PMEL Publications Abstract

FY 2009

Recommendations for autonomous underway pCO₂ measuring systems and data-reduction routines

Pierrot, D., C. Neill, K. Sullivan, R. Castle, R. Wanninkhof, H. Lüger, T. Johannessen, A. Olsen, R.A. Feely, and C.E. Cosca

Deep-Sea Res. II, 56(8–10), doi: 10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.12.005, 512–522 (2009)

In order to facilitate the collection of high quality and uniform surface water pCO₂ data, an underway pCO₂ instrument has been designed based on community input and is now commercially available. Along with instrumentation, agreements were reached on data reduction and quality control that can be easily applied to data from these systems by using custom-made freeware. This new automated underway pCO₂ measuring system is designed to be accurate to within 0.1 μatm for atmospheric pCO2 measurements and to within 2 μatm for seawater pCO₂, targeted by the scientific community to constrain the regional air–sea CO₂ fluxes to 0.2 Pg C year⁻¹. The procedure to properly reduce the underway pCO₂ data and perform the steps necessary for calculation of the fugacity of CO₂ from the measurements is described. This system is now widely used by the scientific community on many different types of ships. Combined with the recommended data-reduction procedures, it will facilitate producing data sets that will significantly decrease the uncertainty currently present in estimates of air–sea CO₂ fluxes.

Contact Sandra Bigley |

Acronyms | Outstanding PMEL Publications

About Us \| Research \| Publications \| Data \| Infrastructure \| Theme Pages \| Education



US Department of Commerce \| NOAA \| OAR \| PMEL Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory NOAA /R/PMEL 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle, WA 98115		Phone: (206) 526-6239 Fax: (206) 526-6815 Contacts Privacy Policy \| Disclaimer \| Accessibility Statement oar.pmel.webmaster@noaa.gov