Key Points
- Ash from a Japanese volcanic eruption fertilized the ocean 80 miles away.
- The ash triggered a large bloom of phytoplankton, the base of the marine food web.
- The study utilized satellite imagery and computer simulations to track the path of the ash.
- It took six days for the ash to travel from the volcano to the site of the bloom.
Ash from a recent volcanic eruption in Japan traveled over 80 miles and acted as a fertilizer for the ocean, triggering a temporary boom in phytoplankton, the tiny plants at the base of the marine food web. A new study published in Progress in Earth and Planetary Science, by a team of Japanese researchers, has revealed the surprising and far-reaching impact of volcanic eruptions on ocean life.
The study focused on the 2019-2020 eruption of Nishinoshima Island. The eruption released a huge amount of ash into the ocean. While it was already known that this ash could boost phytoplankton growth near the volcano, this new research shows the effect can be felt at a much greater distance.
Using satellite images, the researchers detected a significant increase in chlorophyll a, a key indicator of phytoplankton, in the waters surrounding Mukojima Island, located approximately 130 km (about 80 miles) from the volcano. This area is normally a nutrient-poor “ocean desert,” so the sudden bloom was a puzzle.
To solve it, the team used numerical simulations to trace the path of the ash. They found that ash from the eruption on June 28 fell into the ocean and was carried by wind and currents, reaching Mukojima six days later. The nutrients in the ash then fertilized the water, causing the phytoplankton to bloom.
The findings provide a fascinating new insight into how dramatic geological events can impact ocean ecosystems, showing that a volcano’s influence can extend far beyond its immediate surroundings.
