New Hot Paper Comment by Professor Walker O. Smith Jr.

Professor William O. Smith, Jr. answers a few questions about this month's new hot paper in field of Geosciences.

From •>>July 2002

Field: Geosciences
by Smith, WO
Article Title: "The US Southern Ocean Joint Global Ocean Flux Study: an introduction to AESOPS"
Authors: Smith, WO;Anderson, RF;Moore, JK;Codispoti, LA;Morrison, JM
Journal: DEEP-SEA RES PT II-TOP ST OCE
Volume: 47
Page: 3073-3093
Year: 2000
* Coll William & Mary, Sch Marine Sci, Virginia Inst Marine Sci, Gloucester Point, VA 23062 USA.
* Coll William & Mary, Sch Marine Sci, Virginia Inst Marine Sci, Gloucester Point, VA 23062 USA.
* Columbia Univ, Lamont Doherty Earth Observ, Palisades, NY 10796 USA.
* Natl Ctr Atmospher Res, Boulder, CO 80307 USA.
* Univ Maryland, Horn Point Environm Lab, Cambridge, MD 21613 USA.
* N Carolina State Univ, Dept Marine Earth & Atmospher Sci, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA.

Why do you think your paper is highly cited?

It provides a concise overview of a broad topic, providing core data for many to use.

Does it describe a new discovery or new methodology that's useful to others?

It was the first detailed description of the temporal evolution of particulate matter in two remote regions.

What were some of the circumstances that led you to do this research?

I helped organize a large, international, interdisciplinary experiment in the Southern Ocean since it is critical to the ocean's biogeochemistry

Could you summarize the significance of your paper in layman's terms?

The paper describes the general results of the US Southern Ocean Joint Global Ocean Flux Study. We found that 1) the temporal progression of the seasonal phytoplankton bloom consisted of relatively predictable physiological and community effects, but was uncoupled from flux to the sea bed; 2) the bloom in the polar front was short-lived and ephemeral, but could be observed from measurements and satellites; 3) that iron played a critical role in the carbon cycling of the region by regulating the growth of plankton; and 4) removal of organic matter from the surface layer was substantial, and thereby critical to the oceanic carbon cycle.

William O. Smith, Jr.
Prof. of Marine Science
Virginia Institute of Military Science
College of William & Mary

ESI Special Topics, July 2002
Citing URL - http://www.esi-topics.com/nhp/comments/july-02-WalkerOSmith.html