Buesseler Kenneth O.

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Buesseler

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Kenneth O.

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0000-0001-7362-8796

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Kinetics of thorium and particle cycling along the U.S. GEOTRACES North Atlantic Transect

( 2017-05) Lerner, Paul ; Marchal, Olivier ; Lam, Phoebe J. ; Buesseler, Ken O. ; Charette, Matthew A.

The high particle reactivity of thorium has resulted in its widespread use in tracing processes impacting marine particles and their chemical constituents. The use of thorium isotopes as tracers of particle dynamics, however, largely relies on our understanding of how the element scavenges onto particles. Here, we estimate apparent rate constants of Th adsorption (k1), Th desorption (k−1), bulk particle degradation (β-1), and bulk particle sinking speed (w) along the water column at 11 open-ocean stations occupied during the GEOTRACES North Atlantic Section (GA03). First, we provide evidence that the budgets of Th isotopes and particles at these stations appear to be generally dominated by radioactive production and decay sorption reactions, particle degradation, and particle sinking. Rate parameters are then estimated by fitting a Th and particle cycling model to data of dissolved and particulate 228,230,234Th, 228Ra, particle concentrations, and 234,238U estimates based on salinity, using a nonlinear programming technique. We find that the adsorption rate constant (k1) generally decreases with depth across the section: broadly, the time scale 1/k1 averages 1.0 yr in the upper 1000 m and (1.4–1.5) yr below. A positive relationship between k1 and particle concentration (P) is found, i.e., , k1 ∝ Pb where b ≥ 1, consistent with the notion that k1 increases with the number of surface sites available for adsorption. The rate constant ratio, K = k1/(k-1 + β-1), which measures the collective influence of rate parameters on Th scavenging, averages 0.2 for most stations and most depths. We clarify the conditions under which K/P is equivalent to the distribution coefficient, KD, test that the conditions are met at the stations, and find that decreases with P, in line with a particle concentration effect (dKD/dP < 0). In contrast to the influence of colloids as envisioned by the Brownian pumping hypothesis, we provide evidence that the particle concentration effect arises from the joint effect of P on the rate constants for thorium attachment to, and detachment from, particles.
Review of the analysis of Th-234 in small volume (2-4 L) seawater samples: improvements and recommendations

(Springer, 2021-06-24) Clevenger, Samantha J. ; Benitez-Nelson, Claudia R. ; Drysdale, Jessica A. ; Pike, Steven M. ; Puigcorbé, Viena ; Buesseler, Ken O.

The short-lived radionuclide 234Th is widely used to study particle scavenging and transport from the upper ocean to deeper waters. This manuscript optimizes, reviews and validates the collection, processing and analyses of total 234Th in seawater and suggests areas of further improvements. The standard 234Th protocol method consists of scavenging 234Th from seawater via a MnO2 precipitate, beta counting, and using chemical recoveries determined by adding 230Th. The revised protocol decreases sample volumes to 2 L, shortens wait times between steps, and simplifies the chemical recovery process, expanding the ability to more rapidly and safely apply the 234Th method.
Intercalibration studies of short-lived thorium-234 in the water column and marine particles

(Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, 2012-09) Maiti, Kanchan ; Buesseler, Ken O. ; Pike, Steven M. ; Benitez-Nelson, Claudia R. ; Cai, Pinghe ; Chen, Weifang ; Cochran, Kirk ; Dai, Minhan ; Dehairs, Frank ; Gasser, Beat ; Kelly, Roger P. ; Masqué, Pere ; Miller, Lisa A. ; Miquel, Juan Carlos ; Moran, S. Bradley ; Morris, Paul J. ; Peine, Florian ; Planchon, Frederic ; Renfro, Alisha A. ; Rutgers van der Loeff, Michiel M. ; Santschi, Peter H. ; Turnewitsch, Robert ; Waples, James T. ; Xu, Chen

