PhD Opportunity: Development of a Micro-Rosette for
Total Dissolved Inorganic Carbon Measurements from an
ARGO Profiling Float
The ARGO array http://www.argo.ucsd.edu of profiling floats has already provided ordersof-magnitude improvement in ocean observing relative to ships. This fact has already been
realized by physical oceanographers studying the ocean heat budget and large-scale mixing
processes and is now gaining momentum in other research communities.
Attempts to add off-the-shelf sensors for the ocean carbon system to profiling floats has thus far
been ineffectual because these devices were not built with the express intention of operating on
profilers. Consequently, there is currently no technology available for meaningful observations
of the ocean carbon system from the Argo array.
This project is for the development of a micro-rosette which will acquire and store water samples during the profilers’ ascent, and conduct the analysis at park depth. Unlike pCO2 and pH,
dissolved inorganic carbon measurement is well-suited for this type of ex-situ analysis because
it is insensitive to temperature and pressure.
This project will result in the first autonomous, Lagrangian vertical profiles of DIC in the
upper 2000 m of the ocean, marking a major step in development of a new generation of tools
necessary to better understand annual cycles of carbon in addition providing direct observations
of ocean acidification over large areas of the ocean.
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Candidates should have a degree in physics, engineering, or a closely-related discipline, and a
strong motivation for research.
Applications (curriculum vitae, academic degree, references) should be sent by e-mail to Dr.
Brian Ward ([email protected]), National University of Ireland, Galway, Air-Sea Physics
Lab, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
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This project is funded by Science Foundation Ireland under the US-Ireland Partnership Programme with partners at Scripps Institute of Oceanography and the University of Ulster. A
fixed stipend of e18,000 per year is available. Tuition fees will be covered by the project. It is
anticipated that the PhD candiate will commence in September 2010.