Air-Sea CO2 exchange within the North Water Polynya region
Air-Sea CO2 exchange within the North Water Polynya region
This research project aims both to; (1) quantify the air-sea CO2 flux within the North Water (NOW) Polynya region, and (2) identify those major regional features that give rise to the observed exchange rate. Polynya regions represent excellent areas to study the controls on air-sea gas exchange, as physical and biogeochemical processes are all amplified in these regions. For instance, the NOW Polynya has been identified as one of the most productive regions within the world’s oceans, and is affected by the growth/decay of large expanses of first-year sea ice each year. Both of these processes influence the carbonate chemistry of seawater, in turn affecting the CO2 flux. The air-sea CO2 flux will be directly measured using an eddy covariance system installed on a meteorological tower on the foredeck of CCGS Amundsen. In the engine room of the research vessel an underway system will continuously measure the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) dissolved in the surface seawater. Combined, both of these measurement platforms provide us with measurements of the air-sea gradient of CO2. Measurements taken in proximity to large phytoplankton blooms, or decaying sea ice will inform us of the role these processes play in affecting the air-sea CO2 flux.
Fieldwork site: Baffin Bay, Lancaster Sound, Nares Strait
PI: T. Papakyriakou
Project lead: T. Burgers
Project Participants: Dr. Tim Papakyriakou (CEOS), Tonya Burgers (CEOS), Lauren Candlish (CEOS), Sebastian Luque (CEOS), Jacoba Mol (Dalhousie U), Vicki Irish (UBC), Martine Lizotte (ULaval)