MINERVE
| Type | Oceanographic cruise |
|---|---|
| Set | This cruise is part of the set MINERVE |
| Ship | L'Astrolabe |
| Ship owner | IPEV |
| Dates | 18/10/2005 - 02/03/2006 |
| Chief scientist(s) | GOYET Catherine |
IMAGES_ESPACE-DEV - UMR 228 Université de Perpignan Via Domitia 52 avenue Paul Alduy 66860 PERPIGNAN |
|
| DOI | 10.17600/5210030 |
| Objective | The goal of the MINERVE programme (measuring variability of CO2 exchanges at the water-air interface), based on piggy-back oceanographic cruises, is to observe and understand the seasonal variations in the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and of total inorganic carbon in surface waters in association with hydrological and biogeochemical measurements taken in situ and with satellite data (temperature, ocean colour). RV Astrolabe's logistics trips made it possible to access areas which have rarely been studied and document them to better understand the processes which explain pCO2 variations over time and space on a medium scale in Southern Ocean regions. The data collected during these cruises will provide the basis for estimations of the interannual variability and mean variation (trend) of net CO2 fluxes at the ocean-atmosphere interface; an extension of this programme starting in the southern hemisphere summer of 2006-2007 (performing a few hydrographic stations at medium depths during one of the rotations) will make it possible to address different methods of calculation of the signal of the anthropogenic CO2 penetrating the ocean in this southern sector. By identifying CO2 sources and sinks, the observations collected during the MINERVE cruises are also used by other teams to limit atmospheric models and validate biogeochemical ones based on general ocean circulation models which try to simulate the ocean carbon cycle over the medium and the long term. |
