A better understanding of recent changes of the CO2 system in the Western Arctic Ocean via field measurements from the summer 2014 CHINARE cruise

University Of Delaware, Newark DE

Investigators

Abstract

This project would continue a successful collaboration between U.S. and Chinese scientists to study the exchange of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the surface waters of the Arctic Ocean. It involves the collection of high resolution underway pCO2 (partial pressure of carbon dioxide) data combined with discrete samples of water column pH, total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), alkalinity, calcium, nutrients, and oxygen during the Chinese Arctic Research Expedition (CHINARE) cruise in summer 2014. Together with historical data, the results will be used to constrain the variability of sea surface pCO2, air-to-sea CO2 flux, and their changes over time and to understand the underlying carbon cycling control mechanisms in the Western Arctic Ocean. The investigator hypothesizes that 1) sea surface pCO2 is highly variable in the Western Arctic Ocean and is controlled by multiple parameters that are climate-sensitive, and that current knowledge is insufficient to draw reliable conclusions regarding air-sea CO2 flux, controlling mechanisms and prediction of future changes, 2) high biological production (and CO2/DIC removal) areas have expanded from the southern areas in 1990s and early 2000s to the northern basins today along with the retreat of sea ice, and 3) riverine inorganic and organic carbon inputs have increased and they play an important role in controlling sea surface pCO2 and thus the net air-sea CO2 exchange flux in the western Arctic Ocean. This project would continue an active international collaboration and culture a Chinese Arctic carbon research team through fieldwork and data synthesis activities. The collaboration would incorporate these data into several U.S. and international databases. The project would also directly support a Ph.D. student.