SGER: The Biogeochemistry of Polonium as a Marine Carbon Tracer

将进行9318318项教会试点实验，以开发钚及其物种作为重要的海洋示踪剂。这些实验包括：(1)确定实验室培养物中钚的挥发性物种，例如那些多产硫磺气体的培养物，重点是潜在的烷化物种；(2)描述生产性沿海(盐沼)、(陆架断裂)和开阔(北大西洋)表层水域中钋的分布和形态，已知这些水域季节性过剩，并在生物系统和由此产生的沉积有机物质中进行分馏。这些实验将建立在NSF之前的硫磺拨款下收集的现有证据的基础上。这些实验的意义应该会引领未来的发展，将钋作为一种强大的示踪剂，用于研究上层海洋中的碳循环、基于碳和硫的生物气的气-海交换以及向底层沉积物的碳通量。

9318318 Church Pilot experiments will be performed that will lead the way toward developing polonium and its species as an important marine tracer. These experiments include: (1) defining the volatile species of polonium in laboratory cultures, such as those that are prolific sulfur gas producers, focusing on potential alkylated species, and (2) describing polonium distribution and speciation in productive coastal (salt marshes), (shelf break), and open (for North Atlantic) surface waters, where it is known to be seasonally in excess, and fractionated in biological systems and resulting sedimentary organic material. These experiments will build on existing evidence gathered under a previous NSF sulfur grant. The significance of the experiments should lead the way to future development of polonium as a powerful tracer of carbon cycles in the upper ocean, air-sea exchange of carbon and sulfur based biogases, and carbon fluxes to underlying sediments.