Rapid, Autonomous Particle Flux Observations in the Oligotrophic Ocean

寡营养海洋中快速、自主的粒子通量观测

• 批准号: 1406552
• 负责人: Margaret Estapa
• 金额: $ 12.26万
• 依托单位: Skidmore College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-01-01 至 2016-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1406552&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Rapid; Autonomous; Particle; Flux; Observations

Particles settling to the deep ocean remove carbon and essential trace elements for biological processes from the surface ocean and contact with the atmosphere over short time scales. Currently available technology is only able to resolve this flux at timescales of 24 hours to a few days and the methods are both labor- and time-intensive. Given the limited spatial and temporal scale of these flux measurements, it has been difficult to determine the processes that control the fate of particulate organic carbon (POC). Scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will use an optical, transmissometer-based method to obtain particle flux observations from autonomous, biogeochemical profiling floats. Initially, a laboratory-based sensor calibration experiment will be carried out to determine the detection limit of the system and evaluate its sensitivity to particle size. This will be followed by a field effort wherein data obtained from the floats will be compared against direct sampling from sediment traps. Lastly, the system will be deployed for about a year in the North Atlantic during which data will be returned via satellite from the biogeochemical float. This year long deployment will be the first of its kind to collect nearly-continuous, hourly-resolution proxy measurements of particle flux. The data is expected to yield new insights into the factors that influence variability in POC export. A potentially transformative aspect of this proposal will be the broad application of a newly developed method that cuts labor and ship costs while generating high resolution data.Broader Impacts: Given the components for this system are readily commercially available means others in the science community have the opportunity to use this technology to make similar measurements. One postdoc would be supported and trained as part of this project. In addition, undergraduate students will be involved in the research via the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Summer Student Fellow and Minority Fellow program.

沉降到深海的颗粒清除了从表面海洋中的生物过程的碳和必需的痕量元素，并在短时间内与大气接触。 目前可用的技术仅能在24小时到几天的时间尺度上解决此通量，并且方法既是劳动力和时间密集型的）。 考虑到这些通量测量值有限的空间和时间尺度，很难确定控制颗粒有机碳（POC）命运的过程。 来自伍兹孔海洋学机构的科学家将使用基于光学的，透射仪的方法从自主，生物地球化学分析浮子中获得粒子通量观测。 最初，将进行基于实验室的传感器校准实验，以确定系统的检测极限并评估其对粒径的敏感性。 随后将进行现场工作，其中将比较从浮子获得的数据与沉积物陷阱的直接采样进行比较。 最后，该系统将在北大西洋部署大约一年，在此期间将通过卫星从生物地球化学浮点部返回数据。 今年的部署将是第一个收集粒子通量几乎连续的，每小时分辨率的代理测量值的同类部署。 预计数据将对影响POC出口变异性的因素产生新的见解。该提案的一个潜在变革方面将是一种新开发的方法的广泛应用，该方法在产生高分辨率数据的同时削减劳动力和船舶成本。Broader的影响：鉴于该系统的组成部分很容易在科学界的其他其他人都可以使用该技术来制作类似的尺寸。 作为该项目的一部分，将对一个博士后进行支持和培训。 此外，本科生将通过Woods Hole Oceanographic机构夏季学生和少数民族研究员参与研究。