Identifying and Characterizing the Processes Controlling Iron Speciation and Residence Time at the Atmosphere-Ocean Interface

The funding provided here will be used to support participation in a scientific workshop on the topic of what happens to iron deposited from the atmosphere to the surface of the ocean. Iron is required for the growth of phytoplankton. The availability of iron can limit the growth of phytoplankton and thus the overall productivity of the marine ecosystem. Workshop participants with expertise in atmospheric chemistry, organic geochemistry, photochemistry, chemical oceanography, dust/aerosol geochemistry, and various aspects of atmospheric, ocean, and Earth system modeling will be brought together to discuss the complicated problem of iron chemistry at the atmosphere-ocean interface, and its effects. At least one-third of workshop invitees will be early-career scientists. The primary product of the workshop will be a white paper outlining the state of knowledge and prioritizing future research directions.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.