Large scale submarine groundwater discharge dominates nutrient inputs to China’s coast
Nature communications, Vol.16(1), pp.1-9
25/03/2025
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Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is a nutrient source to coastal waters. However, most SGD estimates are restricted to a local scale and hardly distinguish contributions from fresh (FSGD) and recirculated (RSGD) SGD. Here, we compiled data on radium/radon of groundwater (n ~ 2000) and seawater (n ~ 10,000) samples along ~18,000 km of China’s coastal seas to resolve large scale FSGD and RSGD and their associated nutrient loads. Nearshore-scale FSGD ( ~ 3.56 × 108 m3 d−1 ) was only 2% of the total SGD but comparable to RSGD in terms of nutrient loads. Despite large uncertainties quantified via Monte Carlo simulations, SGD was a dominant contributor to China’s coastal nutrient budgets, with dissolved inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus and silicate fluxes of ~395, 2.9, and 581 Gmol a−1, respectively. Total SGD accounted for 19–54% of nutrient inputs, exceeding inputs from atmospheric deposition and rivers. Overall, SGD helps sustaining primary production along one of the most human-impacted marginal seas on Earth.
- Large scale submarine groundwater discharge dominates nutrient inputs to China’s coast
- Tianyi Zhu - Ocean University of ChinaShibin Zhao - Ocean University of ChinaBochao Xu - Ocean University of ChinaDongyan Liu - East China Normal UniversityM. Bayani Cardenas - The University of Texas at AustinHuaming Yu - Ocean University of ChinaYan Zhang - China University of Geosciences (Beijing)Xiaogang Chen - Westlake UniversityKai Xiao - Chinese Academy of SciencesLixin Yi - Nankai UniversityHyung-Mi Cho - Inha UniversitySumei Liu - Ocean University of ChinaZiliang Zhang - Ocean University of ChinaErgang Lian - Ministry of Ecology and Environment (China, Shanghai)William C. Burnett - Florida State UniversityGuangquan Chen - Ministry of Natural Resources (China, Qingdao)Zhigang Yu - Ocean University of ChinaIsaac R. Santos - University of Gothenburg
- Nature communications, Vol.16(1), pp.1-9
- Nature Publishing Group UK
- This work is funded by Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC grant 42425602 to B.X., 42130410 to Z.Y., 42030402 to D.L., and U22A20580 to B.X.).
- 991013269105902368
- © The Author(s) 2025
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- English
- Journal article