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年的《美国复苏与再投资法》（公法111-5）资助的。在伍兹霍尔海洋学研究所（WHOI）的该项目中，该奖项试图解决有关在新英格兰大陆边际上运输有机碳的两个主要问题。 他们的第一个问题介绍了中间肾上腺层与底栖肾上腺层对于有机碳转运的相对重要性。 他们的第二个问题着重于评估年际变异性对粒子传输的重要性。 研究人员将在西北大西洋边缘收集和悬浮的颗粒，他们将利用新颖和已建立的物质运输示踪剂来解决其主要研究问题。 他们对粒子动力学的评估将与沿鳕鱼角和百慕大角（'Line W'）之间的海洋区域的现有水文观察程序耦合。 该计划的重点是该地区的物理特征，并为研究碳动态提供了一个随附的框架。这项工作对全球碳循环的重要性在于，大陆边缘通常维持高生物学生产，并且是身体动态的环境。 生物产生的碳的一种潜在命运是，它可能被导出到深海，但是该出口碳的大小通常没有很好地定义。在西北大西洋边缘，大规模电流有可能成为有机碳内部有机碳的重要分散机制。 在先前的研究项目中，研究人员假设颗粒有机碳的横向运输是通过深西边界电流（DWBC）维持的底部肾上腺层（BNL）发生的。 尽管他们的研究支持DWBC传输大量有机碳的观念，但它们的观察结果也表明，从架子斜坡断裂和中大西洋偏斜的上坡发出的中间肾上非层（INL）也可能是碳出口的重要载体。 更广泛的影响：WHOI的物理海洋学家启动的线条计划以及其他机构的合作伙伴，已建立了一个以本节为中心的活动的网站。 研究人员正在将其生物地球化学数据上传到本网站上，并打算开发指向海洋和碳生物地球化学（OCB）项目办公室网站的链接。 此外，这些研究人员打算继续从沉积物陷阱计划中存档材料的等分试样，并将其提供给研究社区的其他成员。 除了与线W计划的协同作用外，研究人员还设想，从他们的项目中发出的样本和数据还将为该地区的其他研究提供重要背景，尤其是那些探索水质量运动的示踪剂，或者寻求了解基本边界交换和清除过程。 这项研究将为麻省理工学院/WHOI联合计划的学生David Griffith提供研究生支持。 预计该学生将与Drs紧密合作。 Eglinton和Charette，获得有机地球化学和放射化学方法的经验，并将参加几次计划的研究巡游。