RAPID: Mapping Subsurface Hydrocarbon Plume Distribution and Structure near MC Block 252

深水地平线灾难已经向墨西哥湾释放了超过2000万加仑的石油。由于受影响区域的深度和面积非常大，因此确定油羽的存在和结构对于精确的质量平衡计算、估计损害以及了解组成石油的单个碳氢化合物的整体化学/物理行为至关重要。其他研究人员报告的地下羽流的存在存在相当大的不确定性。后者的部分原因是，这些发现是基于通常用于测量溶解有机物的原位荧光。此外，这些发现仅提供了石油总量的估计。为了提供墨西哥湾碳氢化合物分布和结构的可靠、高分辨率数据集，伍兹霍尔海洋研究所的研究人员将部署TETHYS原位质谱仪。TETHYS通过提供接近连续的记录和更大的空间分辨率来补充传统的采样。此外，来自TETHYS的实时反馈可用于指导常规采样。TETHYS原位质谱仪经过优化，可在各种恶劣环境中对低分子量（2-200 μ）气体和挥发性化学物质进行长期无人环境监测。TETHYS在野外便携式或水下质谱仪中也是独一无二的，因为它在低质量范围（1-25 amu）保持高质量分辨率，允许它量化氢，氦和甲烷。在深水地平线漏油事故的研究中，TETHYS将部署在两个不同的海底平台上：增强型CTD玫瑰花形平台和自主水下航行器（AUV） Sentry。该研究小组将与来自伍兹霍尔、德克萨斯农工大学和加州大学圣巴巴拉分校的许多其他研究人员合作，他们分别获得了RAPID资助，研究这次历史性石油泄漏的各个方面。所有这些调查人员之前都有使用TETHYS/CTD/Sentry技术的经验。更广泛的影响：这项研究的结果有望有助于更深入地了解地球系统中的石油命运和碳循环。从这项研究中获得的知识也将被翻译并直接传递给参与泄漏损害评估和恢复的州和联邦机构。该项目将为现有的工业溢油模型提供必要的概念、流程和参数，以适应深海海底重大石油泄漏的空前情况。海上钻井作业向更深水域的持续扩张可能不可避免地导致未来更多泄漏的风险。

The Deepwater Horizon disaster has released more than 20 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Due to the extreme depth and broad area of impacted region, it is critical that the presence and structures of oil plumes be determined for accurate mass balance calculations, estimating damage, and understanding the overall chemical/physical behavior of individual hydrocarbons comprising the oil. There exists considerable uncertainty on the presence of subsurface plumes reported by other researchers. The latter is due, in part, because the findings are based on in situ fluorescence typically used to measure dissolved organic matter. In addition, these findings only provide an estimate of total oil. To provide a robust and higher resolution dataset on the hydrocarbon distribution and structure in the Gulf of Mexico, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will deploy the TETHYS in-situ mass spectrometer. TETHYS compliments conventional sampling by providing near-continuous records and by providing far greater spatial resolution. Additionally, real time feedback from TETHYS can be used to guide conventional sampling. The TETHYS in-situ mass spectrometer is optimized for long-term unattended environmental monitoring of low molecular weight (2-200 amu) gases and volatile chemicals in a variety of hostile environments. TETHYS is also unique among field-portable or underwater mass spectrometers in that it retains high mass resolution in the low-mass range (1-25 amu), allowing it to quantify hydrogen, helium, and methane. In this study of the Deepwater Horizon spill, TETHYS will be deployed on two different subsea platforms: an enhanced CTD rosette and the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Sentry. The research team will work collaboratively with a number of other investigators from Woods Hole, Texas A & M University, and the University of California at Santa Barbara who have separately received RAPID funding to study various aspects of this historic oil spill. All of these investigators have prior experience with the TETHYS/CTD/Sentry technology. Broader Impacts: Results from this research are expected to contribute to a deeper understanding of petroleum fate and carbon cycling in the Earth system. Knowledge gained from this research will also be translated and transmitted directly to state and federal agencies involved in the spill damage assessment and restoration. The project will provide the concepts, processes, and parameters necessary for existing industry oil spill models to be adapted to the unparalleled situation of a major oil release on the deep sea floor. The continued expansion of offshore drilling operations into deeper waters may lead inevitably to the risk of more spills in the future.