The Quality Control of Oceanic CO2 Measurements: Preparation and Distribution of Reference Materials

该项目的目标是继续为海洋二氧化碳测量的质量控制提供一种机制，特别是作为国际全球计划的一部分进行的测量。这将有助于确保这些测量具有可比性和准确性，尽管这些测量是在不同的实验室在不同的时间进行的。这类测量是全球范围调查巡航的重要组成部分，例如全球海洋船基水文调查方案(GO-SHIP)，并在海洋酸化测量的质量控制方面发挥重要作用。向国际社会提供参考材料有助于提高世界各地海洋碳数据的整体质量，既可用于海洋碳分布的实地研究，也可用于与海洋酸化有关的研究。这是美国对该领域全球研究基础设施的重大贡献。许多学生参与了这个项目，并通过这个项目接受了培训。为了实现上述目标，斯克里普斯实验室将为海水中海洋二氧化碳系统的下列参数准备和认证标准物质：总溶解无机碳、总碱度和pH。总溶解无机碳和总碱度的标准物质将以天然海水为基础，经灭菌、瓶装和使用这些参数的适当参考方法进行分析。PH的标准物质以合成海水中的Tris缓冲液为基础，并使用分光光度pH测量进行校准。此外，实验室将分发用于碱度测量的校准酸滴定剂。参考材料将分发给美国和国际调查人员，以协助海洋二氧化碳测量的质量控制。在该项目的三年时间里，该实验室预计将分发约3万瓶标准物质。这些材料还将被用来提供测试样本，用于合作研究用于确定这些不同参数的分析方法。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The goal of this project is to continue to provide a mechanism for the quality control of oceanic carbon dioxide measurements, in particular those that are made as part of international global programs. This will help to ensure that such measurements are comparable and accurate although made in different laboratories at different times. Such measurements are important components of global scale survey cruises such as those of the Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP), as well as playing a significant role in the quality control of ocean acidification measurements. The provision of reference materials to the international community helps to improve the overall quality of oceanic carbon data around the world both for field studies of the distribution of oceanic carbon, as well as for studies related to ocean acidification. It is a significant US contribution to global research infrastructure in this field. Numerous students are involved in, and receive training through, this program. To achieve the goal outlined above, the Scripps laboratory will prepare and certify reference materials for the following parameters of the oceanic carbon dioxide system in seawater: total dissolved inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, and pH. The reference materials for total dissolved inorganic carbon and for total alkalinity will be based on natural seawater, sterilized, bottled, and analyzed using appropriate reference methods for these parameters. Reference materials for pH are based on Tris buffers in synthetic seawater and calibrated using spectrophotometric pH measurements. In addition, the laboratory will distribute calibrated acid titrant for alkalinity measurements. Reference materials will be distributed to US and to international investigators to assist in the quality control of oceanic CO2 measurements. During the three years of this project, the laboratory expects to distribute about 30,000 bottles of reference material. These materials will also be used to provide test samples for use in collaborative studies of the analytical methods used to determine these various parameters.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.