Collaborative Research: EAGER: Energy for persistent sensing of carbon dioxide under near shore waves.

There is a need to quantify the way climate change is impacting the carbon dioxide exchange dynamics across the ocean-atmosphere interface. Surface waves affect these processes, and in particular, the effect of nearshore waves and white caps together with sprays and bubbles is not understood sufficiently. A more complete understanding requires long-term uninterrupted CO2 flux measurements at multiple locations. To enable these measurements, this project would utilize theory and at-sea measurements to investigate an unexplored energy source based on the nonlinear interaction of nearshore surface waves with the seafloor. The project would involve a high-school student volunteer, a paid undergraduate senior from an under-represented community, and another undergraduate volunteer. Student work would culminate in properly acknowledged posters and videos that will be available through the University’s web site and the students’ social media sites. This research would lead to an energy converter on the seafloor at depths at which first-order dynamic pressure under surface waves is small, but second-order pressure due to resonant nonlinear interaction of surface waves with the seafloor is significant. At full realization, the energy converter-sensor would enable improved (i.e., long-term and uninterrupted) monitoring of the effect of nearshore waves on the CO2 exchange across the ocean surface. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.