Project description
More accurate models of ocean carbon storage
Photosynthesis in the ocean converts CO2 into organic matter, of which 5-15 % sinks to the deep ocean. The depth to which this organic matter sinks is important for controlling the magnitude of ocean carbon storage. Efforts to produce global maps of flux attenuation to better understand and predict ocean carbon storage are hindered by a lack of knowledge of the spatiotemporal variability of the processes that control flux attenuation. The EU-funded ANTICS project will address this knowledge gap using an innovative synthesis of cutting-edge in situ imaging, machine learning and novel data analyses to better understand ocean carbon storage. Results will help validate and inform the marine biogeochemical component of earth system models used for carbon cycle forecasting.
Objective
Photosynthesis in the ocean converts approximately 100 Gt of carbon dioxide (CO2) into organic matter every year, of which 5-15% sinks to the deep ocean. The depth to which this organic matter sinks is important in controlling the magnitude of ocean carbon storage, as changes in this flux attenuation depth drive variations in atmospheric pCO2 of up to 200 ppm. Efforts to produce global maps of flux attenuation have yielded starkly contrasting global patterns, blocking our understanding of ocean carbon storage and our ability to predict it. The bottleneck is our ignorance of the spatiotemporal variability of the processes that control flux attenuation.
ANTICS will directly address this knowledge gap by using an innovative synthesis of cutting-edge in situ imaging, machine learning and novel data analyses to mechanistically understand ocean carbon storage. Use state-of-the-art imaging technologies, I will collect data on size, distribution and composition of organic matter particles and measure their sinking velocity in the upper 600 m across the Atlantic. I will design a neural network model that allows the conversion of in situ images into carbon fluxes, and develop analysis routines of particle size spectra that quantify the processes causing flux attenuation: remineralisation, physical aggregation/disaggregation, fragmentation/repackaging by zooplankton. By statistically linking these outputs to seasonality, depth, primary production and temperature, I will be able to determine which processes dominate under specific environmental conditions. This step change in our understanding will allow ANTICS to resolve flux attenuation spatially and temporally. I will use this pioneering knowledge to validate and inform the parametrization of the marine biogeochemical component of the UK’s earth system model used for carbon cycle forecasting in the next IPCC assessments.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences data science
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry inorganic compounds
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences oceanography ocean chemistry
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence computational intelligence
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2020-STG
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SO14 3ZH Southampton
United Kingdom
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