Intercomparision of 234Th measurements in both water and particulate samples was carried out between 15 laboratories worldwide, as a part of GEOTRACES inter-calibration program. Particulate samples from four different stations namely BATS (both shallow and deep) and shelf station (shallow) in Atlantic and SAFE (both shallow and deep) and Santa Barbara station (shallow) in Pacific were used in the effort. Particulate intercalibration results indicate good agreement between all the participating labs with data from all labs falling within the 95% confidence interval around the mean for most instances. Filter type experiments indicate no significant differences in 234Th activities between filter types and pore sizes (0.2-0.8 μm). The only exception are the quartz filters, which are associated with 10% to 20% higher 234Th activities attributed to sorption of dissolved 234Th. Flow rate experiments showed a trend of decreasing 234Th activities with increasing flow rates (2-9 L min-1) for > 51 μm size particles, indicating particle loss during the pumping process. No change in 234Th activities on small particles was observed with increasing flow-rates. 234Th intercalibration results from deep water samples at SAFe station indicate a variability of < 3% amongst labs while dissolved 234Th data from surface water at Santa Barbara Station show a less robust agreement, possibly due to the loss of 234Th from decay and large in-growth corrections as a result of long gap between sample collection and processing.
High particle export over the continental shelf of the west Antarctic Peninsula

(American Geophysical Union, 2010-11-24) Buesseler, Ken O. ; McDonnell, Andrew M. P. ; Schofield, Oscar M. E. ; Steinberg, Deborah K. ; Ducklow, Hugh W.

Drifting cylindrical traps and the flux proxy 234Th indicate more than an order of magnitude higher sinking fluxes of particulate carbon and 234Th in January 2009 than measured by a time-series conical trap used regularly on the shelf of the west Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). The higher fluxes measured in this study have several implications for our understanding of the WAP ecosystem. Larger sinking fluxes result in a revised export efficiency of at least 10% (C flux/net primary production) and a requisite lower regeneration efficiency in surface waters. High fluxes also result in a large supply of sinking organic matter to support subsurface and benthic food webs on the continental shelf. These new findings call into question the magnitude of seasonal and interannual variability in particle flux and reaffirm the difficulty of using moored conical traps as a quantitative flux collector in shallow waters.
Desorption behavior of Fukushima-derived radiocesium in sand collected from Yotsukura Beach in Fukushima prefecture

(The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry, 2020-05-10) Nagao, Seiya ; Terasaki, Soichiro ; Ochiai, Shinya ; Fukushi, Keisuke ; Tomihara, Seiichi ; Charette, Matthew A. ; Buesseler, Ken O.

Beach sand samples were collected along a coastal area 32 km south of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, 5 years after the FDNPP accident. Desorption experiments were performed on the sand samples using seawater in a batch experimental system to understand the forms of existence of radiocesium in sand and their desorption behavior in a coastal environment. The percentage of radiocesium desorption decreased exponentially with an increase in the number of desorption experiments for the four sand samples, with 137Cs radioactivity from 16 to 1077 Bq kg−1 at surface and deeper layers from three sites. Total desorption percentage ranged from 19 to 58% in 12 desorption experiments. The results indicate that the weak adsorption varies with the sampling sites and their depth layer. To understand the desorption behavior of radiocesium in the sand samples, the desorption experiments were performed for a sand sample by using natural and artificial seawater, and NaCl solution in the presence and absence of KCl. The 137Cs desorption from the sand collected at a depth of 100 – 105 cm from the ground surface (137Cs radioactivity 1052 ± 25 Bq kg−1) was 0.1% by ultrapure water, 3.7% by 1/4 seawater and 7.1% by 1/2 seawater, 2.2% by 470 mM NaCl solution (corresponding to a similar concentration of seawater) and 10 – 12% by seawater, artificial seawater and 470 mM NaCl + 8 mM KCl solution. These results indicate that about 10% of radiocesium adsorbed on the sand is mainly desorbed by ion exchange of potassium ion in seawater, though the concentration of major cation, or sodium ion, in seawater makes a small contribution on 137Cs desorption from the sand samples.
Synthesis of iron fertilization experiments : from the Iron Age in the Age of Enlightenment

