Collaborative Research: A Lagrangian SeaSoar Study of the Coupling of Circulation, Mixing, and Productivity at a Shelfbreak Front

0002390霍顿将通过在中大西洋海湾进行一系列实地实验来调查观察到的在搁板断裂锋面附近增强的生物活动符合的原因。需要检验的假设既有物理的，也有生物学的。首先，底边界层浮力通量的汇聚驱动富营养化的陆架水沿搁板锋面的岸边上升。其次，由于这种大通量营养物质和最佳的光学条件，使生物活性得到增强，因为水从浑浊的陆架水过渡到清澈的海水，使锋面成为光合作用效率较高的区域。五项新技术(染料示踪剂、等叶漂浮物、带有高速化学分析的泵送Seasoar、拖曳微结构仪器和利用光学变异性估计浮游植物的光合作用特性)将用于三个10天的巡航，以在拉格朗日框架内跟踪锋面。

0002390 HoughtonThe cause for the observed coincidence of enhanced biological activity in the vicinity of shelfbreak fronts will be investigated by a series of field experiments in the Middle Atlantic Bight. The hypotheses to be tested are both physical and biological. First the convergence of buoyancy flux in the bottom boundary layer drives upwelling of nutrient rich Shelf Water along the shoreward side of the shelfbreak front. Second, the biological activity is enhanced due to this large flux nutrient and by optimal optical conditions as the water transitions from turbid shelf water to clear oceanic water, making the front a region with high photosynthetic efficiency. Five new technologies (dye tracer, isopycnal floats, pumped Seasoar with high speed chemical analysis, towed microstructure instrument and use of optical variability to estimate photosynthetic properties of phytoplankton) will used in three 10-dy cruises to track the front in a Lagrangian framework.