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

GEOTRACES是一项国际方案，其目的是查明控制海洋中关键微量元素和同位素分布的过程和定量通量，并确定这些分布对不断变化的环境条件的敏感性。铁（Fe）在浮游植物的生长和组成中起着关键作用，但我们对这种元素在海洋中的分布以及影响其观察到的分布的过程的了解仍然很少量化。为了进一步了解海洋环境中的铁元素，一位来自Old Dominion大学的科学家计划在即将到来的2010年GEOTRACES北大西洋海盆巡航期间，使用高通量流动注入分析方法分析水柱和地表水样品中溶解的铁和铁（II）。此外，在巡航之后，样品将再次使用流动注射法和高分辨率电感耦合等离子体质谱法进行分析，以评估样品储存的影响，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如何应对未来气候变化的能力。这项研究是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被纳入老道明大学研究生和本科课程的课堂讲课材料。作为该项目的一部分，将支持和培训一名研究生。

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.