The role of calcium in regulating marine phosphorus burial and atmospheric oxygenation

The marine phosphorus cycle plays a critical role in controlling the extent of global primary productivity and thus atmospheric p O 2 on geologic time scales. However, previous attempts to model carbon–phosphorus-oxygen feedbacks have neglected key parameters that could shape the global P cycle. Her...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2020-05, Vol.11 (1), p.2232-2232, Article 2232
Main Authors: Zhao, Mingyu, Zhang, Shuang, Tarhan, Lidya G., Reinhard, Christopher T., Planavsky, Noah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
704/106/2738
704/47/4112
704/47/4113
704/829/827
Atmospheric models
Biosphere
Bioturbation
Calcium
Carbon cycle
Cenozoic
Deep sea
Fluorapatite
Humanities and Social Sciences
multidisciplinary
Oxygen
Oxygenation
Phosphorus
Phosphorus cycle
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Seawater
Speciation
Tectonics
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Summary:The marine phosphorus cycle plays a critical role in controlling the extent of global primary productivity and thus atmospheric p O 2 on geologic time scales. However, previous attempts to model carbon–phosphorus-oxygen feedbacks have neglected key parameters that could shape the global P cycle. Here we present new diagenetic models to fully parameterize marine P burial. We have also coupled this diagenetic framework to a global carbon cycle model. We find that seawater calcium concentration, by strongly influencing carbonate fluorapatite (CFA) formation, is a key factor controlling global phosphorus cycling, and therefore plays a critical role in shaping the global oxygen cycle. A compilation of Cenozoic deep-sea sedimentary phosphorus speciation data provides empirical support for the idea that CFA formation is strongly influenced by marine Ca concentrations. Therefore, we propose a previously overlooked coupling between Phanerozoic tectonic cycles, the major-element composition of seawater, the marine phosphorus cycle, and atmospheric p O 2 . Previous work suggests that marine oxygen levels and bioturbation are important factors that shape phosphorus burial and the size of the marine biosphere. Here the authors show that seawater calcium concentration is a key factor in controlling marine P burial, and thus the global oxygen cycle.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/s41467-020-15673-3