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            Management and Scientific Service in Support of the U.S. JGOFS Southern Ocean Process Study: Hydrography, Coring and Site Survey
           
              Start Date:
             
              1996-08-01
             
              End Date:
             
              2003-01-31
             
              Description/Abstract
             
              95-30398  Anderson    This research project is part of the US Joint Global Ocean Flux  Study (JGOFS) Southern Ocean Program aimed at (1) a better  understanding of the fluxes of carbon, both organic and  inorganic, in the Southern Ocean, (2) identifying the physical,  ecological and biogeochemical factors and processes which  regulate the magnitude and variability of these fluxes, and (3)  placing these fluxes into the context of the contemporary global  carbon cycle.    The overall objectives of JGOFS are to determine and understand  processes controlling the time-varying fluxes of carbon and  associated biogenic elements, and to predict the response of  marine biogeochemical processes to climate change.  The Southern  Ocean is critical in the global carbon cycle, as judged by its  size and the physical processes which occur in it (e.g., deep and  intermediate water formation), but its present quantitative role  is uncertain.    JGOFS objectives for the Southern Ocean study are as follows:    1)  to constrain the fluxes of carbon (organic and inorganic) and  to place these fluxes in the context of the contemporary carbon  cycle;  2)  to identify the factors and processes which regulate the  magnitude and variability of primary productivity and the fate of  biogenic matter;  3)  to determine the response of the Southern Ocean to natural  climate perturbations; and  4)  to predict the response of the Southern Ocean to climate  change.    In order to successfully address these objectives, a large field  program has been designed to provide various investigators the  opportunity to test specific hypotheses which relate to these  broadly-defined objectives.  We expect the field test to begin in  September 1996, and last through March 1998 using two ships, the  R.V. Palmer, and the R.V. Thompson.  As most of the investigators  will use hydrographic and nutrient data from these cruises, this  proposal requests funds for the support of the analysis of  nutrient concentrations during these thirteen crui ses.  A team of  oceanographic experts from a variety of institutions has been  assembled to complete these analyses; furthermore, the data will  be scrutinized for errors and provided in a timely fashion to all  PI's in the project, as well as to the relevant oceanographic  data storage facilities.  The hydrography and coring groups have  been put together using the successful model for the Arabian Sea  JGOFS study, and in conjunction with the nutrient data (supported  under a separate proposal), will form a large portion of the  Southern Ocean JGOFS database which both field investigators and  modelers will use to clarify the role of the Southern Ocean in  the global carbon cycle.
             
              Personnel
             
 
              Funding
             
            Data Management Plan
           
            
              None in the Database
            
           
              Product Level:
             
              Not provided 
             
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            Platforms and Instruments
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