Chemical Mapping of the Marine Microlayer: A System for Measurement of Spatial and Temporal Variations in Composition
Abstract
LONG-TERM GOALS. The viscoelastic behavior of the air-sea interface, which is an important factor affecting air-sea exchange of mass, momentum and heat, is strongly dependent on naturally-occurring adsorbed surfactant materials (Frew, 1997; Frew and Nelson, 1998). My goals are to understand the relationship between the composition of surface-active organic matter in the marine microlayer and the viscoelasticity of the sea surface and to delineate the role of microlayer films in modulating roughness and near-surface turbulence, and the implications for interpreting both active and passive microwave imagery of the sea surface. OBJECTIVES. The occurrence, spatial distribution, concentration and composition of sea surface films are not well known. In order to understand the impact of the microlayer on air-sea interactions, it is advantageous to make real-time or near real-time measurements of microlayer concentration and composition using a detection system that responds to a broad range of organic compounds and that also provides specific structural information. This new project focuses on developing an analytical system for detection and measurement of organic analytes in the marine microlayer in near real-time. The system will detect the presence of surface microlayer films, map their spatial distributions, and monitor their temporal variability. It will provide specific information on the composition and structure of surface-active materials and estimates of surface enrichments of specific surfactants that control the viscoelasticity of the sea surface.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA630328
Entities
People
- Nelson M. Frew
Organizations
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution