Modeling of marine iron cycle

Abstract

Iron is an important micronutrient that controls primary production in the ocean. The iron cycle has been incorporated into many numerical models that predict future global warming as an important component. Accumulation of the GEOTRACES data regarding iron and its isotope has revealed various overlooked processes that are playing important roles on the marine iron cycle. In this paper, we describe the iron supply processes from the outside to the ocean and the cycle inside the ocean, which have recently been highlighted, and how they are incorporated into numerical models. We summarize the issues remaining and future perspectives for the development of marine iron cycle models.