Realistic Alternatives to Dust: What Else Could Feed a Plankton Bloom? The 2019 Stack Overflow...

Did USCIS resume its biometric service for UK visa?

Is there a name of the flying bionic bird?

Any good smartcontract for "business calendar" oracles?

What function has this graph?

Should I use my personal or workplace e-mail when registering to external websites for work purpose?

Why can Shazam do this?

On the insanity of kings as an argument against Monarchy

Limit the amount of RAM Mathematica may access?

What are the motivations for publishing new editions of an existing textbook, beyond new discoveries in a field?

Access elements in std::string where positon of string is greater than its size

Is bread bad for ducks?

Does light intensity oscillate really fast since it is a wave?

Why isn't airport relocation done gradually?

Where to refill my bottle in India?

Does it makes sense to buy a new cycle to learn riding?

Is flight data recorder erased after every flight?

A poker game description that does not feel gimmicky

How are circuits which use complex ICs normally simulated?

Can we apply L'Hospital's rule where the derivative is not continuous?

Carnot-Caratheodory metric

Output the Arecibo Message

Why is Grand Jury testimony secret?

How can I create a character who can assume the widest possible range of creature sizes?

How to reverse every other sublist of a list?



Realistic Alternatives to Dust: What Else Could Feed a Plankton Bloom?



The 2019 Stack Overflow Developer Survey Results Are InWhat efficiencies make a realistic food chain?Could life survive on a diet of dust?Could hydroponic farms reasonably feed 100 billion people?How realistic could creating fake bruises be?What alternatives for fire can an aquatic sentient species use?What evolved weapons could be used against graphene skin?What animal could be used to make imitation human meat?What could possibly replace beer?In a single-continent world, what could cause hydrothermal vents?What Else Could Create Jeffrey Linn's Coastlines BESIDES The Influence of Ice?












3












$begingroup$


Phytoplankton are not to be taken for granted. Not only do they form the core of marine food webs around the world, they also release half of the world's oxygen. But phytoplankton, being plant-like organisms, need nutrients for their blooms to survive and thrive into populations large enough to be visible from space. For many, the origins of those nutrients come from one of the least likely sources: desert dust storms swept up from far away by deserts. As the dust settles down to the oceans, they drop down enough nutrients to create these vast blooms on an annual basis.



But what else could feed a plankton bloom on a global scale and an annual basis?



You could say that volcanic ash could be the answer, but there's a problem--unlike dust storms, volcanoes don't erupt at once or regularly. Two eruptions from one same volcano could be years or even decades apart, and that sort of duration gap won't do for plankton blooms. So what else could feed a plankton bloom on a global scale and an annual basis?



EDIT--NO manmade processes! Everyting MUST be natural!










share|improve this question











$endgroup$

















    3












    $begingroup$


    Phytoplankton are not to be taken for granted. Not only do they form the core of marine food webs around the world, they also release half of the world's oxygen. But phytoplankton, being plant-like organisms, need nutrients for their blooms to survive and thrive into populations large enough to be visible from space. For many, the origins of those nutrients come from one of the least likely sources: desert dust storms swept up from far away by deserts. As the dust settles down to the oceans, they drop down enough nutrients to create these vast blooms on an annual basis.



    But what else could feed a plankton bloom on a global scale and an annual basis?



    You could say that volcanic ash could be the answer, but there's a problem--unlike dust storms, volcanoes don't erupt at once or regularly. Two eruptions from one same volcano could be years or even decades apart, and that sort of duration gap won't do for plankton blooms. So what else could feed a plankton bloom on a global scale and an annual basis?



    EDIT--NO manmade processes! Everyting MUST be natural!










    share|improve this question











    $endgroup$















      3












      3








      3





      $begingroup$


      Phytoplankton are not to be taken for granted. Not only do they form the core of marine food webs around the world, they also release half of the world's oxygen. But phytoplankton, being plant-like organisms, need nutrients for their blooms to survive and thrive into populations large enough to be visible from space. For many, the origins of those nutrients come from one of the least likely sources: desert dust storms swept up from far away by deserts. As the dust settles down to the oceans, they drop down enough nutrients to create these vast blooms on an annual basis.



      But what else could feed a plankton bloom on a global scale and an annual basis?



      You could say that volcanic ash could be the answer, but there's a problem--unlike dust storms, volcanoes don't erupt at once or regularly. Two eruptions from one same volcano could be years or even decades apart, and that sort of duration gap won't do for plankton blooms. So what else could feed a plankton bloom on a global scale and an annual basis?



