Publication Date:
2011-11-16
Description:
During the 2007 UK SOLAS Deep Ocean Gas Exchange Experiment in the northeast Atlantic Ocean, we conducted the first ever study of the effect of a deliberately released surfactant (oleyl alcohol) on gas transfer velocities (kw) in the open ocean. Exchange rates were estimated with the 3He/SF6 dual tracer technique and from measured sea-to-air DMS fluxes and surface water concentrations. A total of seven kw estimates derived from 3He/SF6 were made, two of which were deemed to be influenced by the surfactant. These exhibited suppression from ∼5% to 55% at intermediate wind speeds (U10) in the range 7.2–10.7 m s−1. Similarly, kw determined from DMS data (kDMS) was also depressed by the surfactant; suppression ranged from ∼39% at 5.0 m s−1 to ∼24% at 10.8 m s−1. Surfactant thus has the potential to measurably suppress gas exchange rates even at moderate to high wind speeds.
Print ISSN:
0148-0227
Topics:
Geosciences
,
Physics
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