Processes in Water Column

Processes in Water Column

Processes in Water Column: Before, During & After Megaplume

Breakout Group 3

Processes in the Water Column

Breakout Group 3

Breakout Group 3, organized by R. Thomson, Kendra Daly and D. Caress: Processes in the Water Column - Before, During and After Megaplume

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Organizers: R. Thomson, Ed Baker, K. Daly, D. Caress - Rapporteur: Sheryl Murdock, Uvic

Please make use of the comment space below    to add any additional questions or materials you want participants in the Breakout Session to be aware of prior to the session on Tuesday April 21.

Processes:

  1. Formation of Megaplume--Water-column products of eruptions: Environmental requirements, e.g., if cross-flows, turbulence or variable currents (tides, inertial waves) are strong, do effluents simply become well-mixed quickly and waft away before establishing megaplume boluses?     
  2. Ejection of particles, microbes, heat, chemical mass in megaplume; 
  3. Concurrent changes in normal venting during an eruption; 
  4. Megaplume displacement of ambient water column structure - how extreme? 
  5. Megaplume evolution: consolidation, migration, dissipation? 
    • Impact in dispersing effluents? e.g., is uniform advection-diffusion from a distributed set of sources more important than episodic dispersal via  migrating megaplume boluses in creating distributions of silica, helium, iron, etc., in the North Pacific?
    • Diffusion rates of active and passive tracers, before and after water-column alteration by massive venting; alteration of vertical distribution by mixing;
  6. Microbial distribution;
  7. Zooplankton biomass distribution;
  8. Organic particle composition and distribution.    

 Approaches:

  1. What measurements/sensors are needed for each process?
  2. Controlled-release gliders, floats, tracers: Best sensors to deploy on mobile assets? What’s available? What will be available soon?
  3.  Permanent, interactive AUV’s on cabled docking stations; 
  4.  Expanded use of profiling moorings; 
  5.  High-bandwidth optical comms through seawater; 
  6.  Seafloor crawlers.

Key Discussion Themes to be Addressed:

  1.   What are the priority science questions? (Review provided list; add new ones if needed)
  2.   Near-term: What science questions can be addressed with resources now available? 
  3.   What measurements can characterize sub-systems before, during and after eruptions?
  4.   What time and space measurement scales are needed to address science questions? 
  5.   What can be measured using in situ sensors or shipboard measurements?  
  6.   What could be measured with additional approaches?
  7.   Transformative? Check NSF Web site for definition
  8.   Intermediate term: What additions could better address priority science questions?   
Breakout Group 3

Processes in the Water Column

Breakout Group 3

Breakout Group 3, organized by R. Thomson, Kendra Daly and D. Caress: Processes in the Water Column - Before, During and After Megaplume

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