Marine Geology and Geochemistry Division

• MGGD folks– 14 Oceanography Departmental Graduate Faculty

– ~10 Research faculty and postdocs

– ~15 graduate students

– Numerous undergraduate students

– Local high school students too

• Interdisciplinary division….diverse interdisciplinary research projects– Focused into “Major Research Themes”

– ‘Big Questions in Marine Geochemistry’

• www.soest.hawaii.edu/oceanography/mggd (or from SOEST pageOceanography”Groups”MGGD)

MGGD

Funding/Initiatives supporting MGGD Research

• Coastal:– NSF— OOI; CoOP

– EPA— BEACH

– NOAA— ECOHAB; IOOS; Sea Grant

• Atmospheric Chemistry– ONR— Marine Aerosol Program

– NASA— GTE

• Global Geochem Cycles and Paleoenvironments– DoE (carbon cycling)

– NSF: Ocean Acidification; Ocean Carbon Biogeochemistry; dddddEocene hyperthermals

– GEOTRACES

• Subseafloor geochemistry and geomicrobiology– NSF— IODP; RIDGE 2000; MARGINS

– NASA Astrobiology Institute

– Moore Foundation

MGGD

Biogeochemistry of Coastal Systems: Nutrient and Trace Metal Cycling, Ecosystem Dynamics, and Human Impacts

• How do land-derived material inputs and physical oceanographic processes impact coastal biogeochemistry and water quality?

• How do changes in land use and nutrient input impact coastal ecosystem structure and dynamics?

• How do coastal ocean processes impact global element cycles?

• What are the effects of physical processes on sediment-seawater exchange in coastal systems?

MGGD: Major research thrusts and ‘Big questions in Marine Geochemistry’

J. Cowen B. Glazer E. DeCarlo F. Mackenzie K. Ruttenberg F. Sansone

Marine Aerosols and Air-Sea Exchange

• How do aerosols influence climate?

• What are the key uncertainties in air-sea exchange/fluxes/impacts?

• How can we constrain marine sources and sinks, and atmospheric transport?

T. Clarke D. Ho S. Howell B. Huebert C. Measures

MGGD: Major research thrusts and ‘Big questions in Marine Geochemistry’

Global Geochemical Cycles: Contemporary to Paleoenvironments

• What are the human impacts on global elemental cycles?

• How will ocean acidification affect carbonate production in marine organisms and carbonate dissolution in reefs and sediments?

• How can paleoclimatology help us understand and predict contemporary global climate changes?

• What are the roles of sediment geochemistry and seafloor-ocean exchange in sinks/sources of global elemental cycles?

E. DeCarlo T. Clarke B. Huebert T. Li F.Mackenzie C.Measures K. Ruttenberg J.Schoonmaker R. Zeebe

MGGD: Major research thrusts and ‘Big questions in Marine Geochemistry’

Biogeochemical Cycling and Geomicrobiology at MORs, Ridge Flanks, Hot Spots, and Subduction Zones

• How do hydrothermal geochemical fluxes impact ocean chemistry?

• How does fluid flow affect mass transport w/in subduction zones?

• What is the magnitude, character and impact of deep subseafloor biosphere?

• What is the impact of magmatic/tectonic events on geochemical fluxes and microbial activity?

• What do extreme environments tell us about potential for life elsewhere in the universe?

J. Cowen B. Glazer M. Mottl and M. Rappe G. Steward G. Wang (HIMB) (Bio Ocean)

MGGD: Major research thrusts and ‘Big questions in Marine Geochemistry’

Ocean observing technologies and applications

• Regional cabled observatories (HI coastal: Kilo Nalu; JdFR flanks: Neptune)

• Non-cabled coastal observatories (He’eia Fishpond; CRIMP buoy)

• Deep crustal (IODP-CORK) observatories (JdFR flanks; North Pond, MAR)

• Ability to conduct adaptive sampling, and remotely operated experiments and observations

• Sampling and sensor technology

J. Cowen E. DeCarlo B. Glazer F. Mackenzie K. Ruttenberg F. Sansone

MGGD: Major research thrusts and ‘Big questions in Marine Geochemistry’