Auxiliary Material for Paper 2012GL052980

On the proportion of ballast versus non-ballast associated carbon export in the 
surface ocean

Frederic A. C. Le Moigne and Richard J. Sanders 
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, 
Southampton, UK

Maria Villa-Alfageme 
Físíca Aplicada II, Universidad de Sevilla, 
Seville, Spain

Adrian P. Martin 
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, 
Southampton, UK

Katsiaryna Pabortsava
Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, 
University of Southampton, 
Southampton, UK

Helene Planquette 
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, 
Southampton, UK

Paul J. Morris 
Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, 
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 
Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA

Sandy J. Thomalla
Ocean Systems and Climate Group, CSIR, 
Stellenbosch, South Africa

Department of Oceanography, University of Cape Town, 
Rondebosch, South Africa 


Le Moigne, F. A. C., R. J. Sanders, M. Villa-Alfageme, A. P. Martin, K. 
Pabortsava, H. Planquette, P. J. Morris, and S. J. Thomalla (2012), On the 
proportion of ballast versus non-ballast associated carbon export in the surface 
ocean, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L15610, doi:10.1029/2012GL052980. 

Introduction

This study is based on a compilation of 55 POC and biomineral (calcite 
and opal) export data derived from 234Th measurements from 7 cruises, the 
positions, dates and depths of which are detailed in Table S1. The 
grouping of these data for the purposes of analysis is detailed in Table 
S2. The decomposition of the fluxes into component fractions is given in 
Table S3.

1. 2012gl052980-ts01.txt 
Table S1. Locations, cruise names, stations ID, sampling period and 
reference of the 234Th derived POC and mineral exports data used in this 
study.
1.1 Column "sampling area", geographical area
1.2 Column "latitude", degrees north, latitude of export datum
1.3 Column "longitude", degrees east, longitude of export datum
1.4 Column "Sampling period", month and year
1.5 Column "Cruise name", identifier for cruise during which datum 
collected
1.6 Column "Integration depth", m, depth from surface over which 
integration of Thorium deficit took place to estimate export
1.7 Column "Station ID", identifier for station within cruise when datum 
was collected
1.8 Column "Reference", literature reference for data source

2. 2012gl052980-ts02.txt 
Table S2. Station groups, corresponding cruises, enclosed stations, 
sample number and corresponding oceanic provinces following to Longhurst 
(1998) provinces: Atlantic Arctic Province (ARCT), North Atlantic Drift 
Province (NADR), North Atlantic Subtropical Gyral Province, East (NASE), 
North Atlantic Tropical Gyral Province (NATR), Subantarctic Province 
(SANT), Atlantic Subarctic Province (SARC), South Atlantic Gyral Province 
(SATL), Western Tropical Atlantic Province (WTRA)
2.1 Column "Station group", name used in paper for each grouping, based 
on geographical location.
2.2 Column "Corresponding cruises", cruises that contributed data for 
each grouping
2.3 Column "Enclosed station codes", identifiers for specific stations 
within cruises from which data came
2.4 Column "Sample number", number of data in each grouping
2.5 Column "Longhurst province", biome in which grouping sits classified 
using Longhurst provinces following Longhurst, A.R. (1998). Ecological 
Geography of the Sea. Academic Press, San Diego. 397pp.

3. 2012gl052980-ts03.txt 
Table S3. Component fluxes (POCPIC, POCBSi, POClith, POCresidual) of 
total POC flux (POCtotal = POCPIC + POCBSi + POClith + POCresidual) for 
each group station. Note that fractions need not sum to 1 for each 
location as
fractions are reported as averages of averages, not as averages of total 
sums
3.1 Column "Station groups and Location", name used in paper for each 
grouping, based on geographical location.
3.2 Column "Average POC total flux", mg POC m-2 d-1, mean flux for each 
grouping
3.3 Column "POCPIC", Average fractions of total flux represented by PIC 
associated flux for each grouping
3.4 Column "POCBSi", Average fractions of total flux represented by BSi 
associated flux for each grouping
3.5 Column "POClith", Average fractions of total flux represented by 
lithogenic material associated flux for each grouping
3.6 Column "POCresidual", Average fractions of total flux represented by 
non-ballast associated flux for each grouping
3.7 Column "n", number of data in each grouping