Collaborative Research: Spray-Mediated Gas Fluxes across the Air-Sea Interface

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Ocean-atmosphere scientists have for many years been studying how bubbles in ocean whitecaps influence the exchange of gases across the air-sea interface. Bubbles provide greater contact surface area between air and water, and the over-pressure of gases in submerged bubbles forces their dissolution. Sea spray droplets likewise increase the effective surface area of the atmosphere-ocean interface, yet little is known of their role in air-sea gas exchange, or their effectiveness compared to bubbles. Understanding the exchange of atmospheric green-house gases such as CO2 into the global ocean is important to global warming and ocean acidification. This study will use a microphysical model and knowledge of the rate at which spray droplets are produced to evaluate the role of sea spray in enhancing air-sea gas exchange, and compare this to other sea-air gas exchange rates, and mechanisms.