English: Silicon cycle and balance in the modern world ocean
Schematic view of the silicon cycle in the modern world ocean (input, output, and biological silicon fluxes), and possible balance (total silicon inputs=total silicon outputs=15.6 Tmol Si yr⁻¹) in reasonable agreement with the individual range of each flux (F). The white arrows represent fluxes of net sources of dissolved \silicic acid (dSi) and/or of dissolvable amorphous silica (aSi) and of dSi recycled fluxes. Orange arrows correspond to sink fluxes of silicon (either as biogenic silica or as authigenic silica). Green arrows correspond to biological (pelagic) fluxes. All fluxes are in teramoles of silicon per year (Tmol Si yr⁻¹).