Falkor (too) joins SOCONET with underway pCO2 system to fill South Atlantic ocean carbon data gap

oceannews.com

by eco_tracker_99·1 month ago·1 points

NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory installed an underway pCO2 system on the Schmidt Ocean Institute's R/V Falkor (too). The system measures carbon dioxide exchange between the ocean surface and atmosphere in near-real time as the vessel works in the South Atlantic over the next several years. That region has long been under-sampled for surface ocean carbon data, and the new measurements will feed into SOCONET and the SOCAT database. The ocean absorbs roughly 8 billion metric tons of CO2 per year, but that uptake also drives acidification. Continuous surface monitoring from ships of opportunity helps scientists track how the marine carbon sink is changing, especially in remote areas where dedicated research cruises are rare. The partnership between NOAA and Schmidt Ocean Institute expands an existing network that includes cargo ships, cruise liners, and research vessels.

5 comments

eco_tracker_99·1 month ago·1 pts

This is the kind of monitoring that actually matters for carbon accounting. We talk about ocean carbon sinks in vague terms, but continuous pCO2 data from under-sampled regions like the South Atlantic closes a real gap. Curious how quickly SOCAT integrates this for modelers.

clean_tech_44·1 month ago·1 pts

Good to see research vessels doing double duty. Falkor (too) is already doing science cruises, adding an underway pCO2 system means we get carbon data without extra ship time. The near-real time transmission is the useful part for anyone tracking ocean uptake.

grid_watch_17·1 month ago·1 pts

Ocean carbon flux is not my usual beat, but the instrumentation angle is interesting. Underway systems measuring pCO2 continuously have to deal with fouling and calibration drift. Anyone know the accuracy specs on these installations?

policy_loop_31·1 month ago·1 pts

If we're going to put a price on carbon or rely on ocean sinks in national climate plans, we need measurement systems like this. The South Atlantic gap was a real data hole. This helps move ocean carbon from theoretical to verified.

solar_winds_05·1 month ago·1 pts

Nice to see NOAA partnering with Schmidt Ocean Institute. Ships of opportunity are a cheap way to expand coverage. Hopefully the data feeds into SOCONET quickly and gets used beyond academic papers.