Fluvial gas eXchange Observatory

Objective

The exchange of gas between water and the atmosphere is a fundamental aspect of river hydrodynamics that must be accurately quantified and monitored to sustain healthy habitat conditions (e.g., acceptable oxygen levels) and balanced carbon and nutrient cycling, especially in the face of widespread anthropogenic river alterations and ongoing climate change. However, current gas exchange measurements lack sufficient resolution, and models are either too general, missing key processes, or too abstract, relying on parameters that cannot be quantified in practical applications. This hinders effective monitoring and mitigation of the ecological impacts of gas imbalance and contributes to the current very large uncertainties in global estimates of riverine greenhouse gas emissions. Near-surface turbulent motions, the key drivers of gas exchange, deform the surface with distinct shapes and patterns, offering a coded yet very detailed visual manifestation of the gas transfer velocity. With FluXObs, I will decrypt these patterns using state-of-the art computer vision approaches, and map the gas transfer based on aerial images of the water surface. My significant experience interpreting and leveraging water surface dynamics to monitor the flow conditions of rivers remotely equips me exceptionally well for this challenge. With support and training from an extraordinary team of researchers in physics and biogeochemistry, based across two institutions, I will synergise theoretical analysis, laboratory experiments in a unique facility, and field tests. Ultimately, FluXObs will deliver new robust operational models and measurement tools to map the gas transfer velocity with unprecedented resolution, paving the way for large-scale monitoring and mitigation of gas imbalances in rivers and improving gas emission budgets, facilitating our transition to a more sustainable future.