Sensors and instruments for oceanic dissolved carbon measurements

[摘要] Highly accurate and precise measurements of marine carbon components arerequired in the study of the marine carbon cycle, particularly wheninvestigating the causes for its variability from seasonal to interannualtimescales. This is especially true in the investigation of the consequencesof anthropogenic influences.

The analysis of any marine carbon component requires elaborateinstrumentation, most of which is currently used onboard ships, either inmanual or automated mode. Technological developments result in more and moreinstruments that have sufficient long-term reliability so that they can bedeployed on commercial ships, surface moorings, and buoys, whilst the greattechnological and operational challenges mean that only few sensors havebeen developed that can be used for sub-surface in situ measurements onfloats, robots, or gliders. There is a special need for autonomousinstruments and sensors that are able to measure a combination of differentcomponents, in order to increase the spatial and temporal coverage of marinecarbon data.

This paper describes analytical techniques used for the measurement of themarine dissolved carbon components, both inorganic and organic: the fugacityof CO₂, total dissolved inorganic carbon, pH, alkalinity, and dissolvedorganic carbon. By pointing out advantages, disadvantages, and/or challengesof the techniques employed in the analysis of each component, we aim to aidnon-carbon marine scientists, sensor developers and technologists, in thedecision of which challenges to address in further development.

[学科分类] 海洋学与技术