Detection of CO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e leakage from a simulated sub-seabed storage site using three different types of pCO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e sensors

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This work is focused on results from a recent controlled sub-seabed in situ carbon dioxide (CO2) release experiment carried out during May-October 2012 in Ardmucknish Bay on the Scottish west coast. Three types of pCO2 sensors (fluorescence, NDIR and ISFET-based technologies) were used in combination with multiparameter instruments measuring oxygen, temperature, salinity and currents in the water column at the epicentre of release and further away. It was shown that distribution of seafloor CO2 emissions features high spatial and temporal heterogeneity. The highest pCO2 values (~1250 μatm) were detected at low tide around a bubble stream and within centimetres distance from the seafloor. Further up in the water column, 30-100 cm above the seabed, the gradients decreased, but continued to indicate elevated pCO2 at the epicentre of release throughout the injection campaign with the peak values between 400 and 740 μatm. High-frequency parallel measurements from two instruments placed within 1 m from each other, relocation of one of the instruments at the release site and 2D horizontal mapping of the release and control sites confirmed a localized impact from CO2 emissions. Observed effects on the water column were temporary and post-injection recovery took O2, and when it was influenced by purposefully released CO2. Use of a hydrodynamic circulation model, calibrated with in situ data, was crucial to establishing background conditions in this complex and dynamic shallow water system

Detection of CO2 leakage from a simulated sub-seabed storage site using three different types of pCO2 sensors

This work is focused on results from a recent controlled sub-seabed in situ carbon dioxide (CO2) release experiment carried out during May–October 2012 in Ardmucknish Bay on the Scottish west coast. Three types of pCO2 sensors (fluorescence, NDIR and ISFET-based technologies) were used in combination with multiparameter instruments measuring oxygen, temperature, salinity and currents in the water column at the epicentre of release and further away. It was shown that distribution of seafloor CO2 emissions features high spatial and temporal heterogeneity. The highest pCO2 values (∼1250 μatm) were detected at low tide around a bubble stream and within centimetres distance from the seafloor. Further up in the water column, 30–100 cm above the seabed, the gradients decreased, but continued to indicate elevated pCO2 at the epicentre of release throughout the injection campaign with the peak values between 400 and 740 μatm. High-frequency parallel measurements from two instruments placed within 1 m from each other, relocation of one of the instruments at the release site and 2D horizontal mapping of the release and control sites confirmed a localized impact from CO2 emissions. Observed effects on the water column were temporary and post-injection recovery took <7 days. A multivariate statistical approach was used to recognize the periods when the system was dominated by natural forcing with strong correlation between variation in pCO2 and O2, and when it was influenced by purposefully released CO2. Use of a hydrodynamic circulation model, calibrated with in situ data, was crucial to establishing background conditions in this complex and dynamic shallow water system

Norwegian Sea net community production estimated from O2 and prototype CO2 optode measurements on a Seaglider

We report on a pilot study using a CO2 optode deployed on a Seaglider in the Norwegian Sea from March to October 2014. The optode measurements required drift and lag correction and in situ calibration using discrete wa ter samples collected in the vicinity. We found that the op tode signal correlated better with the concentration of CO2, c(CO2), than with its partial pressure, p(CO2). Using the calibrated c(CO2) and a regional parameterisation of to tal alkalinity (AT) as a function of temperature and salin ity, we calculated total dissolved inorganic carbon content, c(DIC), which had a standard deviation of 11 μmol kg-2 compared with in situ measurements. The glider was also equipped with an oxygen (O2) optode. The O2 optode was drift corrected and calibrated using a c(O2) climatology for deep samples. The calibrated data enabled the calcu lation of DIC-and O2-based net community production, N(DIC) and N(O2). To derive N, DIC and O2 inventory changes over time were combined with estimates of air sea gas exchange, diapycnal mixing and entrainment of deeper waters. Glider-based observations captured two periods of increased Chl a inventory in late spring (May) and a second one in summer (June). For the May period, we found N(DIC) = (21±5) mmol m-2 d-1 , N(O2) = (94± 16) mmol m-2 d-1 and an (uncalibrated) Chl a peak con centration of craw(Chl a) = 3 mg m-3. During the June pe riod, craw(Chl a) increased to a summer maximum of 4 mg m-3 , associated with N(DIC) = (85±5) mmol m-2 d-1 and N(O2) = (126±25) mmol m-2 d -1. The high-resolution dataset allowed for quantification of the changes in N be fore, during and after the periods of increased Chl a inven tory. After the May period, the remineralisation of the mate rial produced during the period of increased Chl a inventory decreased N(DIC) to (-3 ± 5) mmol m-2 d-1 and N(O2) to (0 ± 2) mmol m-2 d-1 . The survey area was a source of O2 and a sink of CO2 for most of the summer. The deployment captured two different surface waters influenced by the Nor wegian Atlantic Current (NwAC) and the Norwegian Coastal Current (NCC). The NCC was characterised by lower c(O2) and c (DIC) than the NwAC, as well as lower N(O2) and craw(Chl a) but higher N(DIC). Our results show the poten tial of glider data to simultaneously capture time-and depth resolved variability in DIC and O2 concentrations

Water mass transport and transformation in the western SPNA, Cruise No. MSM74, May 25 - June 26, 2018, St. John's (Canada) - Reykjavik (Iceland), Western SPNA transport

The scientific program of the MARIA S. MERIAN MSM74 expedition was dedicated to studies on the intensity of water mass transformation and the southward transport of water masses in the boundary current systems off Labrador and at the southern tip of Greenland. During the expedition we recovered 17/deployed 8 deep sea moorings. Measurements of the vertical structure of temperature, salinity, density, oxygen, optical properties and the flow along selected sections have been surveyed during the MSM74 expedition. Close to the surface, permanent registrations are carried out with the thermosalinograph (temperature, salinity) and meteorological data are continuously collected. Flow measurements up to 1000m depth are performed with the ships installed ADCPs. The expedition is a contribution to national (RACE) and international projects (OSNAP, AtlantOS)

OOI Biogeochemical Sensor Data: Best Practices and User Guide. Version 1.0.0.

