The Role of Cyclonic Upwelling Eddies in Southern Ocean CO2 Flux

Abstract: Williams

Part 1: Characterization of the role of eddies in wintertime air-sea carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean pairs two autonomous sailing vehicles called Saildrones will take place during austral winter 2021.The Saildrones will carry sensors to directly measure atmospheric and oceanic concentrations of CO2 (pCO2), atmospheric pressure, and wind speed to allow calculation of air-sea CO2 flux at 5-km resolution and with similar accuracy to an underway ship-based measurements.

To broaden participation in physical and chemical oceanography, robotics, and data science, PI Williams and Graduate Student will develop and deliver a Saildrone-focused lesson plan for USF’s Oceanography Camp for Girls (OCG), a hands-on three-week summer camp for 8th grade girls from the Tampa Bay, FL area. Since 1991, OCG has broadened participation by recruiting diverse young women and is recognized by NSF as a model STEM program.

Part 2: The surface following floating platforms will carry sensor suites to directly measure atmospheric and oceanic concentrations of the greenhouse gas CO2 (pCO2), atmospheric pressure, and wind speed allowing direct calculation of air-sea CO2 fluxes at a resolution and an accuracy similar to that of underway ships. The overall objectives of this project are to determine the relationship between wintertime pCO2 variability and the presence and structure of eddies, and to use these relationships to create a better representation of mesoscale variability in Southern Ocean CO2 fluxes.

An ability to inform data from the SOCCOM autonomous float array in crossing surface tracks will also be explored.The overall objectives of this project are to determine the relationship between wintertime pCO2 variability and the presence and structure of eddies and to use these relationships to create a better representation of mesoscale variability in Southern Ocean CO2 flux.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.