(American Geophysical Union, 2005-09-28) Baar, Hein J. W. de ; Boyd, Philip W. ; Coale, Kenneth H. ; Landry, Michael R. ; Tsuda, Atsushi ; Assmy, Philipp ; Bakker, Dorothee C. E. ; Bozec, Yann ; Barber, Richard T. ; Brzezinski, Mark A. ; Buesseler, Ken O. ; Boye, Marie ; Croot, Peter L. ; Gervais, Frank ; Gorbunov, Maxim Y. ; Harrison, Paul J. ; Hiscock, William T. ; Laan, Patrick ; Lancelot, Christiane ; Law, Cliff S. ; Levasseur, Maurice ; Marchetti, Adrian ; Millero, Frank J. ; Nishioka, Jun ; Nojiri, Yukihiro ; van Oijen, Tim ; Riebesell, Ulf ; Rijkenberg, Micha J. A. ; Saito, Hiroaki ; Takeda, Shigenobu ; Timmermans, Klaas R. ; Veldhuis, Marcel J. W. ; Waite, Anya M. ; Wong, Chi-Shing

Comparison of eight iron experiments shows that maximum Chl a, the maximum DIC removal, and the overall DIC/Fe efficiency all scale inversely with depth of the wind mixed layer (WML) defining the light environment. Moreover, lateral patch dilution, sea surface irradiance, temperature, and grazing play additional roles. The Southern Ocean experiments were most influenced by very deep WMLs. In contrast, light conditions were most favorable during SEEDS and SERIES as well as during IronEx-2. The two extreme experiments, EisenEx and SEEDS, can be linked via EisenEx bottle incubations with shallower simulated WML depth. Large diatoms always benefit the most from Fe addition, where a remarkably small group of thriving diatom species is dominated by universal response of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. Significant response of these moderate (10–30 μm), medium (30–60 μm), and large (>60 μm) diatoms is consistent with growth physiology determined for single species in natural seawater. The minimum level of “dissolved” Fe (filtrate < 0.2 μm) maintained during an experiment determines the dominant diatom size class. However, this is further complicated by continuous transfer of original truly dissolved reduced Fe(II) into the colloidal pool, which may constitute some 75% of the “dissolved” pool. Depth integration of carbon inventory changes partly compensates the adverse effects of a deep WML due to its greater integration depths, decreasing the differences in responses between the eight experiments. About half of depth-integrated overall primary productivity is reflected in a decrease of DIC. The overall C/Fe efficiency of DIC uptake is DIC/Fe ∼ 5600 for all eight experiments. The increase of particulate organic carbon is about a quarter of the primary production, suggesting food web losses for the other three quarters. Replenishment of DIC by air/sea exchange tends to be a minor few percent of primary CO2 fixation but will continue well after observations have stopped. Export of carbon into deeper waters is difficult to assess and is until now firmly proven and quite modest in only two experiments.
The value of scientific research on the ocean's biological carbon pump

(Elsevier, 2020-08-01) Jin, Di ; Hoagland, Porter ; Buesseler, Ken O.

The ocean's biological carbon pump (BCP) sequesters carbon from the surface to the deep ocean and seabed, constituting one of Earth's most valuable ecosystem services. Significant uncertainty exists surrounding the amounts and rates of organic carbon sequestered in the oceans, however. With improved understanding of BCP sequestration, especially its scale, world policymakers would be positioned to make more informed decisions regarding the mitigation of carbon emissions. Here, an analytical model of the economic effects of global carbon emissions—including scientific uncertainty about BCP sequestration—was developed to estimate the value of marine scientific research concerning sequestration. The discounted net economic benefit of a putative 20-year scientific research program to narrow the range of uncertainty around the amount of carbon sequestered in the ocean is on the order of $0.5 trillion (USD), depending upon the accuracy of predictions, the convexities of climate damage and economic output functions, and the initial range of uncertainty.
Particle export during the Southern Ocean Iron Experiment (SOFeX)

( 2004-07-26) Buesseler, Ken O. ; Andrews, J. E. ; Pike, Steven M. ; Charette, Matthew A. ; Goldson, Laura E. ; Brzezinski, Mark A. ; Lance, V. P.

