Semester of Graduation

Summer 2024

Degree

Master of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences (SOCS)

Department

Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

The biological carbon pump (BCP) is crucial for the ocean's capacity to trap and store atmospheric CO2. The BCP aids in removal and storage by facilitating the transfer of carbon from the ocean's surface to the deep ocean or sediment. Anticipated shifts in the Earth's climate resulting from heightened levels of anthropogenic CO2 emissions can disproportionately influence factors such as sea surface temperature and the melting of polar ice, directly impacting the effectiveness and scale of the biological carbon pump (BCP) in the future. However, the precise ramifications are currently not well understood and therefore remain relatively uncertain. This research aims to quantify carbon export in the Ross Sea, particularly in proximity to the marginal ice shelf, a region susceptible to significant climatic shifts. In this study I utilized naturally occurring radioisotope pairs, 210Po and 210Pb, as a method of tracing carbon export fluxes at the base of the euphotic zone, on a seasonal scale. The results indicate that carbon fluxes ranged from 8.41 to 186.87 mg C m-2 d-1 at 100 m and 26.72 to 116.33 mg C m-2 d-1 at 150 m. While 210Po flux were measured at 5.76-22.99 dpm m2 d-1 at 100 m and 10.76-27.95 dpm m2 d-1 at 150 m. When compared to other similar environments, such as areas in Arctic and Antarctic, both fluxes were relatively higher at my observed stations. I observed a negative correlation between the magnitude and efficiency of BCP throughout my stations, with higher export in stations closer to the ice edge but lower export efficiency. While stations farther from the ice edge had lower export but higher efficiency. However, sparse data in this area makes it difficult to accurately evaluate the overall export efficiency in this region. Additional flux and export observations in different areas of the Ross Sea at different times during the austral summer are necessary to thoroughly assess and understand the BCP.

Date

7-11-2024

Committee Chair

Kanchan Maiti

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31390/gradschool_theses.6003

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Available for download on Sunday, July 11, 2027

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