Sea Ice – Ocean Interactions

The contribution of sea-ice-covered regions to the global air-sea CO₂ exchange was, until recently, assumed to be insignificant, primarily because sea ice was considered impermeable.

The discovery of a sea ice CO₂ pump and the recognition that extensive and productive microbial communities exist within sea ice, however, has changed this general perception. This necessitates a better understanding of the current role of sea ice in the overall carbon budget. Hence, the project will focus on the following questions: 

1) What factors control the spatial and temporal distribution of calcium carbonate and other important biogeochemical parameters in Greenland sea ice? 

2) What are the potential interactions between these parameters? 

3) How do these parameters affect the sea ice CO₂ system and the underlying water column?