Mercury speciation and exchange between the atmosphere and the Arctic ocean
Mercury speciation and exchange between the atmosphere and the Arctic ocean
Mercury is one of the primary contaminants of concern in the Arctic marine ecosystem. Co-funded by the Canadian Arctic GEOTRACES (NSERC CCAR) and ArcticNet (NCE) programs, the objective of this research is to address three major knowledge gaps in our understanding of mercury biogeochemical cycling in the Arctic: 1) how significant is the air-sea exchange of mercury during the summer-time? 2) how is the seawater distribution of mercury affected by changing sea ice and hydrography? and 3) what is the process leading to mercury methylation in the sub-surface of the water column? In addition to working with researchers onboard the CCGS Amundsen on other trace elements and processes, this project is also part of an international effort, in collaboration with US and German teams who are studying other regions of the Arctic Ocean, to profile the mercury distribution throughout the entire Arctic Ocean.
Fieldwork site: CCGS Amundsen/Labrador Sea, Baffin Bay, Northwest Passage, Beaufort Sea to Canada Basin
PI: F.Wang
Project Participants: Feiyue Wang (CEOS), Kathleen Munson (CEOS), Kang Wang (CEOS), Ashley Elliott (CEOS), Debbie Armstrong, (CEOS), Alexis Burt (CEOS), Lars-Eric Heimburger (University of Bremen), Carl Lamborg (University of California-Santa Cruz)