User:Cassidyrenee/sandbox

User:Cassidyrenee/ironcycle, The cosmogenesis of Iron likely begins with the fusion of elements in massive stars. When

From the entire Earth, iron is the most abundant element, while the crust only 4.8% consists of iron. Instead, it is dominated by Aluminum, Silicon and Oxygen.

The ocean is a critical component of the Earth's climate system, and the iron cycle plays a key role in ocean primary productivity and marine ecosystem function. The largest supply of iron to the oceans is from rivers, where it is suspended as sediment. Other major sources of iron to the ocean include glacial particulates, atmospheric dust transport, hydrothermal vents, and volcanic ash. Iron supply is an important factor affecting growth of phytoplankton, the base of marine food web. Uptake of iron by phytoplankton leads to lowest iron concentrations in surface seawater. Remineralization of sinking phytoplankton by zooplankton and bacteria recycles iron and causes higher deep water iron concentrations. Therefore, upwelling zones contain more iron than other areas of the surface ocean.