      EDIT--NO manmade processes! Everyting MUST be natural!










      share|improve this question











      $endgroup$




      Phytoplankton are not to be taken for granted. Not only do they form the core of marine food webs around the world, they also release half of the world's oxygen. But phytoplankton, being plant-like organisms, need nutrients for their blooms to survive and thrive into populations large enough to be visible from space. For many, the origins of those nutrients come from one of the least likely sources: desert dust storms swept up from far away by deserts. As the dust settles down to the oceans, they drop down enough nutrients to create these vast blooms on an annual basis.



      But what else could feed a plankton bloom on a global scale and an annual basis?



      You could say that volcanic ash could be the answer, but there's a problem--unlike dust storms, volcanoes don't erupt at once or regularly. Two eruptions from one same volcano could be years or even decades apart, and that sort of duration gap won't do for plankton blooms. So what else could feed a plankton bloom on a global scale and an annual basis?



      EDIT--NO manmade processes! Everyting MUST be natural!







      reality-check food ocean ecology






      share|improve this question















      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited 22 mins ago







      JohnWDailey

















      asked 3 hours ago









      JohnWDaileyJohnWDailey

      2,7462785




      2,7462785






















          3 Answers
          3






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          4












          $begingroup$

          Rivers.



          river plume



          https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/1257/mississippi-river-sediment-plume



          Depicted: the Mississippi dumping its load of sediment into the Gulf of Mexico. River flow is cyclical in most places, with high flow during rainy season or spring melt and low flow during dry season / winter or summer. During high flow, nutrients move from the land to the river and on to the sea. With the advent of synthetic fertilizer this can be too much of a good thing - so much nitrogen and phosphorus that they produce massive blooms, that then die.





          Icebergs.



          Icebergs generation is periodic, both intrayear and over longer periods.



          iceberg frequency
          https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/iceberg-frequency/



          Icebergs that have scraped along the land can ferry nutrients out to sea, releasing them slowly as the ice melts.



          green iceberg



          https://phys.org/news/2019-03-mystery-green-icebergs.html




          The green icebergs have been a curiosity to scientists for decades,
          but now glaciologists report in a new study that they suspect iron
          oxides in rock dust from Antarctica's mainland are turning some
          icebergs green... Iron is a key nutrient for phytoplankton,
          microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food web. But iron
          is scarce in many areas of the ocean.



          If experiments prove the new theory right, it would mean green
          icebergs are ferrying precious iron from Antarctica's mainland to the
          open sea when they break off, providing this key nutrient to the
          organisms that support nearly all marine life.







          share|improve this answer











          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            So in an alternate Earth where many of our major rivers are crammed with reefs of clams, mussels and oysters, would the rivers still be dirty enough to dump nutrients into the sea?
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            9 mins ago



















          3












          $begingroup$

          Eventually, phytoplankton don't really feed on dust, but on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), iron(Fe), and the various other nutrients plants need, that may compose it. But if a desert hold such nutrients, it will not stay a desert for long.



          An example of a yearly massive bloom could be a mass migration of ground animal, on shore, for reproductive purpose (a bit like toad, that need water even if they are most the time ground animal). They will stay on the shore for some weeks, defecating and urinating, and releasing a massive dose of nitrates, phosphate and so on...



          Second example, industrial activity, mainly agriculture, may lead to algae bloom (like in Brittany, France, with the famous green and smelly algae). And since plants grow on yearly cycle, fertilizer are used on a yearly basis






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            Just made an edit to clarify that I don't want manmade processes.
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            20 mins ago



















          3












          $begingroup$

          Up-welling. Nutrients tend to sink to the bottom, or to deep water where not enough light reaches to keep photosynthetic life forms thriving. If there is some mechanism to vigorously return deep water to the surface then it can bring the nutrients with it.



          Up-welling might well be a seasonal thing. For example, currents could flow in one direction half the year when the snow melts in this hemisphere and builds up in the other. Then in the other direction for the other half of the year. This could produce a seasonal stirring of the deeper ocean layers.



          Up-welling could be driven by temperature differences produced by geological heating that does not rise to the level of volcanoes. Water is at its highest density at close to 1.5°C. So if you have something that warms the depths it will bring the deep water back to the surface. This probably isn't seasonal.