We studied the effect of iron addition on particle export in the Southern Ocean by measuring changes in the distribution of thorium-234 during a 4 week Fe enrichment experiment conducted in the high-silicate high-nitrate waters just south of the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front at 172.5°W. Decreases in 234Th activity with time in the fertilized mixed layer (0-50m) exceeded those in unfertilized waters, indicating enhanced export of 234Th on sinking particles after Fe enrichment. The addition of Fe also affected export below the fertilized patch by increasing the efficiency of particle export through the 100 m depth horizon. Extensive temporal and vertical Lagrangian sampling allowed us to make a detailed examination of the 234Th flux model, which was used to quantify the fluxes of particulate organic carbon (POC) and biogenic silica (bSiO2). Iron addition increased the flux of both POC and bSiO2 out of the mixed layer by about 300%. The flux at 100 m increased by more than 700% and 600% for POC and bSiO2, respectively. The absolute magnitude of the POC and bSiO2 fluxes were not large relative to natural blooms at these latitudes, or to those found in association with the termination of blooms in other ocean regions. Our results support the hypothesis that Fe addition leads directly to significant particle export and sequestration of C in the deep ocean. This is a key link between ocean Fe inputs and past changes in atmospheric CO2 and climate.
Testing models of thorium and particle cycling in the ocean using data from station GT11-22 of the U.S. GEOTRACES North Atlantic section

( 2016-03-31) Lerner, Paul ; Marchal, Olivier ; Lam, Phoebe J. ; Anderson, Robert F. ; Buesseler, Ken O. ; Charette, Matthew A. ; Edwards, R. Lawrence ; Hayes, Christopher T. ; Huang, Kuo-Fang ; Lu, Yanbin ; Robinson, Laura F. ; Solow, Andrew R.

Thorium is a highly particle-reactive element that possesses different measurable radio-isotopes in seawater, with well-constrained production rates and very distinct half-lives. As a result, Th has emerged as a key tracer for the cycling of marine particles and of their chemical constituents, including particulate organic carbon. Here two different versions of a model of Th and particle cycling in the ocean are tested using an unprecedented data set from station GT11-22 of the U.S. GEOTRACES North Atlantic Section: (i) 21 228;230;234Th activities of dissolved and particulate fractions, (ii) 228Ra activities, (iii) 234;238U activities estimated from salinity data and an assumed 234U/238U ratio, and (iv) particle concentrations, below a depth of 125 m. The two model versions assume a single class of particles but rely on different assumptions about the rate parameters for sorption reactions and particle processes: a first version (V1) assumes vertically uniform parameters (a popular description), whereas the second (V2) does not. Both versions are tested by fitting to the GT11-22 data using generalized nonlinear least squares and by analyzing residuals normalized to the data errors. We find that model V2 displays a significantly better fit to the data than model V1. Thus, the mere allowance of vertical variations in the rate parameters can lead to a significantly better fit to the data, without the need to modify the structure or add any new processes to the model. To understand how the better fit is achieved we consider two parameters, K = k1=(k-1 + β-1) and K/P, where k1 is the adsorption rate constant, k-1 the desorption rate constant, β-1 the remineralization rate constant, and P the particle concentration. We find that the rate constant ratio K is large (≥0.2) in the upper 1000 m and decreases to a nearly uniform value of ca. 0.12 below 2000 m, implying that the specific rate at which Th attaches to particles relative to that at which it is released from particles is higher in the upper ocean than in the deep ocean. In contrast, K/P increases with depth below 500 m. The parameters K and K/P display significant positive and negative monotonic relationship with P, respectively, which is collectively consistent with a particle concentration effect.
Lingering radioactivity at the Bikini and Enewetak Atolls

