Air-Sea fluxes at the Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS) and Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs)
Instituto del Mar del Perú (IMARPE), Esquina Gamarra y General Valle S/N, Chucuito, CALLAO/LIMA, PERU, from 08 November 2010 to 10 November 2010
The international SOLAS program has defined mid-term strategy initiatives for the next years ( http://solas-int.org). Among the new initiatives approved by the SOLAS Scientific Steering Committee, the theme of the Air-sea exchange of short and long-term radiatively-active gases in the Eastern Boundary Systems (EBUS) and Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs) has been discussed during the Open Science Conference (Barcelona, 2009: www.solas-int.org/news/conferencemeetings/discsess.html). This initiative focuses on the co-existence of specific mechanisms, which are inducing a perturbation of biogeochemical cycles (for instance nitrogen loss, acidification) and acting as an "engine" producing and/or consuming climatic gases: O2, CO2, N2O, CH4, halogenous compounds. The scientific issues are:
- Which is the complete influence of the OMZs-EBUS on climate change, taking into account the impact of the greenhouse gases, clouds formation and control of O3 and O2?
- Which are the responsible mechanisms associated with a bio-, photo-, or chemio-degradation of the organic mater (including CDOM) for the production of greenhouse gases, e.g. the switch from an aerobic (O2-respiration) to an anaerobic (via NO3, SO4, metanogenesis, IO3, Fe) remineralization?
In order to answer these questions in the tropical OMZs-EBUS, the initiative focuses on the eastern tropical Pacific, which corresponds to the largest OMZ.
The workshop, including one day of short presentations and one day and a half for discussion, aims to stimulate an experimental oceanic and atmospheric effort, coordinated at the international scale from 2011-2012.
