Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Sea Surface Scanner (S3): A Catamaran for High-Resolution Measurements of Biogeochemical Properties of the Sea Surface Microlayer

Mariana Ribas-Ribas Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany

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Nur Ili Hamizah Mustaffa Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany

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Janina Rahlff Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany

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Christian Stolle Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, and Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Rostock, Germany

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Oliver Wurl Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany

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Print Publication:
01 Jul 2017
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-17-0017.1
Page(s):
1433–1448
Restricted access

Abstract

This paper describes a state-of-the-art research catamaran to investigate processes such as air–sea gas exchange, heat exchange, surface blooms, and photochemistry at the sea surface microlayer (SML) with high-resolution measurements of 0.1-Hz frequency. As the boundary layer between the ocean and the atmosphere, the SML covers 70% of Earth. The remote-controlled Sea Surface Scanner is based on a glass disk sampler to automate the sampling of the thin SML, overcoming the disadvantages of techniques such as low volume sampling and ex situ measurement of the SML. A suite of in situ sensors for seven biogeochemical parameters (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, chromophoric dissolved organic matter, chlorophyll-a, and photosynthetic efficiency) was implemented to characterize the SML in reference to the mixed bulk water. The Sea Surface Scanner has the capability to collect 24 discrete water samples with a volume of 1 L each for further laboratory analysis. Meteorological parameters such as wind speed influence SML properties and are continuously monitored. This paper reports the use of the Sea Surface Scanner to identify and study (i) upwelling regions and associated fronts, (ii) rain events, and (iii) the occurrence of surface blooms. The high patchiness of the SML was detected during the observed sea surface phenomena, and high-resolution mapping of the biogeochemical parameters of the oceanic boundary layer to the atmosphere are presented for the first time. The Sea Surface Scanner is a new technology to map and understand sea surface processes and, ultimately, to fill the gaps in knowledge about ocean–atmosphere interactions relevant to ocean and climate science.

Denotes content that is immediately available upon publication as open access.

Supplemental information related to this paper is available at the Journals Online website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-17-0017.s1.

© 2017 American Meteorological Society.

Corresponding author: Mariana Ribas-Ribas, mariana.ribas.ribas@uol.de

Abstract

This paper describes a state-of-the-art research catamaran to investigate processes such as air–sea gas exchange, heat exchange, surface blooms, and photochemistry at the sea surface microlayer (SML) with high-resolution measurements of 0.1-Hz frequency. As the boundary layer between the ocean and the atmosphere, the SML covers 70% of Earth. The remote-controlled Sea Surface Scanner is based on a glass disk sampler to automate the sampling of the thin SML, overcoming the disadvantages of techniques such as low volume sampling and ex situ measurement of the SML. A suite of in situ sensors for seven biogeochemical parameters (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, chromophoric dissolved organic matter, chlorophyll-a, and photosynthetic efficiency) was implemented to characterize the SML in reference to the mixed bulk water. The Sea Surface Scanner has the capability to collect 24 discrete water samples with a volume of 1 L each for further laboratory analysis. Meteorological parameters such as wind speed influence SML properties and are continuously monitored. This paper reports the use of the Sea Surface Scanner to identify and study (i) upwelling regions and associated fronts, (ii) rain events, and (iii) the occurrence of surface blooms. The high patchiness of the SML was detected during the observed sea surface phenomena, and high-resolution mapping of the biogeochemical parameters of the oceanic boundary layer to the atmosphere are presented for the first time. The Sea Surface Scanner is a new technology to map and understand sea surface processes and, ultimately, to fill the gaps in knowledge about ocean–atmosphere interactions relevant to ocean and climate science.

Denotes content that is immediately available upon publication as open access.

Supplemental information related to this paper is available at the Journals Online website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-17-0017.s1.

© 2017 American Meteorological Society.

Corresponding author: Mariana Ribas-Ribas, mariana.ribas.ribas@uol.de
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