(Elsevier, 2017-10-30) Buesseler, Ken O. ; Charette, Matthew A. ; Pike, Steven M. ; Henderson, Paul B. ; Kipp, Lauren

We made an assessment of the levels of radionuclides in the ocean waters, seafloor and groundwater at Bikini and Enewetak Atolls where the US conducted nuclear weapons tests in the 1940's and 50's. This included the first estimates of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) derived from radium isotopes that can be used here to calculate radionuclide fluxes in to the lagoon waters. While there is significant variability between sites and sample types, levels of plutonium (239,240Pu) remain several orders of magnitude higher in lagoon seawater and sediments than what is found in rest of the world's oceans. In contrast, levels of cesium-137 (137Cs) while relatively elevated in brackish groundwater are only slightly higher in the lagoon water relative to North Pacific surface waters. Of special interest was the Runit dome, a nuclear waste repository created in the 1970's within the Enewetak Atoll. Low seawater ratios of 240Pu/239Pu suggest that this area is the source of about half of the Pu in the Enewetak lagoon water column, yet radium isotopes suggest that SGD from below the dome is not a significant Pu source. SGD fluxes of Pu and Cs at Bikini were also relatively low. Thus radioactivity associated with seafloor sediments remains the largest source and long term repository for radioactive contamination. Overall, Bikini and Enewetak Atolls are an ongoing source of Pu and Cs to the North Pacific, but at annual rates that are orders of magnitude smaller than delivered via close-in fallout to the same area.
Size-fractionated labile trace elements in the Northwest Pacific and Southern Oceans

( 2011-04-11) Baeyens, W. ; Bowie, Andrew R. ; Buesseler, Ken O. ; Gao, Y. ; Lamborg, Carl H. ; Remenyi, Tomas A. ; Zhang, H.

Photosynthesis by marine phytoplankton requires bioavailable forms of several trace elements that are found in extremely low concentrations in the open ocean. We have compared the concentration, lability and size distribution (< 1 nm and < 10 nm) of a suite of trace elements that are thought to be limiting to primary productivity as well as a toxic element (Pb) in two High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll (HNLC) regions using a new dynamic speciation technique, Diffusive Gradients in Thin-film (DGT). The labile species trapped within the DGT probes have a size that is smaller or similar than the pore size of algal cell walls and thus present a proxy for bioavailable species. Total Dissolvable trace element concentrations (TD concentration) varied between 0.05 nM (Co) and 4.0 nM (Ni) at K2 (Northwest Pacific Ocean) and between 0.026 nM (Co) and 4.7 nM (Ni) in the Southern Ocean. The smallest size fractionated labile concentrations (< 1 nm) observed at Southern Ocean sampling stations ranged between 0.002 nM (Co) and 2.1 nM (Ni). Moreover, large differences in bioavailable fractions (ratio of labile to TD concentration) were observed between the trace elements. In the Northwest Pacific Ocean Fe, Cu and Mn had lower labile fractions (between 10 and 44%) than Co, Cd, Ni and Pb (between 80 and 100%). In the Southern Ocean a similar trend was observed, and in addition: (1) Co, Cd, Ni and Pb have lower labile fractions in the Southern Ocean than in the Northwest Pacific and (2) the ratios of <1nm to dissolvable element concentrations at some Southern Ocean stations were very low and varied between 4 and16 %.
Revisiting five decades of Th-234 data: a comprehensive global oceanic compilation

(Copernicus Publications, 2022-06-09) Ceballos-Romero, Elena ; Buesseler, Ken O. ; Villa-Alfageme, Maria

