Is the summer freshwater lens a barrier for the movement of the sulfur compounds?

Description

During leg 4, a freshwater lens developed in the leads by mid- to late-June, supposedly acting as an effective barrier to biogenic gas fluxes between the sea surface and the atmosphere. Depending on the water characteristics (i.e. visible biomass and/or stratification within temperature and salinity profiles), samples were collected at three different depths to measure chlorophyll a fluorescence, light microscopy (in collaboration with ECO Team) and the total dimethyl sulfide (DMS, collaboration with Steve Archer) and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSPt) concentration. DMSP is a sulfur molecule produced primarily by algae, which can be converted to the semi-volatile compound DMS. Once DMS is released into the atmosphere, it contributes to the formation of cloud condensation nuclei, with a possible climate cooling effect in the Arctic. Together with the other MOSAiC teams, we contributed to the BGC sampling effort to understand the implications of the upper ocean stratification on gas transfer. More specifically, we aim to clarify: 1) how the temporal and spatial variability of the melt water influences phytoplankton community distribution; 2) how the phytoplankton community relates to the sulfur compounds; 3) how the upper ocean stratification impacts on the vertical distribution of sulfur compounds.

Period	27-Apr-2022
Event title	International MOSAiC Science Conference/Workshop
Event type	Conference
Location	Potsdam, GermanyShow on map