Seasonal Upwelling–dust Controls on Export Production in the Canary Current System Revealed by Lagrangian Particle Tracking

This study investigates the combined influence of seasonal upwelling, Saharan dust deposition and ocean circulation on export production in the Canary Current System. By integrating photic-zone observations, satellite products, deep-ocean sediment-trap records and Lagrangian biogeochemical budgets, we linked surface biogeochemical conditions to particle export at depth. The Lagrangian framework reconstructs upstream water-mass pathways while tracking the evolution of chlorophyll a, primary production and particulate inorganic carbon. The results reveal distinct seasonal regimes in which atmospheric and oceanographic drivers exert different controls on export production: upwelling and cross-shelf transport dominate the windy winter–spring regime, whereas Saharan dust becomes increasingly important during the stratified summer–autumn period through ballasting and episodic fertilisation, highlighting the importance of coupled atmosphere–ocean processes in regulating the biological carbon pump.

Reference: Guerreiro, C.V., Jonsson, B.F., Land, P., et al. (2026). Seasonal upwelling–dust controls on export production in the Canary Current System revealed by Lagrangian particle tracking. Biogeosci., 23, 5133–5161. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5133-2026