LBNL's Jim Bishop, Alex Morales, and UC Berkeley Graduate Student Kate Barton participated in a 42 day long expedition to mesotrophic (biologically productive) waters of the Oyashio current about 500 km east of the Kamchatka Peninsula.
The study took place near a location (47N 160E) called K2 where Japanese scientists maintain moored instruments. We deployed the Multiple Unit Large Volume in-situ Filtration System (MULVFS) to capture the day/night differences of processes governing abundances of large and small carbon containing particles to depths of 1000 m. We deployed LBNL's new Optical Carbon Sedimentation Recorder at depths of 150 and 300 m. We also deployed new autonomous optical sensors for particulate organic and inorganic carbon using the ship's CTD-rosette system. We thus got a three very different - but complimenary views of particles and carbon sedimentation processes.
All this is a part of an experiment called VERTIGO which is led by Ken Buesseler of Woods Hole Oceanopgraphic Institution. DOE Office of Science supports our work with MULVFS and the new carbon flux recorder. See our presentations on results from K2 and ALOHA at the 2006 AGU/ALSO Ocean Sciences meeting. Feb 20-24 2006.
OBGP Team members Jim Bishop, Todd Wood, and UC Berkeley Undergraduate, Greg Hierson joined other VERTIGO scientists in a study of particulate carbon abundances and sedimentation in oliotrophic (not biologically productive waters) at station ALOHA. We used MULVFS, ship lowered optical sensors, and the optical carbon sedimentation recorder. This was the first field experiment for VERTIGO.
The Kilo Moana is an intersting ship since the working deck is perched on struts connected to twin submarine (below the surface) shaped hulls. Think catamaran, but without wave effects.
OBGP Team members Todd Wood and Derek Yegian deployed a second
generation prototype autonomous carbon flux recording instrument at 150 m depth in waters near Hawaii at a station named ALOHA. This site is also one of the few locations where scientists have been studying how biological processes are changing with time. This program is called HOT .
The tests were conducted using a surface buoy system (at the right). We got almost three days of high frequency information on carbon sedimentation and valuable experience with the new instrument. This increased our experience by a factor of 20. We thank Pedro Verdugo and Kenia Whitehead of the University of Washington for helping us achieve this test.
This expedition was a prelude to an experiment called VERTIGO which is led by Ken Buesseler of Woods Hole Oceanopgraphic Institution. DOE Office of Science supports our work with MULVFS and the new carbon flux recorder.
January 6 to February 15 2002 R/V Revelle cruiseOBP group members Todd Wood, Chris Guay, and Phoebe Lam sailed from Littleton NZ aboard Revelle January 6th 2002 for a 5 and 1/2 week long experiment taking place in the seas around Antarctica. LBNL's research as part of the Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFEX) aimed at a better understanding of how the carbon cycle and food webs change after the addition of iron.
We addressed the question:
Does iron addition to the surface ocean change the rate at which carbon is transported into the deep sea? If so, how much? We deployed 4 Carbon Explorers for year long missions in the stormy waters south of New Zealand and we collected size fractionated particulate matter samples from the water column between the surface and 1000 m using LBNL's Multiple Unit Large Volume in situ Filtration System. A more detailed description of SOFEX and Day to day reports from the three ships involved are available via MBARI.
The April 16 2004 Issue of Science has a trio of papers on the results from SOFeX.
Read the article written by LBNL's Paul Pruess. (here ).
Our most recent expedition was aboard the R/V New Horizon to study the dynamics and optical properties of biogenic particulate matter in waters of the California Current near Point Conception.
Read the science beat article about the expedition written by Paul Pruess. (Part 1) ( Part 2)
Join us at sea for a virtual tour aboard the New Horizon.
Why not have a look at our Febuary 1996 cruise photo album.
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