POSTER SESSION 2
10:30–12:30, Tuesday, September 15
Poster Session | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Schedule at a Glance
ABSTRACT 1202 | POSTER 154
RESOLVING SMALL-SCALE DYNAMICS IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN’S POLAR FRONT WITH BIOGEOCHEMICAL TRACERS
The Southern Ocean consists of distinct regions separated by sharp hydrographic fronts. The Polar Front (PF) is a major biogeochemical boundary that separates high macronutrient waters derived from upwelling Circumpolar Deep Water in the south, from relatively depleted macronutrient waters to the north. Along the front, dynamic mesoscale and submesoscale features are prevalent, including interleaving watermasses, making the boundary between these regions complex. Understanding how these complex dynamics affect biogeochemical cycles on larger scales, including the efficiency of the biological carbon pump, remains challenging. During the 2023 FOCUS voyage, acoustic Doppler current profiles (ADCP) and absorption and attenuation sensor (ACS) measurements were paired with undulating vehicle tows to investigate how small-scale physics impacts local biogeochemistry. By tracing the relationship between chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) sources and its dominant sink, namely photobleaching, we built on recent publications establishing CDOM as a tracer in the open ocean. Here, we present a novel application of CDOM as a tracer of mesoscale, submesoscale, and interleaving structures across the PF. When applied in combination with other biogeochemical tracers, these analyses highlight how small-scale frontal dynamics can redistribute organic carbon and nutrients both horizontally and vertically in the PF region.
Chantal Mears*, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Australia, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4725-1387
Christina Schallenberg, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Australia, [email protected]
Peter Strutton, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Australia, [email protected]
Yann-Treden Tranchant, Australian Antarctic Program Partnership, Australia, [email protected]
Helen Phillips, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Australia, [email protected]
Benoit Legresy, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Australia, [email protected]
Heather Jaques, National Oceanography Centre Southampton & The University of Southampton, [email protected]
Tamara Schlosser, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Australia, [email protected]
Poster Session | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Schedule at a Glance
