Measuring the Sources, Fates, Transport and Sedimentation of Marine Snow Aggregates in the Black Sea

海洋雪是海洋垂直通量的重要组成部分 颗粒物 Asper将设计和建造三个 免费的摄像系统，以研究丰度，流量和 海洋雪集料的原位沉降速度。 第一 系统将拍摄一个明确定义的水体积， 这些聚集体的浓度的评估 沿着垂直剖面或在静止或 浮动系泊 第二个和第三个摄像头安装在 垂直于（侧视）和下方（向上看）a 透明沉淀室/沉淀物收集器。 侧看 摄像机将确定骨料的下沉速度， 沉降室通过观察它们在指定的 时间间隔 第三个摄像头将测量 聚集通过观察他们的连续到达的明确 陷阱的底部 捕集器收集的材料还将 与总到达者的图像进行比较以进行估计 的组成和质量通量的贡献， 集料. 结合这些测量将允许准确的 确定和模拟这些聚集体在 任何海水中颗粒物质的垂直通量 柱

Marine snow is important in the vertical flux of marine particulate matter. Asper will design and construct three complimentary camera systems to study the abundance, flux and in situ sinking speed of marine snow aggregates. The first system will photograph a well-defined volume of water for assessment of the concentration of these aggregates either along a vertical profile or through time on a stationary or floating mooring. The second and third cameras are mounted normal to (side-looking) and beneath (upward-looking) a transparent settling chamber/sediment trap. The side-looking camera will determine the sinking speed of aggregates within the settling chamber by observing their fall over a specified time interval. The third camera will measure the flux of aggregates by observing their successive arrivals on the clear bottom of the trap. Material collected by the trap will also be compared to the images of aggregate arrivals for estimation of the composition and mass flux contribution of these aggregates. Combining these measurements will allow accurate determination and modeling of the role of these aggregates in the vertical flux of particulate matter in any oceanic water column.