.8 × 102 and 1.89 ± 1.33 × 104 mol/km2/a, compared with 9.5 ± 6.7 × 105 mol/km2/a for alkalinity and 8.8 ± 6.2 × 105 mol/km2/a for DIC. To compare with literature data, yields for the major estuary across the Taiwan Strait (Jiulong River) are comparable except for P which is extremely low. Primary production supported by these nutrient outflows is insufficient to compensate the DIC supplied by the SGD. As a result, the SGD helps making the coastal waters in Taiwan and Jiulong River heterotrophic.

Original languageEnglish
Article number11650
JournalScientific Reports
Volume8
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018/12/01

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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