Open Ocean Ship-Board Study of Atmospheric Aerosols at the Equatorial Pacific: Characterizing Iron in Marine Aerosol
EMSL Project ID
19808
Abstract
Iron is a growth-limiting nutrient to phytoplankton in the open ocean, but its sources, chemistry and physical forms are largely unknown. Since phytoplankton control global climate by producing ~50% of Earths photosynthesis and also by absorbing and emitting other climate-forcing atmospheric gases, understanding the chemistry behind how iron bioavailability impacts phytoplankton is of major importance to different aspects of environmental sciences. To elucidate the chemical composition and transformation of iron transported in atmospheric dust particles over the open ocean we plan to collect aerosol samples on board of a research ship followed by laboratory analyses at EMSL using an array of analytical methods for aerosol characterization. In particular, we want to identify iron phases, their morphology, size ranges and crystallographic structures, and look for sulfur associated with these individual particles. Aerosol characterization will be carried out in conjunction with in-situ data collected on board of the research ship. The study will provide essential information about the nature of atmospheric iron phases and their chemical evolution during aging in the marine atmosphere, which in turn affects its reactivity and bioavailability to phytoplankton. The CWU group of Dr. Johansen is the sole party responsible for the quantification and characterization of atmospherically derived iron, which ties directly into the overarching purpose of the research cruise to understand iron sources and their strengths in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean. The cruise is lead by Dr. James Murray of the University of Washington and consists of a multidisciplinary and international team of researchers from more than 10 institutions.
Project Details
Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2006-08-18
End Date
2009-03-20
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members