Tracking marine carbonate system variability in the northern Salish Sea
Presentation Abstract
Quadra Island, at the northern terminus of the Salish Sea, has been a site for shore-based direct measurements of sea surface carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2) since December 2014. Initially, this effort coupled pCO2 data with total alkalinity estimated using regionally specific empirical relationships to resolve the marine carbonate system. These calculations were validated by comparing calculated pHT with direct pHT measurements made adjacent to the seawater intake every 30 minutes over a near 3-month period. In this way, the annual cycle was resolved at the Quadra Island site, which provided valuable information regarding scales of variability, the principle physical and biological drivers, and the shifting baseline resulting from anthropogenic CO2 invasion. Efforts now have built upon this initial work by implementing a novel analyzer capable of both discrete and continuous direct pCO2 and total CO2 (TCO2) measurements, known as a Burke-O-Lator (Dakunalytics, LLC). Carbonate mineral saturation states are now resolved in real-time at the shore-side facility, and displayed via the Hakai Institute and IOOS Pacific Region Ocean Acidification (IPACOA) data portals. Water column discrete pCO2 and TCO2 measurements are also now made on samples drawn from Niskin bottles deployed during near weekly survey cruises to core oceanographic stations in region. During this talk, results will be discussed in terms of: (1) the carbonate system resolved by direct pCO2 measurements with derived alkalinity, (2) the carbonate system resolved by the Burke-O-Lator pCO2 and TCO2 measurements, and (3) temporal and spatial variability of the carbonate system through the water column at core oceanographic stations.
Session Title
Ocean Acidification in the Salish Sea
Conference Track
Climate Change and Ocean Acidification
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Carbon cycle (Biogeochemistry)--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Ocean acidification--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Marine ecosystem management--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Environmental conditions
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Tracking marine carbonate system variability in the northern Salish Sea
2016SSEC
Quadra Island, at the northern terminus of the Salish Sea, has been a site for shore-based direct measurements of sea surface carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2) since December 2014. Initially, this effort coupled pCO2 data with total alkalinity estimated using regionally specific empirical relationships to resolve the marine carbonate system. These calculations were validated by comparing calculated pHT with direct pHT measurements made adjacent to the seawater intake every 30 minutes over a near 3-month period. In this way, the annual cycle was resolved at the Quadra Island site, which provided valuable information regarding scales of variability, the principle physical and biological drivers, and the shifting baseline resulting from anthropogenic CO2 invasion. Efforts now have built upon this initial work by implementing a novel analyzer capable of both discrete and continuous direct pCO2 and total CO2 (TCO2) measurements, known as a Burke-O-Lator (Dakunalytics, LLC). Carbonate mineral saturation states are now resolved in real-time at the shore-side facility, and displayed via the Hakai Institute and IOOS Pacific Region Ocean Acidification (IPACOA) data portals. Water column discrete pCO2 and TCO2 measurements are also now made on samples drawn from Niskin bottles deployed during near weekly survey cruises to core oceanographic stations in region. During this talk, results will be discussed in terms of: (1) the carbonate system resolved by direct pCO2 measurements with derived alkalinity, (2) the carbonate system resolved by the Burke-O-Lator pCO2 and TCO2 measurements, and (3) temporal and spatial variability of the carbonate system through the water column at core oceanographic stations.
