AMERIGO: a new benthic lander for dissolved flux measurements at sediment-water-interface
F. Spagnoli; G. Ciceri; G. Giuliani; V. Martinotti; P. Penna;
Amerigo is a new autonomous and automatic benthic
lander for the measurements of dissolved benthic fluxes at the
sediment-water interface. The lander is able to measure fluxes
of nutrients such as ammonium, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates
and silica, gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide and methane,
trace elements such as heavy metals, and also other dissolved
pollutants resulting from human activity. AMERIGO is able to
operate from transitional environments to continental shelf and
abyssal plain. The Lander can include various components, at
present it is equipped with 3 benthic chambers for measuring
the fluxes at the water-sediment interface and is prepared to
host a microprofiler and other benthic instruments (minipenetrometer,
gravimeter, etc.). The 3 benthic chambers are
equipped with a water sampler, which also allows injection of
tracers, a system for the refilling of the consumed oxygen
(Oxystat) and sensors for pH and dissolved gas monitoring
(oxygen, methane and in future CO2). Outside the benthic
chambers a CTD probe for measuring the chemical-physical
parameters (temperature, conductivity and pressure) and a
niskin bottle for the sampling of the water column are present.
The lander is equipped with all mechanisms for the dipping
(ballast weights), positioning on the bed, raising (a timed
release mechanism (burn-wire type) for the release of the
ballast and glass spheres for the flotation) and recovery (radio
transmitter, GPS position system and flasher) on board. A
useful property of AMERIGO is the modularity and
flexibility, that is different components, which can be
assembled and programmed on the basis of needs and of the
environmental conditions in which it will operate.
After the two first testing cruises early results of the
AMERIGO functioning will be presented.
2013 - Abstract in rivista
Mineralogical magazine (Online) 77 (2013).
Keywords: benthic lander