GO-CART Benguela

The purpose of the project is to investigate seasonal variability in the remineralisation of organic carbon and the frequency and characteristics of episodic particle fluxes. The depth at which organic carbon is remineralised in the ocean plays a central role in setting the air-sea partitioning of CO2, however it is difficult to measure at sufficient temporal resolution using traditional platforms, such as Pelagra. Our previous work has demonstrated that the lack of seasonal information in models of remineralisation result in increased uncertainty about the storage of carbon in the ocean's interior. Gliders have the potential to overcome this barrier to progress by providing very detailed data on sinking particles.

GOCART's objectives are to:
1. Quantify the variability in flux of particulate organic carbon and its remineralisation depth on daily to seasonal timescales
2. Determine the characteristics and significance of episodic pulses of flux
3. Investigate potential drivers of episodic flux pulses
4. Quantify the effect of seasonal variability in remineralisation on uncertainty in the mesopelagic C budget
5. Establish a new empirical parameterisation of remineralisation that incorporates temporal variability