Particulate Organic Carbon and Clorophyll Concentration Correlation
1. Did the 2004 Indonesian Tsunami
Affect the Area of High Particulate
Organic Carbon and High
Chlorophyll Concentration?
By: Maiya Osife & Alexis Naone
Teacher: Ms. Everett
Southridge High School
Grade: 11
2. Description of Images
•Location: Indian Ocean, near Indonesian islands
•Date: December 26th 2004
• Parameters: Particulate Organic Carbon and Chlorophyll
levels
5. Background
•Particulate Organic Carbon: The carbon that is too large
and is filtered out of a sample. The physical and chemical
properties of the particles control how rapidly a chemical
species is removed from solution and incorporated in
sediment
•Chlorophyll: A compound in plants that converts radiant
energy to chemical energy through the process of
photosynthesis
•Epicenter on the west coast of Indonesian island of
Sumatra
•9.1-9.3 Magnitude, 3rd largest earthquake ever recorded
•The rupture was more than 600 miles long and displacing
the seafloor by 10 yards
6. Question and Hypothesis
•Question: Did the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami affect the
area of high particulate organic carbon and chlorophyll and
are they correlated?
•Hypothesis: We predict that the tsunami would increase
both the organic carbon and chlorophyll levels because the
intense waves would cause the organic carbon to rise and
increase the levels of chlorophyll. The chlorophyll would
increase because of the increased nutrient availability.
7. Variables:
•Independent Variable: Years during December measured
for chlorophyll and particulate carbon (2000 to 2006)
•Dependent Variable: Area in km² of particulate organic
carbon above 400 mg/m^3 and area of chlorophyll above 1
mg/m^3
9. Data Analysis Steps: Particulate
Organic Carbon Concentration
How to prepare the images for measurement:
•Choose parameters and settings on Giovanni
•Open Image J
•Set the scale to 1909.19 km per 135.21 pixel (found from
Google Earth)
•Crop the image so only the map portion shows.
•Set the image type to RGB and then to RGB stack.
•Set the threshold to include pixel values between 70 and 252
• -This will include carbon concentration levels higher than
400mg/m³
•Set measurements to area and limit to threshold.
•Measure the image.
10. Data Analysis Steps: Chlorophyll
Concentration
How to prepare the images for measurement:
•Choose parameters and settings on Giovanni
•Open Image J
•Set the scale to 1909.19 km per 135.21 pixel (found from
Google Earth)
•Crop the image so only the map portion shows.
•Set the image type to RGB and then to RGB stack.
•Set the threshold to include pixel values between 161 and 252
-This will include chlorophyll levels higher than 1mg/m³
•Set measurements to area and limit to threshold.
•Measure the image.
11. Results: Data Table
Date (years) Area of Particulate Area of Chlorophyll
Carbon (km²) (km²) above
above 400 mg/m^3 1mg/m^3
2000 7030 7961
2001 6426 7414
2002 6026 6673
2003 5997 7071
2004 6086 6885
2005 7178 8755
2006 6437 7480
14. Findings and Discussion
•The highest area occurred in 2005 for both carbon and
chlorophyll
•The lowest area occurred in 2002 for both carbon and
chlorophyll
•Data Trend: The concentration levels that were measured
did not change drastically until the year, 2005, after the
tsunami. This suggests that the tsunami did cause an
increase in the concentration levels of both particulate
organic carbon and chlorophyll.
•Unusual Findings: We had predicted that the
concentration levels of both parameters would increase in
2004, the year of the tsunami, when in fact the changes
took place over time and the affect showed in 2005.
15. Conclusion
•Hypothesis: Did the 2004 tsunami affect the particulate organic
carbon and chlorophyll concentration levels? Yes, the particulate
organic carbon and chlorophyll concentration both dramatically
increased following the year of the 2004 tsunami. Both concentrations
showed increase in 2005, suggesting the correlation between the two.
To follow up, we did a correlation analysis and the r value is .954 which
suggests a very significant correlation. The increase in particulate
organic carbon was caused by the stirring up of sediment which also
contained different nutrients which would in turn benefit the algae and
cause an increase in chlorophyll.
•Future Prediction: We predict that the future years to come the
parameters will stay at a pretty moderate level until another natural
disaster or a cause of stirring up of sediments occurs.
16. Limitations
1. Seeing that the increase occurred in 2005, the year after the
tsunami, we feel that it would be more substantial to have recorded
data specifically during all months of 2004 and 2005 and perhaps 2006
also to show the levels going back to normal again.
2. Inconsistency of computer usage, general speed of the computers in
the lab resulted in very slow results as far as image processing.
3. The general time span of this project because we are very pleased
that our hypothesis proved true and would enjoy expanding the topic,
perhaps by expanding the date range specifically to all of 2004, 2005,
and 2006.
4. Skewed Images led to some possible inaccurate data and further
results.
5. Considering that the world is round and our images were flat, that
could have thrown off our data.
6. Scale may have been slightly off.
17. Implications for Humans
• Thousands of homes, businesses, and beaches were ruined from the
natural disaster. Leaving families broken and no place to go. Many lives
were lost, also hundreds were injured or missing.
• Aid agencies spent millions on rehabilitation centers, shelters, and fresh
water and food to help the civilians get healthy and back on their feet.
• Marine fisheries and local markets went out of business from the huge
decrease of fish and sea life. There was also severe damage to fishing
boats and equipment that could no longer be used.
• The sandy beaches and coral reefs were the main tourist attractions.
Companies had lost tons of money and business due to the tsunami.
• Organizations from all over came together to help the people of need by
rebuilding stores and homes.
• National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program announced they were
installing 32 more satellite tsunami tracker systems that are located in the
ocean in several places all over the world. This cost the company a ton of
money.
18. Implications for Ecosystems
Negative:
•Large amounts of pollution had been drained into the ocean,
contaminating the water and killing the sea life.
•40-60% of the coral reefs were knocked over and destroyed
because of the waves.
•Sea life living in the coral reefs had died from the pollution
(bleaching), and destroyed by the waves.
Positive:
•Sediments that were brought up also helped sea life continue to
grow and animals got the nutrients they need.
•Natural barriers saved some coastline communities from severe
damage.
19. Cited Sources
• "Ocean Color Radiometry Online Visualization and Analysis." Giovanni.
NASA. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. <http://gdata1.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/daac-
bin/G3/gui.cgi?instance_id=ocean_month>.
• "The Deadliest Tsunami in History?" National Geographic. National
Geographic Society, 7 Jan. 2005. Web. 26 Apr. 2012.
<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1227_041226_tsunami.
html>.
• "Tsunamis and the International Response: Economic, Social and
Environmental Dimensions." CSA. Pro Quest. Web. 26 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/tsunami/overview.php?SID=ed8m1ro
o1f1k3mrslur6o7d574>.
• "WET Labs: Glossary of Terms." Underwater Sensors from WET Labs. WET
Labs. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. <http://www.wetlabs.com/glossary.htm>.
