Amerigo is a new autonomous and automatic benthic lander for the measurements of dissolved benthic fluxes at the sediment-water interface. The lander is able to measure fluxes of nutrients such as ammonium, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates and silica, gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide and methane, trace elements such as heavy metals, and also other dissolved pollutants resulting from human activity. AMERIGO is able to operate from transitional environments to continental shelf and abyssal plain. The Lander can include various components, at present it is equipped with 3 benthic chambers for measuring the fluxes at the water-sediment interface and is prepared to host a microprofiler and other benthic instruments (minipenetrometer, gravimeter, etc.). The 3 benthic chambers are equipped with a water sampler, which also allows injection of tracers, a system for the refilling of the consumed oxygen (Oxystat) and sensors for pH and dissolved gas monitoring (oxygen, methane and in future CO2). Outside the benthic chambers a CTD probe for measuring the chemical-physical parameters (temperature, conductivity and pressure) and a niskin bottle for the sampling of the water column are present. The lander is equipped with all mechanisms for the dipping (ballast weights), positioning on the bed, raising (a timed release mechanism (burn-wire type) for the release of the ballast and glass spheres for the flotation) and recovery (radio transmitter, GPS position system and flasher) on board. A useful property of AMERIGO is the modularity and flexibility, that is different components, which can be assembled and programmed on the basis of needs and of the environmental conditions in which it will operate. After the two first testing cruises early results of the AMERIGO functioning will be presented.
AMERIGO: a new benthic lander for dissolved flux measurements at sediment-water-interface
F Spagnoli;P Penna
2013
Abstract
Amerigo is a new autonomous and automatic benthic lander for the measurements of dissolved benthic fluxes at the sediment-water interface. The lander is able to measure fluxes of nutrients such as ammonium, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates and silica, gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide and methane, trace elements such as heavy metals, and also other dissolved pollutants resulting from human activity. AMERIGO is able to operate from transitional environments to continental shelf and abyssal plain. The Lander can include various components, at present it is equipped with 3 benthic chambers for measuring the fluxes at the water-sediment interface and is prepared to host a microprofiler and other benthic instruments (minipenetrometer, gravimeter, etc.). The 3 benthic chambers are equipped with a water sampler, which also allows injection of tracers, a system for the refilling of the consumed oxygen (Oxystat) and sensors for pH and dissolved gas monitoring (oxygen, methane and in future CO2). Outside the benthic chambers a CTD probe for measuring the chemical-physical parameters (temperature, conductivity and pressure) and a niskin bottle for the sampling of the water column are present. The lander is equipped with all mechanisms for the dipping (ballast weights), positioning on the bed, raising (a timed release mechanism (burn-wire type) for the release of the ballast and glass spheres for the flotation) and recovery (radio transmitter, GPS position system and flasher) on board. A useful property of AMERIGO is the modularity and flexibility, that is different components, which can be assembled and programmed on the basis of needs and of the environmental conditions in which it will operate. After the two first testing cruises early results of the AMERIGO functioning will be presented.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
