Collaborative Research: A Novel Tracer Approach to Estimate the Atmospheric Input of Trace Elements into the Global Ocean

合作研究：一种新的示踪剂方法来估计大气中进入全球海洋的微量元素输入量

• 批准号: 1034764
• 负责人: William Landing
• 金额: $ 22.12万
• 依托单位: Florida State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-01-01 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1034764&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Novel; Tracer; Approach

The atmospheric input of numerous chemical species into the global ocean equals or exceeds that from river sources and thus constitutes an important budgetary component for these elements. In addition, the atmospheric input of trace elements plays a key role in ocean biogeochemical processes. Assessment of this input is difficult however because measurements of deposition rates to the ocean are rare and susceptible to problems of temporal and spatial variability. Given the dearth of direct measurements, the ocean community must rely on atmospheric transport and deposition models which themselves are poorly constrained as to rainfall amounts and aerosol removal parameterization. Thus indirect methods, such as the use of natural radionuclides delivered to the ocean from the atmosphere are often used to estimate atmospheric inputs. In a novel application developed in this project, researchers at the University of Miami and Florida State University will use measurements of 7Be in the surface waters and in the lower atmosphere, coupled with trace element measurements in aerosols and rain, to provide estimates of the atmospheric input of relevant trace elements into the subtropical North Atlantic. 7Be is a cosmic ray produced radioisotope that becomes associated with particles in the troposphere and subsequently deposited to the surface ocean. Because of its relatively short half-life (53.3 days) it is reasonable to equate the inventory of 7Be decay in the upper ocean to the flux of 7Be from the atmosphere due to wet plus dry deposition. This provides a key linkage between the atmospheric concentration of chemical species and their deposition to the ocean. Such species include many of interest to the GEOTRACES program such as Al, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Cd. The atmospheric flux of these important trace elements (TEs) can then be estimated from multiplying the 7Be atmospheric flux (determined by its ocean inventory) by the TE/7Be ratios in aerosols and wet deposition. Broader Impacts: This research will directly addresse one of the critical objectives in the International GEOTRACES Science Plan: "Develop and refine chemical tracers in the surface ocean for quantification of atmospheric deposition". The ability to provide estimates of the atmospheric input of relevant trace elements to the ocean will contribute widely to the field of chemical oceanography and elsewhere, including understanding anthropogenic impacts on the oceans and the role atmospheric input of TEs plays in ocean ecology. The results of this project will benefit other international initiatives such as the SOLAS program, and data generated in this work will be available to allow ground-truthing of models of aerosol deposition and atmospheric input. Education and training of graduate students are essential components of this research. The PIs regularly teach undergraduate and graduate classes and incorporate the results of their fieldwork into lecture materials to motivate the next generation of Earth scientists. Undergraduate FSU chemistry and/or biology majors (males, females, minorities) will be involved in the research via annual requests for REU supplements. As they evolve, results will be presented at national/international scientific meetings, and published in peer-reviewed journals. The data will be submitted in a timely manner according to the requirements of NSF/OCE.

许多化学物种进入全球海洋的大气输入量等于或超过来自河流的输入量，因此构成了这些元素的重要预算组成部分。此外，大气输入的微量元素在海洋生态地球化学过程中起着关键作用。然而，对这一投入的评估是困难的，因为对海洋沉积率的测量很少，而且容易受到时间和空间变化问题的影响。由于缺乏直接测量，海洋界必须依赖大气传输和沉积模型，而这些模型本身在降雨量和气溶胶清除参数化方面的约束很差。因此，间接方法，例如使用从大气层释放到海洋的天然放射性核素，经常被用来估计大气输入。在该项目开发的一个新应用中，迈阿密大学和佛罗里达州立大学的研究人员将使用地表沃茨和低层大气中的7 Be测量值，再加上气溶胶和雨水中的微量元素测量值，以估计进入亚热带北大西洋的相关微量元素的大气输入。7 Be是宇宙射线产生的放射性同位素，与对流层中的粒子相关联，随后沉积到海洋表面。由于7 Be的半衰期相对较短（53.3天），因此可以合理地将海洋上层的7 Be衰变总量等同于大气中7 Be的湿沉降和干沉降通量。这在化学物种的大气浓度与其沉积到海洋之间提供了一个关键的联系。这些物种包括许多GEOTRACES计划感兴趣的物种，如Al、Mn、Fe、Cu、Zn和Cd。这些重要的微量元素（TE）的大气通量可以通过将7 Be大气通量（由其海洋清单确定）乘以气溶胶和湿沉降中的TE/7 Be比率来估计。更广泛的影响：这项研究将直接涉及国际地球跟踪科学计划的一个关键目标：“开发和改进海洋表层的化学示踪剂，以量化大气沉积”。提供有关微量元素在大气中输入海洋的估计数的能力将广泛有助于化学海洋学领域和其他领域，包括了解人类活动对海洋的影响以及大气中微量元素输入在海洋生态中的作用。 这一项目的成果将有利于其他国际倡议，如SOLAS计划，在这项工作中产生的数据将可用于允许气溶胶沉积和大气输入模型的地面实况。研究生的教育和培养是本研究的重要组成部分。PI定期教授本科生和研究生课程，并将他们的实地考察结果纳入教材，以激励下一代地球科学家。本科FSU化学和/或生物学专业（男性，女性，少数民族）将通过每年要求REU补充参与研究。 随着研究的进展，研究结果将在国家/国际科学会议上提出，并发表在同行评审的期刊上。将按照NSF/OCE的要求及时提交数据。