There are two main mechanisms by which ASH can enter the ocean and influence its biogeochemical composition: volcanic eruptions and coastal wildfire. Volcanic eruptions have deposited ASH in the…

This federal contract award, with an ID of 80NSSC22K0049, was granted to Oregon State University (OSU) by the Shared Services Center, a civilian federal agency. The contract, valued at $23,354.05, is a grant for research focused on understanding the biogeochemical and societal impacts of volcanic ash deposition in the ocean.

The research aims to investigate two main mechanisms by which volcanic ash can influence the ocean's biogeochemical composition: volcanic eruptions and coastal wildfires. The award does not have a set-aside designation, indicating OSU was selected based on its technical expertise in areas such as oceanography, climate science, and environmental monitoring. As a public land-grant university, OSU has extensive experience partnering with federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to conduct research and provide technical services across various domains.

There are two main mechanisms by which ASH can enter the ocean and influence its biogeochemical composition: volcanic eruptions and coastal wildfire. Volcanic eruptions have deposited ASH in the ocean, where IT is hypothesized that iron in the ASH will become bioavailable and promote phytoplankton growth. Volcanic ASH has different compositions depending on the volcano type and the distance from the source (i.e., aerosols in transit will be preferentially deposited based on density and may elicit different biological responses. Volcanic eruptions can be viewed as a disaster (from the perspective of its impact on people) and a perturbation (from the perspective of its impact on the ocean). At what level does volcanic ASH deposition in the ocean have biogeochemical and societal consequences? Do we know enough about the science in order to better prepare for these volcanic events, or to intervene?