Sensitivity of 234Th export to physical processes in the central equatorial Pacific

We determined the sensitivity of the calculated sinking flux of 234Th in the central equatorial Pacific to physical processes and scavenging mechanisms by imposing a meridional and vertical advection and diffusion field on a simple dissolved and particulate 234Th cycle. We used the model to estimate the efficiency with which the 234Th deficiency relative to 238U reflected the predicted sinking flux of 234Th on particles and compared our results with 234Th data taken during the JGOFS-EqPac 1992 Survey II Cruise. 234Th deficiencies near the equator were strongly affected by both vertical advection and horizontal diffusion. The model 234Th deficiency at the equator underestimated the model 234Th sinking flux by 144% in neglecting advection and diffusion in the presence of strong upwelling at the equator. The model 234Th deficiency at the equator corrected for advection overestimated the sinking flux of 234Th by 33% in neglecting horizontal diffusion. Analysis of the scavenging mechanism suggests that, during situations of export governed by rapidly sinking particles, 234Th-based estimates of particle export are only half as sensitive to advection compared to situations of export governed by slowly sinking particles. Given that results using the mechanism of slowly sinking particles compare better with the observed 234Th deficiency and calculated meridional 234Th fluxes at the equator than the mechanism of rapidly sinking particles, we consider the mechanism of slowly sinking particle more appropriate for this region. In agreement with previous studies based on observed 234Th gradients, this study supports the incorporation of vertical advection terms in the 234Th balance to estimate particulate carbon export at the equator but suggests that this method may have overestimated the sinking flux at the equator during EqPac Survey II by 0–63% due to the role of horizontal diffusion.