Collaborative Research: Towards Quantifying Elemental Fluxes and Fluid Origins from Margins Using Novel Submarine Instrumentation

在这个项目中，来自夏威夷大学斯克里普斯海洋研究所的一组研究人员，位于费尔班克斯的阿拉斯加大学将开发和测试新的潜艇技术，以现场测量元素的规模（包括挥发性）通量，以及获取流体的时间记录，用于相关的同位素分析。同位素研究将包括含碳物种（CH 4和CO 2）和轻稀有气体（He、Ne、Ar）的稳定同位素系统学。 通过为两个互补的仪器开发采样和部署策略-Mass SURFER测量现场浓度，CA仪记录流体通量率并保存样品用于以后的分析-该团队将通过这一重要但迄今为止在很大程度上被忽视的途径对海洋和大气中的一些元素的损失率进行新的估计。 这项研究的一个主要重点将是两个工具包的开发和相互比较。 在大多数情况下，这种发展将发生在实验室和在蒙特雷湾地区的一些良好的特征流体。 这些技术的独特分析能力为今后在边缘和其他海底环境方面的研究提供了巨大的潜力，除了沿着美国太平洋海岸的开发工作外，主要的科学重点领域将是哥斯达黎加边缘，该区域被MARGINS界确定为特别适合采用多学科方法的两个指定研究区域之一。 该研究小组计划调查尼科亚半岛和奥萨半岛之间的弧前区域，在那里，俯冲海山破坏了弧前区域，并使流体沿沿着正断层渗漏。本研究将解决的关键问题是这些泄漏液体的性质和来源，以及流速和/或化学性质是否存在时间变化。该项目的长期目标是量化通过这一活跃的弧前边缘进入海洋和大气的元素损失率，并确定渗漏变化与地震是否有联系。 研究人员认为，这项研究将提供一个独特的机会，以了解控制与俯冲过程相关的碳的释放和移动的因素，并对来自陆地碳循环这一重要但研究不足的部分的挥发物通量进行定量限制。

ABSTRACTOCE-0242034 / OCE-0242089 / OCE-0242091In this project, a team of researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Hawaii, and the University of Alaska at Fairbanks will develop and test new submarine technology to both measure in-situ the scale of the elemental (including volatile) flux from submarine margin environments as well as to capture a temporal record of the fluids for associated isotopic analyses. The isotopic studies will include the stable isotope systematics of carbon-bearing species (CH4 and CO2) and the light noble gases (He, Ne, Ar). By developing sampling and deployment strategies for two complementary instruments -the Mass SURFER which measures concentrations in-situ together with the CA meter which records fluid flux rates and preserves samples for later analyses - the team will make new estimates of the rate of loss to the ocean and atmosphere for a number of elements via this important, but hitherto largely neglected, pathway. A major focus of this study will be development of and inter-comparison between the two instrument packages. For the most part, this development will occur in the laboratory and at a number of well-characterized fluids in the Monterey Bay region. The unique analytical capability of these technologies holds great potential for future studies in margin and other submarine environments.In addition to development work along the Pacific coast of the United States, the chief scientific focus area will be the Costa Rica margin, an area identified by the MARGINS community as one of two designated study areas particularly amenable to a multi-disciplinary approach. The research team plans to investigate the forearc region between the Nicoya and Osa peninsulas where subducting seamounts have disrupted the forearc and allowed seepage of fluids along normal faults. The key questions that will be addressed with this study are the nature and sources of these leaking fluids and whether that there are temporal variations in both flow rate and/or chemistry. The longer-term objectives of the project are to quantify the rate of elemental loss to the ocean and atmosphere via this active fore-arc margin and to determine if seepage variability and earthquakes are linked. The investigators believe that this the study will afford a unique opportunity to understand the factors controlling the release and movement of carbon associated with the subduction process and to place quantitative constraints on the flux of volatiles from this vital yet poorly studied segment of the terrestrial carbon cycle.