US GEOTRACES North Atlantic Section: Dissolved Iron and Iron(II)

GeoTRACE是一项国际方案，旨在确定控制海洋中关键微量元素和同位素分布的过程和通量，并确定这些分布对不断变化的环境条件的敏感性。铁在浮游植物的生长和组成中起着关键作用，但我们对这一元素在海洋中的分布以及影响其观测分布的过程的了解仍然很少。为了进一步了解海洋环境中的铁，老道明大学的一位科学家计划在即将到来的2010年前往北大西洋盆地的GEOTRACES邮轮期间，使用高通量流动注射分析来分析水柱和地表水样本中的溶解Fe和Fe(II)。此外，在巡航后，将使用流动注射方法和高分辨率电感耦合等离子体质谱对样品进行再次分析，以评估样品存储的影响，并确定其船上测量的准确性。这项研究的结果将有助于将铁纳入海洋生态系统的生物地球化学模型，并提高科学家预测海洋将如何应对未来气候变化的能力。这项研究代表了美国一家机构的科学家和塔斯马尼亚大学的合作成果。预计这项研究的结果将纳入老道明大学研究生和本科生课程的课堂讲义。作为该项目的一部分，一名研究生将得到支持和培训。

GEOTRACES is an international program which aims at identifying processes and quantifying fluxes that control the distributions of key trace elements and isotopes in the ocean, and at establishing the sensitivity of these distributions to changing environmental conditions. Iron (Fe) plays a key role in phytoplankton growth and composition yet our knowledge of the distribution of this element in the ocean and the processes that influence its observed distribution remain poorly quantified. To further our understanding of Fe in the marine environment, a scientist from Old Dominion University plans to analyze water column and surface water samples for dissolved Fe and Fe(II) using high throughput flow injection analysis during the upcoming 2010 GEOTRACES cruise to the North Atlantic Ocean basin. In addition, following the cruise, the samples will be analyzed again using both the flow injection method and high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to assess the effects of sample storage and to ascertain the accuracy of their shipboard measurements. Results from this research will facilitate the inclusion of iron in biogeochemical models of the marine ecosystem and improve scientists' ability to predict how the ocean will respond to future climate change. This study represents a collaborative effort between a scientist at a U.S. institution and the University of Tasmania. It is anticipated that results from the study would be incorporated into class lecture material for graduate and undergraduate courses at Old Dominion University. One graduate student would be supported and trained as part of this project.