Sea-level fall might increase ridge volcanism, iron fertilization and ocean carbon storage

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 09 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02017-x 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.