          In exotic places with exotic tides, that might do it. If a large moon had an exceedingly eccentric orbit, you could have extreme tides for the portion of the moon's orbit when it was closest, then far weaker tides the rest of the time.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          puppetsock is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.






          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            Yes, but WHAT will be welled up?
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            9 mins ago














          Your Answer





          StackExchange.ifUsing("editor", function () {
          return StackExchange.using("mathjaxEditing", function () {
          StackExchange.MarkdownEditor.creationCallbacks.add(function (editor, postfix) {
          StackExchange.mathjaxEditing.prepareWmdForMathJax(editor, postfix, [["$", "$"], ["\\(","\\)"]]);
          });
          });
          }, "mathjax-editing");

          StackExchange.ready(function() {
          var channelOptions = {
          tags: "".split(" "),
          id: "579"
          };
          initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

          StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
          // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
          if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
          StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
          createEditor();
          });
          }
          else {
          createEditor();
          }
          });

          function createEditor() {
          StackExchange.prepareEditor({
          heartbeatType: 'answer',
          autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
          convertImagesToLinks: false,
          noModals: true,
          showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
          reputationToPostImages: null,
          bindNavPrevention: true,
          postfix: "",
          imageUploader: {
          brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
          contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
          allowUrls: true
          },
          noCode: true, onDemand: true,
          discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
          ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
          });


          }
          });














          draft saved

          draft discarded


















          StackExchange.ready(
          function () {
          StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fworldbuilding.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f143609%2frealistic-alternatives-to-dust-what-else-could-feed-a-plankton-bloom%23new-answer', 'question_page');
          }
          );

          Post as a guest















          Required, but never shown

























          3 Answers
          3






          active

          oldest

          votes








          3 Answers
          3






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes









          4












          $begingroup$

          Rivers.



          river plume



          https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/1257/mississippi-river-sediment-plume



          Depicted: the Mississippi dumping its load of sediment into the Gulf of Mexico. River flow is cyclical in most places, with high flow during rainy season or spring melt and low flow during dry season / winter or summer. During high flow, nutrients move from the land to the river and on to the sea. With the advent of synthetic fertilizer this can be too much of a good thing - so much nitrogen and phosphorus that they produce massive blooms, that then die.





          Icebergs.



          Icebergs generation is periodic, both intrayear and over longer periods.



          iceberg frequency
          https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/iceberg-frequency/



          Icebergs that have scraped along the land can ferry nutrients out to sea, releasing them slowly as the ice melts.



          green iceberg



          https://phys.org/news/2019-03-mystery-green-icebergs.html




          The green icebergs have been a curiosity to scientists for decades,
          but now glaciologists report in a new study that they suspect iron
          oxides in rock dust from Antarctica's mainland are turning some
          icebergs green... Iron is a key nutrient for phytoplankton,
          microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food web. But iron
          is scarce in many areas of the ocean.



          If experiments prove the new theory right, it would mean green
          icebergs are ferrying precious iron from Antarctica's mainland to the
          open sea when they break off, providing this key nutrient to the
          organisms that support nearly all marine life.







          share|improve this answer











          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            So in an alternate Earth where many of our major rivers are crammed with reefs of clams, mussels and oysters, would the rivers still be dirty enough to dump nutrients into the sea?
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            9 mins ago
















          4












          $begingroup$

          Rivers.



          river plume



          https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/1257/mississippi-river-sediment-plume



          Depicted: the Mississippi dumping its load of sediment into the Gulf of Mexico. River flow is cyclical in most places, with high flow during rainy season or spring melt and low flow during dry season / winter or summer. During high flow, nutrients move from the land to the river and on to the sea. With the advent of synthetic fertilizer this can be too much of a good thing - so much nitrogen and phosphorus that they produce massive blooms, that then die.





          Icebergs.



          Icebergs generation is periodic, both intrayear and over longer periods.



          iceberg frequency
          https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/iceberg-frequency/



          Icebergs that have scraped along the land can ferry nutrients out to sea, releasing them slowly as the ice melts.



          green iceberg



          https://phys.org/news/2019-03-mystery-green-icebergs.html




          The green icebergs have been a curiosity to scientists for decades,
          but now glaciologists report in a new study that they suspect iron
          oxides in rock dust from Antarctica's mainland are turning some
          icebergs green... Iron is a key nutrient for phytoplankton,
          microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food web. But iron
          is scarce in many areas of the ocean.



