CARIOCA Measurement drifting buoy for measurement of pCO2 dissolved sea water

CARIOCA CARbone Interface Ocean Atmosphere CO2 content in the atmosphere is one of the elements responsible for he greenhouse effect. The evolution of its concentration has great consequences on the climate of our planet. It is recognized that the fact that the ocean supplies and draws in turn CO2 is one of the major elements of the atmosphere CO2 evolution. It is therefore essential to understand better the process of exchanges at the ocean and atmosphere interface.

Considering the variability of dissolved CO2 in space and time at the surface of the ocean, an experimental approach aiming at making time series measurement from unattended platforms should be contemplated to complete measurements carried out from vessels in movement of from fixed buoys.

CARIOCA is an automatic drifting buoy designed to measure the concentration of pCO2 at the surface of the ocean in order to qualify the CO2 exchange between atmosphere and ocean. PCO2 measure is achieved liquid phase by colorimeter on a dye and using a 3-wavelength spectrometer. Moreover, to enable correlation the buoy is fitted with sea surface temperature (SST), fluorescence, wind measurements, salinity and atmospheric pressure; dissolved oxygen is an option

CARIOCA buoy includes also ARGOS transmission equipment and power supply to achieve one year of operating autonomy with measurements every hour.

Campaigns at sea have been achieved in Mediterranean, Greenland sea, and Equatorial pacific in Africa and Antarctica.

CARIOCA project has been achieved within Eureka frame EU819. Related website http://www.lodyc.jussieu.fr/carioca