Particle Transport and Carbon Export over the Northwest Atlantic Margin

西北大西洋边缘的粒子输运和碳输出

• 批准号: 0851350
• 负责人: Matthew Charette
• 金额: $ 105.87万
• 依托单位: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0851350&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Particle; Transport; Carbon; Export; over

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."In this project researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) seek to address two primary questions regarding the transport of organic carbon over the New England continental margin. Their first question addresses the relative importance of intermediate nepheloid layers versus benthic nepheloid layers for organic carbon transport. Their second question focuses on assessing the importance of interannual variability on particle transport. The researchers will collect both settling and suspended particles along the NW Atlantic ocean margin, and they will utilize both novel and established tracers of material transport to address their primary research questions. Their assessments of particle dynamics will be coupled to an existing hydrographic observation program along an ocean section between Cape Cod and Bermuda ('Line W'). This program is focused on the physical characteristics of the region, and provides an accompanying framework for the study of carbon dynamics. The importance of the work to global carbon cycling lies in the fact that continental margins generally maintain high biological production and are physically dynamic environments. One potential fate of the biologically produced carbon is that it may be exported to the deep ocean, yet the magnitude of that exported carbon is generally not well defined. Over the Northwest Atlantic margin, large-scale currents have the potential to be an important dispersal mechanism for organic carbon to the ocean interior. In a prior research project, the investigators hypothesized that the lateral transport of particulate organic carbon occurs via a bottom nepheloid layer (BNL) maintained by the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC). Although their research supports the notion that the DWBC transports a significant amount of organic carbon, their observations also indicate that intermediate nepheloid layers (INLs) emanating from the shelf-slope break and upper slope of the Mid Atlantic Bight may also be important vectors for carbon export. Broader Impacts: The Line W program initiated by physical oceanographers at WHOI and involving partners at other institutions, has established a website for activities centered on this section. The researchers are in the process of uploading their biogeochemical flux data onto this website and intend to develop a link to the Ocean and Carbon Biogeochemistry (OCB) Project Office website. In addition, these researchers intend to continue to archive aliquots of materials from the sediment trap program, and make these available to other members of the research community. In addition to their synergy with the Line W program, the researchers envision that the samples and data emanating from their project will provide important context for other studies in this region, particularly those exploring tracers of water mass movement, or seeking to understand elemental boundary exchange and scavenging processes. The research will provide graduate student support for MIT/WHOI Joint Program student, David Griffith. It is anticipated that this student will work closely with Drs. Eglinton and Charette, gaining experience in both organic geochemical and radiochemical methods and will participate in several of the planned research cruises.

“该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。“在这个项目中，伍兹霍尔海洋研究所（WHOI）的研究人员试图解决关于有机碳在新英格兰大陆边缘的运输的两个主要问题。 他们的第一个问题解决了中间云状层与底栖云状层对有机碳运输的相对重要性。 他们的第二个问题侧重于评估年际变化对颗粒输送的重要性。 研究人员将收集沿西北大西洋边缘沿着的沉降和悬浮颗粒，他们将利用新的和已建立的物质运输示踪剂来解决他们的主要研究问题。 他们对粒子动力学的评估将与沿鳕鱼角和百慕大之间的海洋部分（“W线”）的现有水文观测计划沿着。 该计划侧重于该地区的物理特征，并为碳动力学研究提供了一个附带的框架。这项工作对全球碳循环的重要性在于，大陆边一般保持着较高的生物产量，是一个物理动态环境。 生物产生的碳的一个潜在命运是，它可能被输出到深海，但输出的碳的数量通常没有很好的定义。在西北大西洋边缘，大规模的洋流有可能成为有机碳向海洋内部扩散的重要机制。 在之前的一个研究项目中，研究人员假设颗粒有机碳的横向运输是通过由深层西部边界流（DWBC）维持的底部云状层（BNL）发生的。 虽然他们的研究支持DWBC运输大量有机碳的观点，但他们的观察也表明，从大西洋中部海湾的陆棚坡折和上坡产生的中间云状层（INLs）也可能是碳输出的重要载体。 更广泛的影响：由WHOI的物理海洋学家发起并涉及其他机构合作伙伴的W线计划已经建立了一个网站，以开展以该部分为中心的活动。 研究人员正在将他们的地球化学通量数据上传到该网站，并打算建立一个与海洋和碳生物地球化学项目办公室网站的链接。 此外，这些研究人员打算继续存档沉积物捕集器计划中的材料等分试样，并将其提供给研究界的其他成员。 除了与Line W计划的协同作用外，研究人员还设想，他们的项目产生的样本和数据将为该地区的其他研究提供重要背景，特别是那些探索水团运动示踪剂或寻求了解元素边界交换和清除过程的研究。 这项研究将为麻省理工学院/WHOI联合项目的学生大卫格里菲斯提供研究生支持。 预计该学生将与埃格林顿博士和沙雷特博士密切合作，获得有机地球化学和放射化学方法方面的经验，并将参加几次计划中的研究航行。