          If experiments prove the new theory right, it would mean green
          icebergs are ferrying precious iron from Antarctica's mainland to the
          open sea when they break off, providing this key nutrient to the
          organisms that support nearly all marine life.







          share|improve this answer











          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            So in an alternate Earth where many of our major rivers are crammed with reefs of clams, mussels and oysters, would the rivers still be dirty enough to dump nutrients into the sea?
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            9 mins ago














          4












          4








          4





          $begingroup$

          Rivers.



          river plume



          https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/1257/mississippi-river-sediment-plume



          Depicted: the Mississippi dumping its load of sediment into the Gulf of Mexico. River flow is cyclical in most places, with high flow during rainy season or spring melt and low flow during dry season / winter or summer. During high flow, nutrients move from the land to the river and on to the sea. With the advent of synthetic fertilizer this can be too much of a good thing - so much nitrogen and phosphorus that they produce massive blooms, that then die.





          Icebergs.



          Icebergs generation is periodic, both intrayear and over longer periods.



          iceberg frequency
          https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/iceberg-frequency/



          Icebergs that have scraped along the land can ferry nutrients out to sea, releasing them slowly as the ice melts.



          green iceberg



          https://phys.org/news/2019-03-mystery-green-icebergs.html




          The green icebergs have been a curiosity to scientists for decades,
          but now glaciologists report in a new study that they suspect iron
          oxides in rock dust from Antarctica's mainland are turning some
          icebergs green... Iron is a key nutrient for phytoplankton,
          microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food web. But iron
          is scarce in many areas of the ocean.



          If experiments prove the new theory right, it would mean green
          icebergs are ferrying precious iron from Antarctica's mainland to the
          open sea when they break off, providing this key nutrient to the
          organisms that support nearly all marine life.







          share|improve this answer











          $endgroup$



          Rivers.



          river plume



          https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/1257/mississippi-river-sediment-plume



          Depicted: the Mississippi dumping its load of sediment into the Gulf of Mexico. River flow is cyclical in most places, with high flow during rainy season or spring melt and low flow during dry season / winter or summer. During high flow, nutrients move from the land to the river and on to the sea. With the advent of synthetic fertilizer this can be too much of a good thing - so much nitrogen and phosphorus that they produce massive blooms, that then die.





          Icebergs.



          Icebergs generation is periodic, both intrayear and over longer periods.



          iceberg frequency
          https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/iceberg-frequency/



          Icebergs that have scraped along the land can ferry nutrients out to sea, releasing them slowly as the ice melts.



          green iceberg



          https://phys.org/news/2019-03-mystery-green-icebergs.html




          The green icebergs have been a curiosity to scientists for decades,
          but now glaciologists report in a new study that they suspect iron
          oxides in rock dust from Antarctica's mainland are turning some
          icebergs green... Iron is a key nutrient for phytoplankton,
          microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food web. But iron
          is scarce in many areas of the ocean.



          If experiments prove the new theory right, it would mean green
          icebergs are ferrying precious iron from Antarctica's mainland to the
          open sea when they break off, providing this key nutrient to the
          organisms that support nearly all marine life.








          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited 2 hours ago

























          answered 2 hours ago









          WillkWillk

          116k27220488




          116k27220488












          • $begingroup$
            So in an alternate Earth where many of our major rivers are crammed with reefs of clams, mussels and oysters, would the rivers still be dirty enough to dump nutrients into the sea?
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            9 mins ago


















          • $begingroup$
            So in an alternate Earth where many of our major rivers are crammed with reefs of clams, mussels and oysters, would the rivers still be dirty enough to dump nutrients into the sea?
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            9 mins ago
















          $begingroup$
          So in an alternate Earth where many of our major rivers are crammed with reefs of clams, mussels and oysters, would the rivers still be dirty enough to dump nutrients into the sea?
          $endgroup$
          – JohnWDailey
          9 mins ago




          $begingroup$
          So in an alternate Earth where many of our major rivers are crammed with reefs of clams, mussels and oysters, would the rivers still be dirty enough to dump nutrients into the sea?
          $endgroup$
          – JohnWDailey
          9 mins ago











          3












          $begingroup$

          Eventually, phytoplankton don't really feed on dust, but on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), iron(Fe), and the various other nutrients plants need, that may compose it. But if a desert hold such nutrients, it will not stay a desert for long.



