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Atmospheric Deposition over the Aegean Sea and Its Impact on the Seawater Productivity

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The Aegean Sea Environment

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 127))

Abstract

The role of the atmosphere as an external source of various nutrients and elements of both natural and anthropogenic origin in the Eastern Mediterranean and in particular the Aegean Sea has been investigated by using long-term deposition data collected over a 21-year period at Finokalia, Crete, Greece. Dry deposition was found to be the main mechanism contributing 67% of total insoluble matter flux, 68% of total dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) flux, and 75% of total dissolved inorganic P (DIP) flux. Sediment traps data from 200 sinking particulate matter samples collected at 2 different depths in the seawater column (500 m and 1715 m) in the Cretan Sea (southern Aegean Sea) during a 9-year period (1997–2005) were compared with atmospheric deposition data (simultaneously collected) to assess the role of atmospheric deposition on seawater productivity and mass transfer in the seawater column. Atmospheric deposition was found to play a significant role in seawater productivity of the Aegean Sea by providing essential nutrients and especially N in excess and by facilitating the creation of aggregates between atmospheric dust and biological material and thus influencing their mass transfer to deeper waters by increasing their size and settling velocity.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the project “PANhellenic infrastructure for Atmospheric Composition and climatE change” (MIS 5021516), which is implemented under the Action “Reinforcement of the Research and Innovation Infrastructure,” funded by the Operational Program “Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation” (NSRF 2014–2020) and co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece

    Maria Tsagkaraki, Christina Theodosi, Maria Kanakidou & Nikos Mihalopoulos

  2. Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Nikos Mihalopoulos

Authors
  1. Maria Tsagkaraki
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  2. Christina Theodosi
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  3. Maria Kanakidou
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  4. Nikos Mihalopoulos
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nikos Mihalopoulos .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Oceanography, Athens, Greece

    Christos L. Anagnostou

  2. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, S.Yu. Witte Moscow University, Moscow, Russia

    Andrey G. Kostianoy

  3. Department of Geology & Geoenvironment, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Ilias D. Mariolakos

  4. Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Institute of Oceanography, Athens, Greece

    Panayotis Panayotidis

  5. Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Marina Soilemezidou

  6. Panteion University of Social and Political Science, Athens, Greece

    Grigoris Tsaltas

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Tsagkaraki, M., Theodosi, C., Kanakidou, M., Mihalopoulos, N. (2020). Atmospheric Deposition over the Aegean Sea and Its Impact on the Seawater Productivity. In: Anagnostou, C.L., Kostianoy, A.G., Mariolakos, I.D., Panayotidis, P., Soilemezidou, M., Tsaltas, G. (eds) The Aegean Sea Environment. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 127. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2020_679

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