Where wast thou
when I laid the foundations of the earth?
declare, if thou hast understanding.
Job 38:4
"Based on the profusion of life in every habitat we know here on earth, whether in oceanic, polar, desert, rainforest, or montane ecosystems, ... somehow “solved” this supply chain problem.
Indeed, vast coal seams and fossil fuels speak of even richer ecosystems in the past.
Fossils show that each species was well supplied with phosphorus for its ATP, membranes, and DNA. New research indicates surprising ways that our planet distributes phosphorus where it is needed and conserves existing supplies.
“The role of volcanoes and orogenic processes in keeping phosphorus plentiful throughout Earth’s history, deserves elaboration by design theorists.”
Though phosphorus is only a trace component of most lavas its effect must match supply to demand. Observations show that volcanic ash can promote life. 
This year, news from the University of Hawaii announced that “Kilauea volcano’s ash prompted [the] largest open ocean phytoplankton bloom.” Study co-author David Karl included phosphorus as one of the essential elements delivered by the volcano:
“The waters in the open ocean of the Pacific are nutrient depleted
and the addition of volcanic ash, especially iron in the ash, and to a lesser extent other trace elements and possibly phosphate, can stimulate the growth of marine phytoplankton, especially the so-called nitrogen-fixing microbes that can growth in the absence of additional nitrogen,” said Karl."
They mentioned two delivery mechanisms.
One was lava flowing into the ocean, warming the deep waters and
making them more buoyant.
Another mechanism is wind.
The wind “supply chain” had reached 1,200 miles to the west of Hawaii in this instance. If a small volcano like Kilauea could produce the largest known phytoplankton bloom in the North Pacific, then surely larger volcanoes throughout earth’s history have had the potential to distribute phosphorus worldwide.
Wind also delivers phosphorus in fine dust particles high up in the atmosphere.
"The nutrient-rich deep water rising to the sunlit surface stimulated phytoplankton growth, resulting in an extensive plume of microbes offshore of Hawai’i Island. Volcanic ash can be transported much farther distances by winds, especially during explosive eruptions that inject materials high into the atmosphere."
The wind “supply chain” had reached 1,200 miles to the west of Hawaii in this instance. If a small volcano like Kilauea could produce the largest known phytoplankton bloom in the North Pacific, then surely larger volcanoes throughout earth’s history have had the potential to distribute phosphorus worldwide.
Wind also delivers phosphorus in fine dust particles high up in the atmosphere.
Q: Would anyone imagine that dust from the Sahara could supply phosphorus to the Amazon rainforest?
That was the surprising conclusion of a NASA report from 2015.
Researchers monitored dust plumes from the Sahara with the Calypso satellite, supplementing the orbital images of the plume with ground studies in the Amazon Basin.
Q: But where did the Sahara get its phosphorus?
Q: But where did the Sahara get its phosphorus?
Dr. Hongbin Yu from Goddard Space Flight Center explains that it has been stored within dead microbes that are “remnant in Saharan sands from part of the desert’s past as a lake bed.”
"This trans-continental journey of dust is important because of what
is in the dust, Yu said. Specifically the dust picked up from the Bodélé Depression in Chad, an ancient lake bed where rock minerals composed of dead microorganisms are loaded with phosphorus. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plant proteins and growth, which the Amazon rain forest depends on in order to flourish."
is in the dust, Yu said. Specifically the dust picked up from the Bodélé Depression in Chad, an ancient lake bed where rock minerals composed of dead microorganisms are loaded with phosphorus. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for plant proteins and growth, which the Amazon rain forest depends on in order to flourish."
The Sahara now shares its bounty with the world,
transporting phosphorus from one of the planet’s most desolate places to one of its most fertile.
Of the 182 million tons of Sahara dust lofted by wind annually, only a fraction reaches Amazonia. But remarkably, Amazonia’s shortfall is replenished almost perfectly through this intercontinental aerial delivery mechanism."
Of the 182 million tons of Sahara dust lofted by wind annually, only a fraction reaches Amazonia. But remarkably, Amazonia’s shortfall is replenished almost perfectly through this intercontinental aerial delivery mechanism."
Science&CultureToday