The OOI Biogeochemical Sensor Data Best Practices and User Guide is intended to provide current and prospective users of data generated by biogeochemical sensors deployed on the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) arrays with the information and guidance needed for them to ensure that the data is science-ready. This guide is aimed at researchers with an interest or some experience in ocean biogeochemical processes. We expect that users of this guide will have some background in oceanography, however we do not assume any prior experience working with biogeochemical sensors or their data. While initially envisioned as a “cookbook” for end users seeking to work with OOI biogeochemical (BGC) sensor data, our Working Group and Beta Testers realized that the processing required to meet the specific needs of all end users across a wide range of potential scientific applications and combinations of OOI BGC data from different sensors and platforms couldn’t be synthesized into a single “recipe”. We therefore provide here the background information and principles needed for the end user to successfully identify and understand all the available “ingredients” (data), the types of “cooking” (end user processing) that are recommended to prepare them, and a few sample “recipes” (worked examples) to support end users in developing their own “recipes” consistent with the best practices presented here. This is not intended to be an exhaustive guide to each of these sensors, but rather a synthesis of the key information to support OOI BGC sensor data users in preparing science-ready data products. In instances when more in-depth information might be helpful, references and links have been provided both within each chapter and in the Appendix

Report on the observational potential of the TMAs

Assessment of the impact of upper-ocean measurements and of coherent integration of O2 measurements (as example for non-physical EOVs) for transports and fluxes in the Atlantic TMAs and synergies with the wider Atlantic Observing System. One workshop will be held to prepare the report and foster the cooperation on cross-TMA analyse

Perspectives on in situ Sensors for Ocean Acidification Research

As ocean acidification (OA) sensor technology develops and improves, in situ deployment of such sensors is becoming more widespread. However, the scientific value of these data depends on the development and application of best practices for calibration, validation, and quality assurance as well as on further development and optimization of the measurement technologies themselves. Here, we summarize the results of a 2-day workshop on OA sensor best practices held in February 2018, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, drawing on the collective experience and perspectives of the participants. The workshop on in situ Sensors for OA Research was organized around three basic questions: 1) What are the factors limiting the precision, accuracy and reliability of sensor data? 2) What can we do to facilitate the quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) process and optimize the utility of these data? and 3) What sort of data or metadata are needed for these data to be most useful to future users? A synthesis of the discussion of these questions among workshop participants and conclusions drawn is presented in this paper

Development and use of an optical pCO2 sensor in marine studies

Partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) is one of the most important parameters, which are measured in the global ocean in conjunction with ocean acidification studies. It is also a parameter of great interest to aquaculture and fish industries since CO2 in large amounts is highly toxic for animals. The requirements for pCO2 measuring systems, e.g. long-term stability, accuracy, high sampling frequency, easy maintenance, low-power consumption, are based on the demands from the industry and scientific community, and the current trends according to global sensor development initiatives. A newly developed fluorescence lifetime based optical sensor for measuring pCO2 in water was evaluated and described (Paper 1). The advantages and drawbacks of this new technology in comparison to existing methods were discussed and compared in a number of in situ field deployments (Papers 1-3). A cross-sensitivity of the pCO2 optode to the most commonly co-existing substances in water and seawater was evaluated (Papers 1 and 3). A number of parameters, which influence the response of the pCO2 sensor, were thoroughly investigated in a specially designed experiment and assessed using a multivariate data analysis approach (Paper 1, 4). We have especially focused on describing the influence of salinity change and hydrostatic pressure on the sensor response in separate laboratory tests (Paper 4). A simplified calibration procedure for narrow ranges of pCO2 was proposed and a practically usable mathematical calibration model was elaborated and verified (Paper 4). As a result of sensor development efforts in achieving stability and accuracy of the sensor, pre-conditioning and single-point referencing procedures were proposed (Paper 1). The developed pCO2 sensor was successfully used in a number of biogeochemical studies (Paper 2), for monitoring pCO2 levels in fish tanks (Paper 1) and for detecting CO2 leakages out of a simulated sub-seabed Carbon Capture Storage site (CCS) (Paper 3). Long-term high-temporarily resolved pCO2 data in combination with other sensor data (especially oxygen), gave us a deep insight into the governing processes (such as air-sea exchange, vertical mixing, primary production, organic mater degradation), which drive seasonal changes in the carbonate system of the Koljo Fjord, western Sweden. In the same study, stability of the sensor over a year of continuous measurements was confirmed. Due to its excellent performance, the pCO2 sensor has found its well-deserved place as a part of warning/monitoring systems in the proposed strategy for detection of CO2 leakage out of CCS sites. The range of potential applications for the pCO2 sensor is obviously wide. This challenge stimulates further development and improvements of the sensor, especially in accuracy and tolerance to salinity changes. These tasks are being addressed and investigations are in progress