          An example of a yearly massive bloom could be a mass migration of ground animal, on shore, for reproductive purpose (a bit like toad, that need water even if they are most the time ground animal). They will stay on the shore for some weeks, defecating and urinating, and releasing a massive dose of nitrates, phosphate and so on...



          Second example, industrial activity, mainly agriculture, may lead to algae bloom (like in Brittany, France, with the famous green and smelly algae). And since plants grow on yearly cycle, fertilizer are used on a yearly basis






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            Just made an edit to clarify that I don't want manmade processes.
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            20 mins ago
















          3












          $begingroup$

          Eventually, phytoplankton don't really feed on dust, but on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), iron(Fe), and the various other nutrients plants need, that may compose it. But if a desert hold such nutrients, it will not stay a desert for long.



          An example of a yearly massive bloom could be a mass migration of ground animal, on shore, for reproductive purpose (a bit like toad, that need water even if they are most the time ground animal). They will stay on the shore for some weeks, defecating and urinating, and releasing a massive dose of nitrates, phosphate and so on...



          Second example, industrial activity, mainly agriculture, may lead to algae bloom (like in Brittany, France, with the famous green and smelly algae). And since plants grow on yearly cycle, fertilizer are used on a yearly basis






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            Just made an edit to clarify that I don't want manmade processes.
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            20 mins ago














          3












          3








          3





          $begingroup$

          Eventually, phytoplankton don't really feed on dust, but on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), iron(Fe), and the various other nutrients plants need, that may compose it. But if a desert hold such nutrients, it will not stay a desert for long.



          An example of a yearly massive bloom could be a mass migration of ground animal, on shore, for reproductive purpose (a bit like toad, that need water even if they are most the time ground animal). They will stay on the shore for some weeks, defecating and urinating, and releasing a massive dose of nitrates, phosphate and so on...



          Second example, industrial activity, mainly agriculture, may lead to algae bloom (like in Brittany, France, with the famous green and smelly algae). And since plants grow on yearly cycle, fertilizer are used on a yearly basis






          share|improve this answer









          $endgroup$



          Eventually, phytoplankton don't really feed on dust, but on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), iron(Fe), and the various other nutrients plants need, that may compose it. But if a desert hold such nutrients, it will not stay a desert for long.



          An example of a yearly massive bloom could be a mass migration of ground animal, on shore, for reproductive purpose (a bit like toad, that need water even if they are most the time ground animal). They will stay on the shore for some weeks, defecating and urinating, and releasing a massive dose of nitrates, phosphate and so on...



          Second example, industrial activity, mainly agriculture, may lead to algae bloom (like in Brittany, France, with the famous green and smelly algae). And since plants grow on yearly cycle, fertilizer are used on a yearly basis







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered 2 hours ago









          CailloumaxCailloumax

          38118




          38118












          • $begingroup$
            Just made an edit to clarify that I don't want manmade processes.
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            20 mins ago


















          • $begingroup$
            Just made an edit to clarify that I don't want manmade processes.
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            20 mins ago
















          $begingroup$
          Just made an edit to clarify that I don't want manmade processes.
          $endgroup$
          – JohnWDailey
          20 mins ago




          $begingroup$
          Just made an edit to clarify that I don't want manmade processes.
          $endgroup$
          – JohnWDailey
          20 mins ago











          3












          $begingroup$

          Up-welling. Nutrients tend to sink to the bottom, or to deep water where not enough light reaches to keep photosynthetic life forms thriving. If there is some mechanism to vigorously return deep water to the surface then it can bring the nutrients with it.



          Up-welling might well be a seasonal thing. For example, currents could flow in one direction half the year when the snow melts in this hemisphere and builds up in the other. Then in the other direction for the other half of the year. This could produce a seasonal stirring of the deeper ocean layers.



          Up-welling could be driven by temperature differences produced by geological heating that does not rise to the level of volcanoes. Water is at its highest density at close to 1.5°C. So if you have something that warms the depths it will bring the deep water back to the surface. This probably isn't seasonal.



          In exotic places with exotic tides, that might do it. If a large moon had an exceedingly eccentric orbit, you could have extreme tides for the portion of the moon's orbit when it was closest, then far weaker tides the rest of the time.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          puppetsock is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.






          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            Yes, but WHAT will be welled up?
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            9 mins ago


















          3












          $begingroup$

          Up-welling. Nutrients tend to sink to the bottom, or to deep water where not enough light reaches to keep photosynthetic life forms thriving. If there is some mechanism to vigorously return deep water to the surface then it can bring the nutrients with it.



