Autonomous Bio-Optical Instruments
Abstract
Our long-term goal is to understand the biogeochemical dynamics of the ocean s upper kilometer. Such an understanding is fundamental to prediction of the processes partitioning carbon between atmosphere and ocean and to the redistribution of carbon and associated elements within the water column. Key to predictability is understanding day-to-day variability of processes governing abundances of carbon species (dissolved and particulate, inorganic and organic) in the water column. Our objective is to demonstrate the concept of low-cost autonomous profiling vehicles outfitted with a suite of low-power optical, physical and chemical sensors. When widely deployed, these will permit high-frequency four-dimensional observations of the variability of ocean biological processes, carbon biomass, upper ocean physics, and parameters of the carbon system in the upper 1000 m. It is envisioned that once proven, such vehicles can be widely deployed to explore carbon variability on global scales. An immediate objective is to demonstrate that we can explore Particulate Organic Carbon and Particulate Inorganic Carbon biomass variability in the water column on daily to seasonal time-scales in remote and extreme environments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA609783
Entities
People
- Jeffrey T. Sherman
- Russ E. Davis
Organizations
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography