Research Measure: Discovery
Funding Type: SFI US-Irl R&D Partnership
Funding Year: 2009
Project Duration: 36 Months
Project Type: Project-Based
Total Grant-Aid: €463,058
Lead Partner: National University of Ireland, Galway
Project Partner(s):
- Queen's University Belfast
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA
Project Summary:
Accurate measurements of the atmosphere–ocean fluxes of trace gases are important to an improved understanding of the cycling of climatically relevant gases. The direct eddy correlation (EC) method, which is considered to be the benchmark for accurate determination of air–sea fluxes of trace gases, relies on high–frequency measurements of the fluctuations of vertical wind velocity and gas concentration, and requires fast response sensors in combination with high sensitivity. These twin requirements have precluded oceanographic use of the EC technique for many species of interest, and direct measurements have been limited mainly to carbon dioxide at relatively high flux levels. The main objective of this research is to develop a fast, highly sensitive, gas concentration sensor, and to integrate it with a sonic anemometer, motion sensing, and data acquisition into an EC flux package suitable for operation from buoys and other platforms, such as ships.