Hypothesis Testing

The PRISM-RS cruise to take place soon is centered around the following hypotheses:

H1: Iron is supplied via episodic intrusions of CDW at specific sites along the shelf break. Mesoscale processes provide the vertical and horizontal transport of the CDW and associated iron to surface waters of the polynya.

H2: Iron is supplied by sediment on banks and in nearshore areas. Mesoscale processes provide a conduit for transporting this iron into the euphotic zone.

H3: Iron is supplied to the surface waters of the Ross Sea via melting of sea ice on the perimeter of the polynya. Mesoscale processes drive lateral transport of the iron-enriched surface meltwaters to the central polynya.

H4: Iron is supplied to the Ross Sea through glacial ice-shelf meltwater. Mesoscale processes transport this iron-enriched meltwater laterally and vertically to surface waters of the polynya.