Particle Transport and Carbon Export over the Northwest Atlantic Margin

西北大西洋边缘的粒子输运和碳输出

• 批准号: 0851350
• 负责人: Matthew Charette
• 金额: $ 105.87万
• 依托单位: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0851350&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Particle; Transport; Carbon; Export; over

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."In this project researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) seek to address two primary questions regarding the transport of organic carbon over the New England continental margin. Their first question addresses the relative importance of intermediate nepheloid layers versus benthic nepheloid layers for organic carbon transport. Their second question focuses on assessing the importance of interannual variability on particle transport. The researchers will collect both settling and suspended particles along the NW Atlantic ocean margin, and they will utilize both novel and established tracers of material transport to address their primary research questions. Their assessments of particle dynamics will be coupled to an existing hydrographic observation program along an ocean section between Cape Cod and Bermuda ('Line W'). This program is focused on the physical characteristics of the region, and provides an accompanying framework for the study of carbon dynamics. The importance of the work to global carbon cycling lies in the fact that continental margins generally maintain high biological production and are physically dynamic environments. One potential fate of the biologically produced carbon is that it may be exported to the deep ocean, yet the magnitude of that exported carbon is generally not well defined. Over the Northwest Atlantic margin, large-scale currents have the potential to be an important dispersal mechanism for organic carbon to the ocean interior. In a prior research project, the investigators hypothesized that the lateral transport of particulate organic carbon occurs via a bottom nepheloid layer (BNL) maintained by the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC). Although their research supports the notion that the DWBC transports a significant amount of organic carbon, their observations also indicate that intermediate nepheloid layers (INLs) emanating from the shelf-slope break and upper slope of the Mid Atlantic Bight may also be important vectors for carbon export. Broader Impacts: The Line W program initiated by physical oceanographers at WHOI and involving partners at other institutions, has established a website for activities centered on this section. The researchers are in the process of uploading their biogeochemical flux data onto this website and intend to develop a link to the Ocean and Carbon Biogeochemistry (OCB) Project Office website. In addition, these researchers intend to continue to archive aliquots of materials from the sediment trap program, and make these available to other members of the research community. In addition to their synergy with the Line W program, the researchers envision that the samples and data emanating from their project will provide important context for other studies in this region, particularly those exploring tracers of water mass movement, or seeking to understand elemental boundary exchange and scavenging processes. The research will provide graduate student support for MIT/WHOI Joint Program student, David Griffith. It is anticipated that this student will work closely with Drs. Eglinton and Charette, gaining experience in both organic geochemical and radiochemical methods and will participate in several of the planned research cruises.

“该奖项是根据 2009 年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法 111-5）提供资金的。”在这个项目中，伍兹霍尔海洋研究所 (WHOI) 的研究人员试图解决有关有机碳在海洋上运输的两个主要问题。新英格兰大陆边缘。 他们的第一个问题涉及中间霞云层与底栖霞云层对于有机碳迁移的相对重要性。 他们的第二个问题侧重于评估年际变化对颗粒传输的重要性。 研究人员将沿着西北大西洋边缘收集沉降颗粒和悬浮颗粒，他们将利用新型和已建立的物质运输示踪剂来解决他们的主要研究问题。 他们对粒子动力学的评估将与科德角和百慕大之间的海洋部分（“W线”）现有的水文观测计划相结合。 该计划侧重于该地区的物理特征，并为碳动力学研究提供了配套框架。这项工作对全球碳循环的重要性在于，大陆边缘通常保持着较高的生物生产力，并且是物理动态环境。 生物产生的碳的一个潜在命运是它可能被输出到深海，但输出的碳的量通常没有明确的定义。在西北大西洋边缘，大规模洋流有可能成为有机碳向海洋内部扩散的重要机制。 在之前的一个研究项目中，研究人员假设颗粒有机碳的横向传输是通过深西边界流（DWBC）维持的底部霞云层（BNL）发生的。 尽管他们的研究支持 DWBC 输送大量有机碳的观点，但他们的观察也表明，源自大西洋中湾陆架坡折处和上坡的中间霞云层 (INL) 也可能是重要的碳载体出口。 更广泛的影响：W 线计划由 WHOI 的物理海洋学家发起并涉及其他机构的合作伙伴，已建立了一个以本部分为中心的活动网站。 研究人员正在将他们的生物地球化学通量数据上传到该网站，并打算开发一个到海洋和碳生物地球化学（OCB）项目办公室网站的链接。 此外，这些研究人员打算继续存档沉积物捕获计划中的等份材料，并将其提供给研究界的其他成员。 除了与W线计​​划的协同作用外，研究人员预计，他们的项目产生的样本和数据将为该地区的其他研究提供重要背景，特别是那些探索水团运动示踪剂或寻求了解元素边界交换的研究和清除过程。 该研究将为 MIT/WHOI 联合项目学生 David Griffith 提供研究生支持。 预计该学生将与博士密切合作。埃格林顿和夏雷特在有机地球化学和放射化学方法方面积累了经验，并将参加一些计划中的研究巡航。