Air-sea fluxes of three atmospherically important gases (carbon dioxide, dimethylsulfide, and acetone) will be measured aboard a ship platform using the technique of eddy covariance. In addition, the water concentrations of these species will be quantified. From the gradient in air and sea concentrations, and the observed exchange flux, it will be possible to derive gas exchange coefficients. The gases have very different seawater solubilities, so comparison of these coefficients under a variety of biogeochemical, oceanographic, and atmospheric conditions will provide significant insight into the mechanism of air-sea gas exchange.
Broader impacts of this work include contributions to the understanding of processes affecting atmospheric reactivity and climate change by helping to quantify important sources and sinks of these species. The data acquired in this study will be valuable for testing models of the budgets of these species. This project will also provide support for a graduate student to carry out dissertation research.
