Collaborative Research: Bubble Processes during Air-Sea Gas Transfer

通过浮子、滑翔机和系泊进行远程气体测量，通过检查生物群落在光合作用和呼吸过程中产生的气体（即氧气和二氧化碳），间接确定海洋中的年净群落产量（ANCP）。原则上，这种方法工作得很好，但是目前，关于气泡在海气交换中的作用，以及在改变对ANCP计算很重要的气体浓度方面的作用，存在很大的不确定性。这项研究旨在限制气泡对用于这些产量估计的远程气体测量的影响。特别是氧气、氮气和二氧化碳将被研究。通过在风暴条件下对这些气体进行测量，该研究将试图确定湍流对气泡过程和海气转移的影响程度。然后，现场观测数据将用于创建气泡过程模型，该模型将帮助研究人员更准确地使用气体测量来估计生物信号（即ANCP）如何被物理过程（即气泡）修改。路易斯安那州立大学（Louisiana State University）的一名研究生将通过该项目获得资助，华盛顿大学（University of Washington）的气候变化项目（Program for Climate Change）将通过培训高中教师了解海洋在地球气候中的作用得到支持。上层海洋湍流对气体的海气输送有重要影响。这种效应是已知的，但目前还没有得到很好的理解或限制。特别是，气泡过程在这种交换中的作用在很大程度上是一个谜，并且在使用氧气测量作为年度净群落产量的代理时引入了很大的不确定性。该研究计划将实地考察和建模方法结合起来，创建机制模型，使研究人员能够更准确地量化气泡过程作为生物气体的海气交换机制，从而通过浮标、滑翔机和系泊上的远程传感器，得出更精确的方法来计算年度净群落产量。通过在风暴条件下气压快速变化前后对海气边界的O2、N2和CO2进行精确测量，可以更好地了解这些对海洋表面和低层大气之间这些气体交换的影响。

Remote gas measurements by floats, gliders, and moorings are used to indirectly determine the Annual Net Community Production (ANCP) in the ocean by examining the gases produced by the biological community during photosynthesis and respiration (i.e. oxygen and carbon dioxide). In principal this method works well, but currently there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the role of bubbles in the air-sea exchange of gases, and thus in altering the concentrations of gases important for ANCP calculations. This research aims to constrain the effects of bubbles on remote gas measurements used for these production estimates. In particular, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide will be studied. By making measurements of these gases under storm conditions, the study will attempt to determine how much impact turbulence has on bubble processes and air-sea gas transfer. Data from the field observations will then be used to create a bubble process model which will help researchers more accurately use gas measurements to estimate how the biological signal (i.e. ANCP) is modified by physical processes (i.e. bubbles). One graduate student at Louisiana State University will be funded through this project, and the Program for Climate Change at the University of Washington will be supported through training of high school teachers on the role of the oceans in the earth's climate.Upper ocean turbulence has a significant effect on the air-sea transfer of gases. This effect is known, but currently not very well understood or constrained. In particular, the role of bubble processes in this exchange are largely a mystery and introduces a great deal of uncertainty into the use of oxygen measurements as proxies for Annual Net Community Production. This research plans to merge fieldwork and modeling methods to create mechanistic models that will allow researchers to more accurately quantify bubble processes as a mechanism for air-sea exchange of biogenic gases, thereby resulting in a more precise method to calculate Annual Net Community Production from remote sensors on floats, gliders, and moorings. By making precise measurements of O2, N2, and CO2 at the air-sea boundary before and after the rapid pressure changes during storm conditions, a better understanding of the these effects on the exchange of these gases between the surface ocean and lower atmosphere will be achieved.