Substantial Sub-Surface Chlorophyll Patch Sustained by Vertical Nutrient Fluxes in Fram Strait Observed With an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
We present results from a coordinated frontal survey in Fram Strait in summer 2016 using an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) combined with shipboard and zodiac-based hydrographic measurements. Based on satellite information, we identified a front between warm Atlantic Water and cold Polar Water....
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2021
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:6babdb44dda84fbf9116ae303e75623d 2023-05-15T16:18:05+02:00 Substantial Sub-Surface Chlorophyll Patch Sustained by Vertical Nutrient Fluxes in Fram Strait Observed With an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Sandra Tippenhauer Markus Janout Manita Chouksey Sinhue Torres-Valdes Allison Fong Thorben Wulff 2021-09-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.605225 https://doaj.org/article/6babdb44dda84fbf9116ae303e75623d EN eng Frontiers Media S.A. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.605225/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.605225 https://doaj.org/article/6babdb44dda84fbf9116ae303e75623d Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 8 (2021) turbulent mixing autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) nitrate flux front chlorophyll Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.605225 2022-12-31T12:43:12Z We present results from a coordinated frontal survey in Fram Strait in summer 2016 using an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) combined with shipboard and zodiac-based hydrographic measurements. Based on satellite information, we identified a front between warm Atlantic Water and cold Polar Water. The AUV, equipped with oceanographic and biogeochemical sensors, profiled the upper 50 m along a 10 km-long cross-front oriented transect resulting in a high-resolution snapshot of the upper ocean. The transect was dominated by a 6 km-wide, 10 m-thick subsurface patch of high chlorophyll, located near the euphotic depth within a band of cold water. Nitrate was depleted in the surface, but abundant below the pycnocline. Potential vorticity and Richardson number estimates indicate conditions favorable for vertical mixing, which indicates that the high chlorophyll patch may have been sustained by upward nitrate fluxes. Our observations underline the complex hydrographic and biogeochemical structure in a region featuring fronts and meanders, and further underline the patchy and small-scale nature of subsurface phytoplankton blooms potentially fueled by submesoscale dynamics, which are easily missed by traditional surveys and satellite missions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Fram Strait Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Frontiers in Marine Science 8 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
turbulent mixing autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) nitrate flux front chlorophyll Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
spellingShingle |
turbulent mixing autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) nitrate flux front chlorophyll Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 Sandra Tippenhauer Markus Janout Manita Chouksey Sinhue Torres-Valdes Allison Fong Thorben Wulff Substantial Sub-Surface Chlorophyll Patch Sustained by Vertical Nutrient Fluxes in Fram Strait Observed With an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle |
topic_facet |
turbulent mixing autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) nitrate flux front chlorophyll Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
description |
We present results from a coordinated frontal survey in Fram Strait in summer 2016 using an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) combined with shipboard and zodiac-based hydrographic measurements. Based on satellite information, we identified a front between warm Atlantic Water and cold Polar Water. The AUV, equipped with oceanographic and biogeochemical sensors, profiled the upper 50 m along a 10 km-long cross-front oriented transect resulting in a high-resolution snapshot of the upper ocean. The transect was dominated by a 6 km-wide, 10 m-thick subsurface patch of high chlorophyll, located near the euphotic depth within a band of cold water. Nitrate was depleted in the surface, but abundant below the pycnocline. Potential vorticity and Richardson number estimates indicate conditions favorable for vertical mixing, which indicates that the high chlorophyll patch may have been sustained by upward nitrate fluxes. Our observations underline the complex hydrographic and biogeochemical structure in a region featuring fronts and meanders, and further underline the patchy and small-scale nature of subsurface phytoplankton blooms potentially fueled by submesoscale dynamics, which are easily missed by traditional surveys and satellite missions. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Sandra Tippenhauer Markus Janout Manita Chouksey Sinhue Torres-Valdes Allison Fong Thorben Wulff |
author_facet |
Sandra Tippenhauer Markus Janout Manita Chouksey Sinhue Torres-Valdes Allison Fong Thorben Wulff |
author_sort |
Sandra Tippenhauer |
title |
Substantial Sub-Surface Chlorophyll Patch Sustained by Vertical Nutrient Fluxes in Fram Strait Observed With an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle |
title_short |
Substantial Sub-Surface Chlorophyll Patch Sustained by Vertical Nutrient Fluxes in Fram Strait Observed With an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle |
title_full |
Substantial Sub-Surface Chlorophyll Patch Sustained by Vertical Nutrient Fluxes in Fram Strait Observed With an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle |
title_fullStr |
Substantial Sub-Surface Chlorophyll Patch Sustained by Vertical Nutrient Fluxes in Fram Strait Observed With an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle |
title_full_unstemmed |
Substantial Sub-Surface Chlorophyll Patch Sustained by Vertical Nutrient Fluxes in Fram Strait Observed With an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle |
title_sort |
substantial sub-surface chlorophyll patch sustained by vertical nutrient fluxes in fram strait observed with an autonomous underwater vehicle |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.605225 https://doaj.org/article/6babdb44dda84fbf9116ae303e75623d |
genre |
Fram Strait |
genre_facet |
Fram Strait |
op_source |
Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 8 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.605225/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.605225 https://doaj.org/article/6babdb44dda84fbf9116ae303e75623d |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.605225 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
container_volume |
8 |
_version_ |
1766004181306441728 |