We present here a global oceanic compilation of 234Th measurements that collects results from researchers and laboratories over a period exceeding 50 years. The origin of the 234Th sampling in the ocean goes back to 1967, when Bhat et al. (1969) initially studied 234Th distribution relative to its parent 238U in the Indian Ocean. However, it was the seminal work of Buesseler et al. (1992) – which proposed an empirical method to estimate export fluxes from 234Th distributions – that drove the extensive use of the 234Th–238U radioactive pair to evaluate the organic carbon export out of the surface ocean by means of the biological carbon pump. Since then, a large number of 234Th depth profiles have been collected using a variety of sampling instruments and strategies that have changed during the past 50 years. The present compilation is made of a total 223 data sets: 214 from studies published in either articles in refereed journals, PhD theses, or repositories, as well as 9 unpublished data sets. The data were compiled from over 5000 locations spanning all the oceans for total 234Th profiles, dissolved and particulate 234Th activity concentrations (in dpm L−1), and POC:234Th ratios (in µmol dpm−1) from both sediment traps and filtration methods. A total of 379 oceanographic expeditions and more than 56 600 234Th data points have been gathered in a single open-access, long-term, and dynamic repository. This paper introduces the dataset along with informative and descriptive graphics. Appropriate metadata have been compiled, including geographic location, date, and sample depth, among others. When available, we also include water temperature, salinity, 238U data (over 18 200 data points), and particulate organic nitrogen data. Data source and method information (including 238U and 234Th) is also detailed along with valuable information for future data analysis such as bloom stage and steady-/non-steady-state conditions at the sampling moment. The data are archived on the PANGAEA repository, with the dataset DOI https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.918125 (Ceballos-Romero et al., 2021). This provides a valuable resource to better understand and quantify how the contemporary oceanic carbon uptake functions and how it will change in future.
Fishing for answers

( 2012-08-30) Buesseler, Ken O.

The triple disaster of the March 11, 2011, earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent radiation releases at Fukushima Dai-ichi were, and continue to be, unprecedented events for the ocean and for society. More than 80% of the radioactivity from Fukushima was either blown offshore or directly discharged in to the ocean from waters used to cool the nuclear power plants (1). Although offshore waters are safe with respect to international standards for radionuclides in the ocean (2), the nuclear power plants continue to leak radioactive contaminants into the ocean (3), and many near-shore fisheries remain closed.
Fukushima and ocean radioactivity

(The Oceanography Society, 2014-03) Buesseler, Ken O.

The triple disaster of the March 11, 2011, earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent radiation releases from Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant were unprecedented events for the ocean and society. In this article, the radioactive releases from this event are compared to natural and prior human sources, with particular attention to cesium-137 and -134 radioisotopes. Total releases from Fukushima are not well constrained, with estimates from atmospheric fallout and direct ocean discharge spanning 4 to 90 peta Becquerels (PBq), but are most likely in the 15–30 PBq range. This source is smaller than any 137Cs remaining in the North Pacific from global and close-in fallout from the 1960s. It is of similar magnitude to 137Cs released to the ocean from the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing site on the Irish Sea, though of greater magnitude than fallout that reached the ocean from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster in the Ukraine. The fate of Cs is largely determined by its soluble nature in seawater, though uptake in sediments does occur via cesium's association with both detrital particles and biological uptake and sedimentation. A mass balance of Cs supply from rivers and ongoing leakage from nuclear power plants suggests that sediments will remain contaminated for decades. This may be one reason why Cs concentrations in benthic fish stay elevated over predictions, causing fisheries to remain closed near Fukushima and ongoing concern to the public.
Radium-based estimates of cesium isotope transport and total direct ocean discharges from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident

(Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union, 2013-03-28) Charette, Matthew A. ; Breier, Crystaline F. ; Henderson, Paul B. ; Pike, Steven M. ; Rypina, Irina I. ; Jayne, Steven R. ; Buesseler, Ken O.

