Environmental Chemistry
Areas of Research
- Carbon cycle
- Aerosols and trace gases
- Hydrothermal vents
Research in environmental chemistry, which is a crucial theme within JISAO, focuses on the ocean carbon cycle and ocean acidification. The effect of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems is a particularly vexing problem because of our substantive lack of knowledge about the subject. The scale of the ocean acidification problem requires a coordinated national research program aimed at specific ocean regions.
JISAO and Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) serve the scientific community by hosting the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) Core Project Office, which sponsors major conferences and workshops.
Research
- NOAA PMEL Carbon Dioxide Program
Conducts ocean carbon cycle research from ships and moorings in all of the major ocean basins in collaboration with Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) CO2 Program. - NOAA PMEL Atmospheric Chemistry Group
Dedicated to international field campaigns and long term measurements to determine the impact of atmospheric aerosol particles on climate and air quality. - NOAA Hydrothermal Vents Program
Conducts research on the impacts and consequences of submarine volcanoes and hydrothermal venting on the chemistry of the global ocean.