Description:
Reference #: 01654
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for In-Situ Beta-particle Detector for High Resolution 234Th Export Measurements.
Background:
Thorium-234 (234Th) levels serve as a crucial indicator of carbon sequestration from the ocean surface. Measuring 234Th activity in ocean-settling particles can be used to evaluate the effects of climate change.
Invention Description:
This invention is an innovative marine instrument designed to accurately measure 234Th activity in ocean-settling particles, serving as a crucial indicator of carbon sequestration from the ocean surface. It utilizes a sophisticated detection mechanism that efficiently separates the desired 234Th activity from background beta sources, ensuring precise readings. With this technology, it's possible to increase the resolution of mass flux measurements through the water column, a critical aspect for understanding carbon cycles and climate change.
Potential Applications:
The instrumentation can be adapted to multiple sampling platforms with the goal of providing high temporal resolution 234Th flux measurements at multiple locations and depths in the ocean. This proxy of mass flux will compliment other in situ sensors to provide high resolution data for features such as Chla, accessory pigments, and PIC normalized to mass flux.
Advantages and Benefits:
The proposed instrument would support a global network of sensors designed to map factors critical to the evaluation of the impacts of climate change. The specific data generated by this instrument could be critical to the quantification and mapping of carbon sequestration as carbon dioxide transfer from the atmosphere as biogenic material and ultimate burial in the deep ocean. Current methods for measuring 234Th based mass and carbon flux require extensive use of research vessels and many man hours of research effort. As an add on sensor to in-situ sensor packages, the costs per measurement would fall dramatically.