Impact of glacial melt water on coastal carbon cycling

Impact of glacial melt water on coastal carbon cycling

Start/end date: 
Thursday, August 11, 2016 - 08:00 to Wednesday, August 31, 2016 - 18:00
Event type: 

We will conduct a multidisciplinary study of Greenland ice sheet-ocean interactions in Greenland fjords. Based on oceanographic surveys along ∼5 transects from the shelf towards main outlet glaciers in NW Greenland we will:

• Identify near shore water mass characteristics and bathymetry to assess potential marine heat sources and circulation processes important for glacial melt

• Identify impacts of glacial melt water on vertical mixing, light and nutrient conditions and subsequent rates of phytoplankton production. Focus on documenting if glacial fronts are areas of increased biological production

• Determine surface pCO2 values and carbonate system dynamics including pH and aragonite saturation states to confirm if glacial fjords are sites of high uptake of atmospheric CO2.

• Determine the importance of glacial derived carbon for pelagic and benthic carbon cycling

• Describe long term Ice Sheet-Ocean dynamics using proxy records stored in marine sediments

 

Field site: Greenland fjords from 69 N to 73 N

PI: Mikael Sejr & Søren Rysgaard

Link to Isaaffik website

 

Fieldwork summary/photo blog