9811891 Sholkovitz This ocean science technology development project focuses on the design, construction, and testing of sensor systems for the elemental analysis of aerosols on buoys at sea. These systems involve field portable X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy (FP-XRF)and an Iron Aerosol Detector (FeAD) which uses fiber optic spectrometry to measure Fe. The primary objectives are sensors which can measure, in an unattended manner, the aerosol concentrations of dust and reactive iron (Fe) from ocean buoys. Research areas that would benefit from real-time time-series aerosol data from buoys include: measurement of off-shore dust and contaminants transport, effects of mineral dust on the ocean's biological productivity (the Fe Hypothesis), and the role of anthropogenic mineral aerosols on the Earth's radiation balance and climate. This is a collaborative project between scientists and engineers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, bringing together expertise in buoy technology and instrumentation, computer software development and marine geochemistry. Given that aerosol sensors have never been deployed from buoys, this project will involve designing, building and testing the individual instruments and integrating these sensors through software into a single buoy system. Bench and tower testing will be followed by two seasons of field testing on a moored buoy off Woods Hole.
