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The Inorganic Cardbon Systen and Nutrient Cycling in the Equatorial North Pacific: A study of the interactions between oceanographic features and seawater chemistry

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract
The world’s oceans are an extremely important component of the global carbon cycle. As anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions become a growing concern, increasing our understanding of the oceanic carbon system will be a key factor in projecting the affects of global climate change and the ability of the oceans to regulate increases in atmospheric CO2. Extensive progress in this area has been made over the past 20 years, but significant gaps still exist. This study examines the carbon system and nutrient cycling processes occurring the north equatorial Pacific along a transect from Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii to Christmas Island, Kiribati. Total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and in situ pCO2 were calculated from the total alkalinity and pH measured at several depths down to 350 meters at eight stations along the transect. It was found that both pCO2 and DIC were regulated by biological and oceanographic factors and that water mass characteristics played an important role in determining parameters of the carbon system. In addition, nutrient data was used to determine which areas along the transect show ratios similar to those projected by the Redfield Ratio. It was found that although slight variations occurred along the transect, the area as a whole demonstrated nutrient ratios which adhered very closely to the Redfield Ratio. While this study provides a baseline for the carbon system parameters in the equatorial north Pacific, further research will be needed to fully define the system and mechanisms taking place in the region.

Description

Type of resource text
Date created June 12, 2007

Creators/Contributors

Author Scofield, Annie

Subjects

Subject Stanford@SEA
Subject S-211
Subject Hopkins Marine Station
Subject Department of Biology
Subject Department of Earth System Science
Subject BIOHOPK 182H
Subject BIOHOPK 323H
Subject EARTHSYS 323
Subject ESS 323
Subject carbon cycle
Subject anthropogenic pressure
Subject greenhouse gas
Subject emissions
Subject climate change
Subject atmospheric CO2
Subject nutrient cycle
Subject north equatorial Pacific
Subject Kealakekua Bay
Subject Hawaii
Subject Christmas Island
Subject Kiribati
Subject dissolved inorganic carbon
Subject DIC
Subject pCO2
Subject alkalinity
Subject pH
Subject Redfield Radio
Genre Student project report

Bibliographic information

Location https://purl.stanford.edu/hm222bn8688

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User agrees that, where applicable, content will not be used to identify or to otherwise infringe the privacy or confidentiality rights of individuals. Content distributed via the Stanford Digital Repository may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor.
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license (CC BY).

Preferred citation

Scofield, Annie. 2007. The Inorganic Cardbon Systen and Nutrient Cycling in the Equatorial North Pacific: A study of the interactions between oceanographic features and seawater chemisty. Unpublished Student Work, S-211, Stanford@SEA, Stanford Digital Repository. https://purl.stanford.edu/hm222bn8688.

Collection

Stanford@SEA -- Student papers

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Contact information

thalassa@stanford.edu

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