Mid-Term Strategy meeting: Air-Sea Gas Fluxes in Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems and Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs)

Background

Among the new initiatives approved by the SOLAS Scientific Steering Committee, the theme of air-sea exchange of short- and long-term radiatively-active gases in the Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS) and
Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs) has been discussed during the SOLAS Open Science Conference in Barcelona (November 2009).
This initiative focuses on the co-existence of specific mechanisms, which are inducing a perturbation of biogeochemical cycles (for instance nitrogen loss, acidification) and acting as an "engine" producing and/or
consuming climatic gases: O2, CO2, N2O, CH4, halogenous compounds. The scientific issues are:

1) Which is the complete influence of the OMZs-EBUS on climate change, taking into account the impact of the greenhouse gases, cloud formation and control of O3 and O2?
2) Which are the responsible mechanisms associated with a bio-, photo-, or chemo-degradation of organic matter (including CDOM) for the production of greenhouse gases, e.g. the switch from an aerobic
(O2-respiration) to an anaerobic (via NO3, SO4, methanogenesis, IO3, Fe) remineralization?

In order to answer these questions in the tropical OMZs-EBUS, the initiative focuses on the eastern tropical Pacific, which corresponds to the largest OMZ.

The workshop, including one day of short presentations and one day and a half for discussion, aims to stimulate an experimental oceanic and atmospheric effort, coordinated at the international scale from 2011-2012. 

More information: web site

SPONSORS