Dataset associated with "A mineralogy-based anthropogenic combustion-iron emission inventory"

Abstract

The atmospheric supply of iron can modulate ocean biogeochemistry, due to its key role in global nitrogen and carbon cycles, with current estimates predicting up to 20% of global ocean net primary productivity depending on this source. We estimate anthropogenic iron using a detailed technology-based estimation method, resolve it into mineral components, and model soluble iron emissions using various available solubility representation methods including mineralogy. Including metal smelting as a source that emits about 75% of anthropogenic iron, we show that anthropogenic iron emissions are up to 10 times higher in the fine aerosol fraction (<1 µm) than previous inventories. We find that in regions where primary productivity is iron limited, anthropogenic combustion-iron contributes up to half of the soluble iron flux to North Pacific Ocean, but less than 5% to the Southern Ocean. We also find that increasing complexity in representing anthropogenic iron solubility does not necessarily improve model-observation comparison and factors other than under anthropogenic influence largely affect solubility.