Autonomous Profilers for Carbon System and Biological Observations
Abstract
LONG-TERM GOALS. A major oceanographic problem is to understand the biogeochemical dynamics of the upper kilometer of the water column. Such an understanding is fundamental to the predictability of the processes partitioning carbon between atmosphere and ocean and of those redistributing 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 watercolumn. OBJECTIVES. 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, which when widely deployed, will permit high frequency - 4D -observations in the upper 1000 m of the variability of ocean biological processes, carbon biomass, upper ocean physics, and parameters of the carbon system. It is envisioned that once proven, such vehicles can be widely deployed to explore carbon biomass variability on global scales.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA636797
Entities
People
- Casey Moore
- James K. Bishop
- Jeffrey T. Sherman
- Russ E. Davis