Primary Production Rates in the N. Atlantic for O2 Isotopes and O2/Ar

由于越来越多的证据表明，海洋的生物泵随自然气候变化而变化，海洋学家在未来十年的主要任务是将海洋生物泵强度的自然变化与人为变化分开。尽管海洋在全球范围内具有重要意义，但它的生物泵速率并不为人所知。初级生产率在短时间和空间尺度上的可变性使得难以使用传统的基于14 C的方法精确测量速率。显然需要使用替代的初级生产率测量方法，这些方法更准确，应用耗时更少，并且可以在更长的时间/空间尺度上进行整合。在这项研究中，来自华盛顿大学的一位科学家将在详细的空间和时间尺度上确定整个亚北极北半球初级生产总值和净群落生产率的年周期。大西洋 他将几乎每月测量（3年内每月约50次）溶解氧气体的三重同位素组成（17“）和溶解氧与氩气的比率（O2/Ar），这些样品是在集装箱船反复穿越N.大西洋与~1'的经度分辨率横跨盆地。这些样本收集将作为CARBOOCEAN计划的一部分，通过与美国加州大学的研究人员合作。基尔。此外，在与另一个国家科学基金会资助的探险队合作，他将测量在亚北极北相同的利率。在2008年春季的大西洋，将使用浮子、滑翔机和卫星来检查春季水华期间对中尺度物理强迫（例如锋面、风暴、漩涡）的生物反应。这套测量将允许跨亚北极N的总初级生产力和净群落生产力的年周期的确定。大西洋，澄清的净群落生产的空间和时间变化对表面pCO 2水平和净海气CO2吸收的影响，并检查初级生产率的中尺度变化和物理强迫之间的关系在春季水华期间在N。大西洋拟议研究的更广泛影响包括帮助改善对大气二氧化碳增加导致的未来全球变暖的预测。拟议的工作涉及与欧洲海洋学界的实质性合作，并将支持一名本科生进行研究。

Because of the mounting evidence that the ocean's biological pump changes with natural climate shifts, a major task of oceanographers over the coming decade is to separate natural from anthropogenic shifts in the strength of the ocean's biological pump. Despite its global importance, the ocean's biological pump rate is not really well known. Variability of primary production rates on short time and space scales makes difficult the accurate measurement of rates using traditional 14C-based methods. There is a clear need to use alternative primary production rate measurement methods that are more accurate, less time consuming to apply and can integrate over longer time/space scales. In this research, a scientist from the University of Washington will determine, on a detailed spatial and temporal scale, the annual cycle of gross primary production and net community production rates across the subarctic N. Atlantic Ocean. He will make almost monthly measurements (~50/month over 3 years) of both the triple isotopic composition of dissolved oxygen gas (17') and the dissolved oxygen and argon gas ratio (O2/Ar) on surface seawater samples collected during repeated container ship crossings of the N. Atlantic with ~1' of longitude resolution across the basin. These sample collections will be made as part of the CARBOOCEAN program through a collaboration with researchers at U. Kiel. Additionally, in collaboration with another NSF-funded expedition, he will measure the same rates in the subarctic N. Atlantic in Spring 2008 where floats, seagliders and satellites will be used to examine the biological response during the spring bloom to mesoscale physical forcing (e.g. fronts, storms, eddies). This suite of measurements will permit determination of the annual cycle of gross primary production and net community production across the subarctic N. Atlantic Ocean, clarify the impact that spatial and temporal variations of net community production have on surface pCO2 levels and net air-sea CO2 uptake, and examine the relationship between mesoscale variability in primary production rates and physical forcing during the spring bloom in the N. Atlantic. The broader impacts of the proposed research include helping to improve predictions of future global warming due to atmospheric CO2 increases. The proposed work involves a substantial collaboration with the European oceanographic community and will support an undergraduate student in the research.