          Up-welling might well be a seasonal thing. For example, currents could flow in one direction half the year when the snow melts in this hemisphere and builds up in the other. Then in the other direction for the other half of the year. This could produce a seasonal stirring of the deeper ocean layers.



          Up-welling could be driven by temperature differences produced by geological heating that does not rise to the level of volcanoes. Water is at its highest density at close to 1.5°C. So if you have something that warms the depths it will bring the deep water back to the surface. This probably isn't seasonal.



          In exotic places with exotic tides, that might do it. If a large moon had an exceedingly eccentric orbit, you could have extreme tides for the portion of the moon's orbit when it was closest, then far weaker tides the rest of the time.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          puppetsock is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.






          $endgroup$













          • $begingroup$
            Yes, but WHAT will be welled up?
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            9 mins ago
















          3












          3








          3





          $begingroup$

          Up-welling. Nutrients tend to sink to the bottom, or to deep water where not enough light reaches to keep photosynthetic life forms thriving. If there is some mechanism to vigorously return deep water to the surface then it can bring the nutrients with it.



          Up-welling might well be a seasonal thing. For example, currents could flow in one direction half the year when the snow melts in this hemisphere and builds up in the other. Then in the other direction for the other half of the year. This could produce a seasonal stirring of the deeper ocean layers.



          Up-welling could be driven by temperature differences produced by geological heating that does not rise to the level of volcanoes. Water is at its highest density at close to 1.5°C. So if you have something that warms the depths it will bring the deep water back to the surface. This probably isn't seasonal.



          In exotic places with exotic tides, that might do it. If a large moon had an exceedingly eccentric orbit, you could have extreme tides for the portion of the moon's orbit when it was closest, then far weaker tides the rest of the time.






          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          puppetsock is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.






          $endgroup$



          Up-welling. Nutrients tend to sink to the bottom, or to deep water where not enough light reaches to keep photosynthetic life forms thriving. If there is some mechanism to vigorously return deep water to the surface then it can bring the nutrients with it.



          Up-welling might well be a seasonal thing. For example, currents could flow in one direction half the year when the snow melts in this hemisphere and builds up in the other. Then in the other direction for the other half of the year. This could produce a seasonal stirring of the deeper ocean layers.



          Up-welling could be driven by temperature differences produced by geological heating that does not rise to the level of volcanoes. Water is at its highest density at close to 1.5°C. So if you have something that warms the depths it will bring the deep water back to the surface. This probably isn't seasonal.



          In exotic places with exotic tides, that might do it. If a large moon had an exceedingly eccentric orbit, you could have extreme tides for the portion of the moon's orbit when it was closest, then far weaker tides the rest of the time.







          share|improve this answer








          New contributor




          puppetsock is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer






          New contributor




          puppetsock is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.









          answered 2 hours ago









          puppetsockpuppetsock

          1311




          1311




          New contributor




          puppetsock is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.





          New contributor





          puppetsock is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.






          puppetsock is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
          Check out our Code of Conduct.












          • $begingroup$
            Yes, but WHAT will be welled up?
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            9 mins ago




















          • $begingroup$
            Yes, but WHAT will be welled up?
            $endgroup$
            – JohnWDailey
            9 mins ago


















          $begingroup$
          Yes, but WHAT will be welled up?
          $endgroup$
          – JohnWDailey
          9 mins ago






          $begingroup$
          Yes, but WHAT will be welled up?
          $endgroup$
          – JohnWDailey
          9 mins ago




















          draft saved

          draft discarded




















































          Thanks for contributing an answer to Worldbuilding Stack Exchange!


          • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

          But avoid



          • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

          • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


          Use MathJax to format equations. MathJax reference.


          To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




          draft saved


          draft discarded














          StackExchange.ready(
          function () {
          StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fworldbuilding.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f143609%2frealistic-alternatives-to-dust-what-else-could-feed-a-plankton-bloom%23new-answer', 'question_page');
          }
          );

          Post as a guest















          Required, but never shown





















































          Required, but never shown














          Required, but never shown












          Required, but never shown







          Required, but never shown

































          Required, but never shown














          Required, but never shown












          Required, but never shown







          Required, but never shown







          Popular posts from this blog

          Щит и меч (фильм) Содержание Названия серий | Сюжет |...

          Венесуэла на летних Олимпийских играх 2000 Содержание Состав...

          Meter-Bus Содержание Параметры шины | Стандартизация |...