Untitled - The Future Ocean

Körtzinger studies air-sea gas exchange and provides opportunities for large-scale surfacesampling from commercial volunteer observing ships (P4).The A6 JRG will apply state-of-the-art spectroscopic techniques to studies of the seawater-airinterface in the context of existing expertise in the areas identified in the diagram.4. ObjectivesA6 will investigate chemical structures and processes at and near the seawater-air interface asrelevant to changing air-sea chemical interactions of the future ocean. Research themes for the A6project team are: (1) halogen speciation/reactivity in the surface ocean, including interactions withorganic material and ozone; (2) photochemical cycling of dust-derived iron and consequences foriron bioavailability; (3) the role of organic films for these processes. Photochemistry and surfacelayerstructures exert strong control on the sea-to-air flux of key organo-iodine compounds (Richterand Wallace 2004), influence inorganic iodine concentrations and speciations (and hence ozoneuptake), are significant for Br chemistry and fluxes. Further, the speciation and reactivity of Br issensitive to future ocean pH change. Photochemically initiated metal-ligand redox reactionsinfluence the rapid dissolution of Fe aerosols in the upper ocean, thus affecting Fe availability tophytoplankton. Within this context, a new Junior Research Group will be established in the Instituteof Physical Chemistry of the University of Kiel. The JRG will develop and apply new experimentaltechniques to probe the water-air interface at molecular and supramolecular scales in the presenceof marine solutes, atmospheric gases, and monolayers or thin films of marine-typical organiccompounds. Combined with other gas and liquid-phase spectroscopies supplied by theproponents, time-dependent measurements will allow the JRG to elucidate the mechanisms andrates of surface reactions. The research of the JRG will address these overall A6 themes, but thespecific topics will depend on the choices, interests and expertise of the best qualified candidate.Specific work to be undertaken by the A6 project team, including the JRG, includes:• Setting up of laser-based surface-sensitive and liquid phase spectroscopic tools (vibrationalsum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS), second harmonic generation (SHG), evanescent wave(EW) cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS)) for air-water interface studies55