Characterization of atmospheric iron over and its fluxes to the Southern Ocean through shipboard measurements

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Abstract High nutrient low chlorophyll regions of the Southern Ocean are conventionally explained by lack of bioavailable iron (Fe). Various localized sources of Fe in the Southern Ocean/Antarctic continental margins have been proposed and studied. In areas removed from obviously localized terrestrial dust sources, air-sea deposition of aerosol Fe, the particle size distribution of atmospheric Fe and the variability of aerosol composition, including other atmospheric constituents that may affect the bioavailability of Fe and micronutrients, is not well observed. This project seeks to conduct shipboard atmospheric sampling and analysis from a Chinese ice breaker (R/V Xue Long) passing through the Southern Ocean on route from Shanghai to Zhongshan Station, Antarctica Bulk aerosol and size segregated aerosol samples will be measured for their chemical, physical and morphological properties, Fe content by capillary waveguide spectrophotometry, elemental composition by mass spectrometry (ICPMS), along with corresponding water soluble fractions. Precipitation samples, when encountered, will also be analyzed to derive wet deposition fluxes. Satellite remote sensing of aerosol dust products and chemical transport modeling approaches will also be used in data interpretation.