Fluvial gas eXchange Observatory

Descripción del proyecto

Seguimiento de la dinámica de los gases en los sistemas fluviales

Los ríos intercambian gases continuamente con la atmósfera, regulando los niveles de oxígeno, los ciclos del carbono y las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. Sin embargo, comprender cómo se desplazan los gases entre los ríos y la atmósfera sigue siendo un reto. Los patrones que se forman en la superficie del río a causa de la turbulencia son fundamentales para medir el intercambio de gases. Con el apoyo de las acciones Marie Skłodowska-Curie, el proyecto FluXObs tiene como objetivo profundizar en el conocimiento de los movimientos turbulentos cercanos a la superficie mediante imágenes aéreas y técnicas avanzadas de visión artificial. El equipo de FluXObs desarrollará herramientas precisas para monitorizar la transferencia de gases en los ríos, lo que permitirá mitigar mejor los desequilibrios de gases y mejorar las estimaciones de las emisiones de gases. Este método innovador subsana las carencias de los métodos actuales y ofrece una nueva perspectiva sobre los ecosistemas fluviales y la geoquímica, así como sobre su papel en las emisiones globales.

Objetivo

The exchange of gas between water and the atmosphere is a fundamental aspect of river hydrodynamics that must be accurately quantified and monitored to sustain healthy habitat conditions (e.g. acceptable oxygen levels) and balanced carbon and nutrient cycling, especially in the face of widespread anthropogenic river alterations and ongoing climate change. However, current gas exchange measurements lack sufficient resolution, and models are either too general, missing key processes, or too abstract, relying on parameters that cannot be quantified in practical applications. This hinders effective monitoring and mitigation of the ecological impacts of gas imbalance and contributes to the current very large uncertainties in global estimates of riverine greenhouse gas emissions.

Near-surface turbulent motions, the key drivers of gas exchange, deform the surface with distinct shapes and patterns, offering a coded yet very detailed visual manifestation of the gas transfer velocity. With FluXObs, I will decrypt these patterns using state-of-the art computer vision approaches, and map the gas transfer based on aerial images of the water surface. My significant experience interpreting and leveraging water surface dynamics to monitor the flow conditions of rivers remotely equips me exceptionally well for this challenge. With support and training from an extraordinary team of researchers in physics and biogeochemistry, based across two institutions, I will synergise theoretical analysis, laboratory experiments in a unique facility, and field tests. Ultimately, FluXObs will deliver new robust operational models and measurement tools to map the gas transfer velocity with unprecedented resolution, paving the way for large-scale monitoring and mitigation of gas imbalances in rivers and improving gas emission budgets, facilitating our transition to a more sustainable future.