Frank J. Millero; University of Miami

"The Carbon Dioxide System in the Southern Ocean"

We will be making core carbon dioxide measurements on three or four process cruises during the JGOFS Southern Ocean study in 1996-1998. The carbon dioxide system will be studied on our cruises by measuring total inorganic carbon dioxide, TCO₂, and the partial pressure of CO₂, pCO₂, on discrete samples from the entire water column. Measurements of total alkalinity, TA, will also be made at some of the stations. The pCO₂, TA, and TCO₂ of the surface waters and the pCO₂ in atmosphere will be continuously measured along the cruise tracks. We would like to have four berths for my group for the cruises to be covered. The minimum needed to carry out all the measurements is three berths. We have all the equipment presently available to carry out these measurements (flowing pCO₂, TA, and TCO₂ systems, TA titrators, and a SOMMA TCO₂ system). All of the TCO₂ and TA measurements will be monitored and calibrated using certified reference material provided by Dr. Andrew Dickson (SCRIPPS). As part of our flowing pCO₂ and TCO₂ measurements, we plan to use flowing SiO₂, NO₃ and Fe systems. The resulting CO₂ and nutrient measurements should provide the necessary field measurements that will be required in examining the flux of CO₂ across the airsea interface and the changes resulting from primary productivity and the oxidation of plant material.