Radium has four naturally occurring isotopes that have proven useful in constraining water mass source, age, and mixing rates in the coastal and open ocean. In this study, we used radium isotopes to determine the fate and flux of runoff-derived cesium from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP). During a June 2011 cruise, the highest cesium (Cs) concentrations were found along the eastern shelf of northern Japan, from Fukushima south, to the edge of the Kuroshio Current, and in an eddy ~ 130 km from the FNPP site. Locations with the highest cesium also had some of the highest radium activities, suggesting much of the direct ocean discharges of Cs remained in the coastal zone 2–3 months after the accident. We used a short-lived Ra isotope (223Ra, t1/2 = 11.4 d) to derive an average water mass age (Tr) in the coastal zone of 32 days. To ground-truth the Ra age model, we conducted a direct, station-by-station comparison of water mass ages with a numerical oceanographic model and found them to be in excellent agreement (model avg. Tr = 27 days). From these independent Tr values and the inventory of Cs within the water column at the time of our cruise, we were able to calculate an offshore 134Cs flux of 3.9–4.6 × 1013 Bq d−1. Radium-228 (t1/2 = 5.75 yr) was used to derive a vertical eddy diffusivity (Kz) of 0.7 m2 d−1 (0.1 cm2 s−1); from this Kz and 134Cs inventory, we estimated a 134Cs flux across the pycnocline of 1.8 × 104 Bq d−1 for the same time period. On average, our results show that horizontal mixing loss of Cs from the coastal zone was ~ 109 greater than vertical exchange below the surface mixed layer. Finally, a mixing/dilution model that utilized our Ra-based and oceanographic model water mass ages produced a direct ocean discharge of 134Cs from the FNPP of 11–16 PBq at the time of the peak release in early April 2011. Our results can be used to calculate discharge of other water-soluble radionuclides that were released to the ocean directly from the Fukushima NPP.
Autonomous, high-resolution observations of particle flux in the oligotrophic ocean

(Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union, 2013-08-16) Estapa, Margaret L. ; Buesseler, Ken O. ; Boss, Emmanuel S. ; Gerbi, Gregory P.

Observational gaps limit our understanding of particle flux attenuation through the upper mesopelagic because available measurements (sediment traps and radiochemical tracers) have limited temporal resolution, are labor-intensive, and require ship support. Here, we conceptually evaluate an autonomous, optical proxy-based method for high-resolution observations of particle flux. We present four continuous records of particle flux collected with autonomous profiling floats in the western Sargasso Sea and the subtropical North Pacific, as well as one shorter record of depth-resolved particle flux near the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) and Oceanic Flux Program (OFP) sites. These observations illustrate strong variability in particle flux over very short (~1-day) timescales, but at longer timescales they reflect patterns of variability previously recorded during sediment trap time series. While particle flux attenuation at BATS/OFP agreed with the canonical power-law model when observations were averaged over a month, flux attenuation was highly variable on timescales of 1–3 days. Particle fluxes at different depths were decoupled from one another and from particle concentrations and chlorophyll fluorescence in the immediately overlying surface water, consistent with horizontal advection of settling particles. We finally present an approach for calibrating this optical proxy in units of carbon flux, discuss in detail the related, inherent physical and optical assumptions, and look forward toward the requirements for the quantitative application of this method in highly time-resolved studies of particle export and flux attenuation.
Calibrated CTD measurements of salinity and oxygen and Niskin bottle water samples collected from the R/V Ka'imikai-o-Kanaloa KOK1108 cruise from June 5 to June 16, 2011 (Fukushima Radionuclide Levels project)

(Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). Contact: bco-dmo-data@whoi.edu, 2012-07-12) Jayne, Steven R. ; Buesseler, Ken O.

