OOMPH in a nutshell

Considering its size and potential importance, the ocean is surprisingly poorly characterised in terms of organic species that play important roles in global atmospheric chemistry. In this project we aim to characterise the nature of organic trace species, in particular organic oxygenates, and the rate of emission from marine biology. The oxidation of of these compounds in air is directly linked to the global ozone and aerosol budgets, while the oxidation pathways in seawater are largely unknown. The research activities will focus on the air-sea-aerosol system shown to the right and consists of:

• laboratory experiments on seawater samples and specific phytoplankton types to determine the effect of basic biophysical parameters on the emission of organic species.

• Two shipborne research cruises will be performed to assess both emission and uptake in the open ocean, and contrast the pristine tropical Southern Hemispheric with the more strongly anthropogenically affected Northern Hemisphere.
• Based on both the laboratory and field measurements an interactive atmosphere-ocean chemistry model will be developed, basic to global Earth system simulations.

“OOMPH” dictionary meaning: “spirited vigour.”