Thinning Antarctic glaciers expose high-altitude nunataks delivering more bioavailable iron to the Southern Ocean

Glacial systems entrain and transfer sediment, rich in essential nutrients, from continental sources to the ocean, where they are released by meltwater. In the Southern Ocean, primary producers are limited by the availability of micronutrients, like iron (Fe), so any increase in continental sediment supply could enhance primary productivity and subsequent drawdown of atmospheric CO2. Here we provide a systematic account of labile Fe concentrations in Antarctic continental sediments. Ferrihydrite and crystalline Fe (oxyhydr)oxides were extracted from 27 Antarctic samples collected from nunataks, lateral moraines and blue ice areas in the Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica. We report ascorbate extractable Fe (FeA) in all samples and enhanced precipitation of dithionite extractable Fe (FeD) in subaerially exposed mountain sediments. Our results suggest that as temperatures rise and Antarctic glaciers thin, newly exposed rock surfaces could supply more bioavailable iron to glacier systems, and subsequently the Southern Ocean.