Sea-level fall might increase ridge volcanism, iron fertilization and ocean carbon storage (opens in new tab)

Sediment records from the eastern equatorial Pacific suggest that deglacial increases in hydrothermal iron release from East Pacific Rise volcanism, enhanced by earlier ice-age sea-level fall, boosted phytoplankton nutrient consumption. The findings point to a possible Earth system feedback linking sea level, mid-ocean ridge volcanism, ocean carbon storage and climate.