Time Series Particle Flux Measurements in the Sargasso Sea

马尾藻海中的时间序列粒子通量测量

• 批准号: 0623505
• 负责人: Maureen Conte
• 金额: $ 97.83万
• 依托单位: Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-10-01 至 2011-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0623505&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Time; Series; Particle; Flux; Measurements

ABSTRACTOCE-0623505Understanding ocean variability over interannual and decadal time-scales is of widespread interest and increasing relevance given the concerns over anthropogenic perturbations on global climate due to increases in greenhouse gases. It is certain that ocean ecosystems will be affected by altered climate patterns, and an imperative exists to assess and model the ocean's response to possible climate change scenarios. This requires a fundamental understanding of how the ocean and its biota naturally respond to climate and environmental forcing variables. Ocean observation is a necessary first step. The contributions of long-term studies to our knowledge of how the ocean works are numerous and far-reaching. Yet, such studies are exceedingly rare- especially those with a biogeochemical focus. Since 1978, the Oceanic Flux Program (OFP) has continuously measured particle fluxes in the deep Sargasso Sea. The 28 year OFP time-series is, by far, the longest of its kind and unique in its focus on the deep ocean. OFP has produced a unique, albeit "edited", record of temporal variability in the "biological pump", a term loosely applied here to material transfer from the surface to the deep ocean. The OFP provided the first direct evidence for seasonality in the deep ocean and the tight coupling between deep fluxes and upper ocean processes. It has provided clear evidence of the intensity of biological reprocessing of flux and scavenging of suspended material in mesopelagic waters. The record has documented interannual and longer variations in deep fluxes and shorter term fluctuations driven by the interactions between mesoscale variability and meteorological forcing. The time-series is becoming long enough to begin study of variability in terms of multiyear basin-scale climatic forcing, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation. With funding from this award, researchers at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research and the Marine Biological Laboratory will continue operation of this unique and fundamental oceanographic time-series. As the record gets longer, we are better able to put into perspective the observed fluctuations in terms of the interplay between climate and ocean functioning. The concurrence of three co-coordinated and complementary time-series at Bermuda -- the OFP, the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series (BATS) and the Bermuda Testbed Mooring (BTM) --and new ocean technology presents unparalleled opportunities to study the coupled interactions among ocean physics, biology and chemistry and material fluxes, and how these in turn are linked to atmospheric and climatic forcing. This project is expected to have a number of broader impacts: (1) Systematic, long-term biogeochemical observations, such as those provided by the OFP, are essential to gain an understanding of natural oceanic variability and to provide a reference point in which to interpret the repercussions of possible future climate change scenarios. (2) Previous NSF panels have termed the OFP program a "community resource". The project will continue to share its resources- sample material, data, ancillary shiptime, and use of the mooring platform- with researchers and students to make possible a diverse range of investigations at a very low cost to the community. (3) The OFP sample archive is a rare treasure. The sample material to be collected will continue to be invaluable for current and future biogeochemical and climate studies. (4) Educational experiences provided by the OFP will broaden the research experiences and horizons of many young research investigators at a critical juncture. Of particular value are opportunities to become directly involved with observational oceanography, time-series research and integrated activities of the Bermuda Observatory.

由于温室气体增加对全球气候的人为扰动的关注，了解年际和十年时间尺度上的海洋变率具有广泛的兴趣和日益重要的意义。海洋生态系统肯定会受到气候模式改变的影响，因此必须评估海洋对可能出现的气候变化情景的反应并建立模型。这需要对海洋及其生物群如何自然地对气候和环境强迫变量作出反应有一个基本的了解。海洋观测是必要的第一步。长期研究对我们了解海洋如何运作的贡献是巨大且深远的。然而，这样的研究是非常罕见的-特别是那些与地球化学的重点。自1978年以来，海洋通量计划（OFP）一直在连续测量马尾藻海深处的粒子通量。到目前为止，28年的OFP时间序列是同类中最长的，并且在其对深海的关注方面是独一无二的。海洋渔业方案对“生物泵”的时间变化作出了独特的记录，尽管是“经过编辑的”记录，“生物泵”一词在这里不严格地适用于从海面到深海的物质转移。OFP为深海季节性和深海通量与上层海洋过程之间的紧密耦合提供了第一个直接证据。它提供了明确的证据，表明通量的生物再加工和中层沃茨悬浮物质的清除的强度。记录记录了年际和较长的变化，深通量和短期波动驱动的中尺度变率和气象强迫之间的相互作用。时间序列越来越长，足以开始研究多年流域尺度气候作用力（如北大西洋涛动）的变率。利用该奖项的资金，百慕大生物研究站和海洋生物实验室的研究人员将继续使用这一独特的基本海洋学时间序列。随着记录越来越长，我们能够更好地从气候和海洋功能之间的相互作用的角度来看待观察到的波动。百慕大的三个相互协调和互补的时间序列-海洋渔业方案、百慕大大西洋时间序列和百慕大试验台系泊系统-以及新的海洋技术的同时出现，为研究海洋物理、生物和化学以及物质通量之间的相互作用以及这些相互作用又如何与大气和气候作用力联系起来提供了前所未有的机会。预计该项目将产生一些更广泛的影响：（1）系统的、长期的海洋地球化学观测，如海洋渔业方案提供的观测，对于了解海洋的自然变异性和提供一个参考点以解释未来可能的气候变化情景的影响至关重要。(2)以前的NSF小组将OFP计划称为“社区资源”。该项目将继续与研究人员和学生分享其资源-样本材料、数据、辅助运输时间和系泊平台的使用，以便能够以非常低的社区成本进行各种调查。(3)OFP样本档案是一个罕见的宝藏。所收集的样品材料将继续对当前和今后的地球化学和气候研究具有宝贵价值。(4)在关键时刻，OFP提供的教育经验将拓宽许多年轻研究人员的研究经验和视野。特别有价值的是有机会直接参与百慕大观测站的观测海洋学、时间序列研究和综合活动。