This Establishing Radionuclide Levels in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Originating from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Facility (Fukushima Radionuclide Levels) Niskin bottle samples dataset includes the following data: calibrated CTD measurements of salinity and oxygen and Niskin bottle water samples. For a complete list of measurements, refer to the supplemental document 'Field_names.pdf'. A full dataset description is included in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'.
VERTIGO project Sediment Trap Fluxes of mass, elements and phytoplankton pigments data from KM0414 and RR_K2 cruises

(Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). Contact: bco-dmo-data@whoi.edu, 2010-12-01) Lamborg, Carl H. ; Buesseler, Ken O.

The main goal of VERTIGO is the investigation of the mechanisms that control the efficiency of particle transport through the mesopelagic portion of the water column. Question: What controls the efficiency of particle transport between the surface and deep ocean? More specifically, what is the fate of sinking particles leaving the upper ocean and what factors influence remineralization length scales for different sinking particle classes? VERTIGO researchers have set out to test two basic hypotheses regarding remineralization control, namely: 1. particle source characteristics are the dominant control on the efficiency of particle transport; and/or that 2. mid-water processing, either by zooplankton or bacteria, controls transport efficiency. To test their hypotheses, they will conduct process studies in the field focused on particle flux and composition changes in the upper 500-1000m of the ocean. The basic approach is to examine changes in particle composition and flux with depth within a given source region using a combination of approaches, many of which are new to the field. These include neutrally buoyant sediment traps, particle pumps, settling columns and respiration chambers, along with the development of new biological and geochemical tools for an integrated biogeochemical assessment of the biological pump. Three week process study cruises have been planned at two sites - the Hawaii Ocean Time-series site (HOT) and a new moored time-series site in the subarctic NW Pacific (Japanese site K2; 47°N 160°E) - where there are strong contrasts in rates of production, export, particle composition and expected remineralization length scales. Evidence for variability in the flux vs. depth relationship of sinking particles is not in dispute but the controls on particle transport efficiency through the twilight zone remain poorly understood. A lack of reliable flux and particle characterization data within the twilight zone has hampered our ability to make progress in this area, and no single approach is likely to resolve these issues. The proposed study will apply quantitative modeling to determine the net effects of the individual particle processes on the effective transport of carbon and other elements, and to place the shipboard observations in the context of spatial and temporal variations in these processes. For rapid progress in this area, we have organized this effort as a group proposal taking advantage of expertise in the US and international community. The efficiency of particle transport is important for an accurate assessment of the ocean C sink. Globally, the magnitude and efficiency of the biological pump will in part modulate levels of atmospheric CO2. We maintain that to understand present day ocean C sequestration and to evaluate potential strategies for enhancing sequestration, we need to assess possible changes in the efficiency of particle transport due to climate variability or via purposeful manipulations of C uptake, such as via iron fertilization.
Cesium-134 and cesium-137 concentrations from underway samples taken during R/V Ka'imikai-o-Kanaloa cruise KOK1108 off the coast of Japan, June 5-18, 2011 (Fukushima Radionuclide Levels project)

(Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). Contact: bco-dmo-data@whoi.edu, 2012-03-15) Buesseler, Ken O.

This underway Cesium Isotopes dataset includes the following data: Cs137 and Cs134 concentrations collected for the project called "Establishing Radionuclide Levels in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Originating from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Facility" (Fukushima Radionuclide Levels). For a complete list of measurements, refer to the supplemental document 'Field_names.pdf', and a full dataset description' is included in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'.
Cesium-134 and cesium-137 concentrations from hydrocasts done during R/V Ka'imikai-o-Kanaloa cruise KOK1108 off the coast of Japan, June 5-18, 2011 (Fukushima Radionuclide Levels project)

(Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). Contact: bco-dmo-data@whoi.edu, 2012-04-05) Buesseler, Ken O.

This hydrocast Cesium isotopes dataset includes cesium-134 and cesium-137 concentrations determined from samples taken for the Fukushima Radionuclide Project. For a complete list of measurements, refer to the supplemental document 'Field_names.pdf', and a full dataset description' is included in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'.

Buesseler Kenneth O.

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