We are happy to inform that research team: Dr. Katarzyna Koziorowska-Makuch (Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland), Dr. Beata Szymczycha (IO PAN), Prof. Helmuth Thomas (Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Germany), Prof. Karol Kuliński (IO PAN) has published their scientific findings in paper “The marine carbonate system variability in high meltwater season (Spitsbergen Fjords, Svalbard)”.
It is the first scientific publication within RAW project. Congratulations to the authors!
The research teamt found out that spatial variability in hydrography (salinity and temperature) and carbonate chemistry (alkalinity, total inorganic carbon concentration, pH, CO2 partial pressure, and the saturation state of aragonite) in high meltwater season was investigated during summer in four Spitsbergen fjords – Krossfjorden, Kongsfjorden, Isfjorden, and Hornsund. It was observed that the differences in hydrology entail spatial changes in the CO2 system structure.
This study highlights that the use of salinity to estimate the potential alkalinity can carry a high uncertainty, while good recognition of the surface water alkalinity variability and its freshwater end-members is key to predict marine CO2 system changes along with the ongoing freshening of fjords waters due to climate warming.