9814388 DeGrandpre In this project, the principal investigator will take advantage of an oceanographic cruise of opportunity to study the relationship between the in-situ partial pressure of carbon dioxide in surface seawater of the northeast Pacific Ocean and ocean color satellite data from the NASA SeaWiFS satellite. The site, called Ocean Station Papa, has been well studied over the past two decades, so there is an excellent historical database of carbon dioxide, chlorophyll- a, and other variables related to the oceanic carbon cycle. The site is known to undergo seasonal variations in sea surface temperature and primary production, both of which are observable by satellite color sensors. The principle investigator will explore relationships between the partial pressure of carbon dioxide and these two variables and also with episodic inputs of atmospheric dust, which is observable with satellite aerosol images. If successful, the project could be extended eventually to monitor and map variations in the CO2 physicochemical state of the surface ocean worldwide
