Design of a multisensory probe for measuring carbon cycle processes in aqueous subterranean environments

The global carbon cycle describes the exchange of carbon between the atmosphere, terrestrial vegetation, oceans, and soil. Mechanisms involving carbon in sub-terrestrial ecosystems and their impact on climate are not well understood. This lack of understanding limits current climate models and prevents accurate soil-carbon storage predications for future climate conditions. To address the lack of instrumentation for conducting high fidelity measurements of appropriate parameters in the field, a multi-sensory probe using a mix of optical, fiber optic, and electronic technologies to measure CO₂, temperature, dissolved oxygen, redox potential, and water level in subsurface environments has been developed. Details of the design, fabrication and laboratory performance verification are presented. Use cases and the anticipated impacts of such measurements on climate models are discussed.