Exploratory Study of the Formation and Distribution of Surfactant Films on the Ocean's Surface and Their Global Mapping

• Applicant: Professor Oliver Wurl, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Oceanography
• Term: from 2007 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 53613335

The sea-surface microlayer (SML) plays an important role in air-sea interactions, in particular for greenhouse gases affecting the global heat budget. This interfacial region between ocean and atmosphere is often enriched in naturally occurring surfactants affecting air-sea gas exchange processes. In this proposed study the formation and distribution of surfactant films in coastal and oceanic waters will be extensively investigated to study seasonal and small-scale variations. Carbohydrates originating from the primary production in the water column are the largest sources of surface-active substances (SAS) in the SML. A new approach for the investigation of the surfactant coverage of the ocean's surface will be applied using a simple and robust electrochemical method for SAS. Numerous samples will be analysed on SAS to obtain small-scale surfactant coverage of various environmental conditions, including primary production. The data will be used to interpolate a threshold value for chlorophyll and the primary production as indicator of the presence of surfactants films. Global ocean chlorophyll and primary productivity distribution maps estimated from SeaWIFS ocean color images and the derived threshold values will be used to provide maps illustrating surfactant coverage of the global oceans. Global maps of surfactant coverage will significantly improve the estimation of annual net fluxes of greenhouse gases, in particular for CO2, and therefore the prediction of the future climate.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Canada
• Host: Svein Vagle