As part of the newly established CoastClim consortium, a flux tower was erected at the Tvärminne Zoological Station at the southern tip of Finland in early 2022. The tower is installed on a small islet some 100 metres from the mainland, which enables estimating the gas and energy exchange of the coastal sea with the eddy covariance technique. This is the first time when the University of Helsinki has installed a permanent flux tower in a marine environment.
At the moment, carbon dioxide, water vapour, and heat fluxes are measured at the site, but the work will be expanded in the near future to include methane fluxes as well. Basic meteorological parameters, as well as radiative fluxes, are also measured. Together with the extensive underwater measurements ongoing in Tvärminne, the acquired knowledge of the carbon exchange between the coastal sea and the atmosphere will serve as an integral part of the CoastClim initiative to estimate whether the coastal Baltic Sea acts as a carbon sink or source.
For further information, contact doctoral researcher, MSc Aki Vähä, aki.vaha@helsinki.fi.