Open AccessIn calm seas, precipitation drives air‐sea gas exchange
Author(s) -
Schultz Colin
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2012eo190015
Subject(s) - environmental science , wind speed , metre , precipitation , meteorology , hydrology (agriculture) , atmospheric sciences , geology , geography , physics , geotechnical engineering , astronomy
In a series of experiments run in what resembles a heavily instrumented fish tank, Harrison et al. investigated the interwoven roles of wind and rain on air‐sea gas exchange rates. Working with a 42‐meterlong, 1‐meter‐wide, and 1.25‐meter‐tall experimental pool, the authors were able to control the wind speed, rainfall rate, water circulation speed, and other parameters, which they used to assess the effect of 24 different wind speed–rainfall rate combinations on the gas exchange rate of sulfur hexafuoride, a greenhouse gas. In trials that lasted up to 3 hours, the authors collected water samples from the tank at regular intervals, tracking the concentration of the dissolved gas.