GEOTRACES Pacific Section: Surface Sampling with the GeoFish and Dissolved Trace Metals on the Peru to East Pacific Rise Section

University Of California-Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz CA

Investigators

Abstract

There is a paucity of data for trace metals in the South Pacific Ocean and limited, if any, data is available for the eastern tropical South Pacific. As such, the U.S. GEOTRACES cruise in 2013 along a zonal section in the eastern tropical South Pacific will help fill this void. A scientist from the University of California-Santa Cruz plans to determine the distributions of a suite of trace metals between Peru and the East Pacific Rise to examine the influence of (1) the large lateral gradient in productivity and particle flux related to the coastal upwelling region off Peru and inputs from the continental margin, and (2) the intense and extensive oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) in the eastern tropical South Pacific off Peru. The key trace metals to be determined are dissolved iron, manganese, copper, zinc, cadmium, and lead, as well as nickel, cobalt, gallium, yttrium, titanium, and lanthanum. A subset of the samples will also be analyzed for silver. Besides the vertical profiles for these elements, the GeoFish sampling system will be used during the cruise to collect surface water samples that will be analyzed for the same suite of elements. The scientist will also participate in various intercomparison exercises with collaborators on the GEOTRACES program to ensure data quality for trace metals mentioned above, collect uncontaminated samples for other researchers at each of the vertical stations, and make the GeoFish sample tubing available to anyone requiring surface samples. Broader Impacts: With the help of GEOTRACES collaborators, as well as the Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence-Ocean Science, the researcher plans to create a five part webinar series that outlines the goals and significance of the program, as well as highlight stories about the GEOTRACES Eastern Pacific Zonal Transect. The researcher and his technician also would continue to supply the ocean sciences trace metals community both in the U.S. and abroad with GEOTRACES.and SAFe reference samples to ensure data quality, as well as update the consensus trace metal values. One postdoc would be supported and trained as part of this project.