Dr Graham Jones - Southern Cross Uni

Bron and Anth in the studio today, with Pete, Jen and Trav in the no-longer-quite-so-green-room, the new studios evolving around us even as we speak!

Graham Jones joined us to talk about the relationship between iron in the Ocean and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Through iron fertilization experiments, scientists can examine this relationship, whereby increased iron concentrations in the water lead to large phytoplankton blooms. These blooms are then responsible for the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Through studies of ice cores, scientists can look back on this iron / carbon dioxide relationship over thousands of years, which further provides support for this research. We all agreed that decreasing CO2 input to the atmosphere was going to be a faster way to rein in climate change than throwing much iron into the ocean.

The question which is as yet unanswered, is what happens to these blooms at the end of this cycle. Do they die and end up at the bottom of the ocean as is the norm for these organism? Or do they die at the surface, and simply release all the carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere?

The Argo project aims to find out what happens throughout the world's ocean - throughout the year! Seasonal changes throughout the oceans are relatively unknown, and through the development and release of around 3000 specially designed "argo" floats, data are collected and transmitted to satellites. These data will include temperature, salinity (rainfall) and velocity (currents), and given that these floats will be distributed at a range of different depths throughout the world's oceans, the data gained from the project will be quite comprehensive. The information gleaned from the project, which involves over 20 countries, is freely available via the web and other sources, for any government, agency or individual that may wish to make use of it.

But what about the name? Well,for those of you who know your Greek mythology, the Argo project has been named because of its link to Nasa's Jason-1 satellite. The satellite measures the shape of the ocean surface to incredible accuracy and shows where ocean currents are strongest and how the oceans expand when they warm. Together Argo and Jason form part of an integrated global observation network which helps to build our understanding of the oceans' role in climate.

This week we embark with Jeff on a new serial, where we are taken on a journey down to Atlantis in a rocket-powered sub, courtesy of a 1936 film serial which shall remain un-named. The drama! The suspense! In this episode, our intrepid explorers journey down to the depths of the ocean, when the evil "your majesty" turns on the magnetic ray and begins sucking the submarine down further and further toward Atlantis...

Ooooooooooh!!!

It's a serial which will continue in the upcoming months, a serial which is as yet un-named. Stay tuned, we will have a competition to name the serial in the future as well...

" Inadequate Response "

" Wires"

"Precious Things "

Princess One Point Five

Athlete

Heather Frahn

Brett is currently unavailable, up towards Jervis Bay - more than likely below the waterline. From within the confines of the RRR studios in well and truly landlocked Fitzroy, we'd hazard a guess that the water out there is very bumpy in the bay - very bumpy outside. Generally unpleasant!!!