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[CO{sub 2} measurements along the WOCE P-16 and 19 sections in the south Pacific Ocean: A joint LDGO/WHOI program]. Final report

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10159589· OSTI ID:10159589
With the support from the Department of Energy, we participated in the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) cruises to document the spatial variation of the properties of the carbonate system over the world ocean. With the other members of the DOE C0{sub 2} science team, we took advantage of the initial postponed ship schedule to initiate an intercomparison of total dissolved inorganic carbon measurement in seawater. This work has proven to be essential for the measurements performed at sea soon after. We participated in 2 cruises in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean along 150{degree} W and 135{degree} W. Surface seawater C0{sub 2} partial pressure (pCO{sub 2}) measured along 150{degree} W has been compared with earlier measurements made by Ray Weiss in 1979 along the same cruise track. The large variations of surface seawater pCO{sub 2} (pCO{sub 2}{sup sea}) on short spatial and temporal scale do not allow us to determine whether anthropogenic C0{sub 2} modified pC0{sub 2}{sup sea} in this ocean area. In the laboratory we also investigated a different means of measuring total alkalinity by thermometry. In this highly variable ocean, several complementary approaches are now underway to detect the anthropogenic signal and predict future changes: Continual monitoring of the carbonate properties in the ocean; Modeling and remote sensing; and monitoring of atmospheric pCO{sub 2} and pO{sub 2}. In this report, we summarize the results of the at-sea measurements of the parameters of the carbonate system in seawater on the WOCE cruises P16c and P17c, as well as the theoretical and experimental results of laboratory studies made to improve the measurement techniques.
Research Organization:
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-90ER60980
OSTI ID:
10159589
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/60980--T1; ON: DE93015576
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English