Heterogeneous Ice Nucleation from Biomass Burning Particles: The Effect of Chemical
Composition and Chemical Aging
EMSL Project ID
30443
Abstract
Organic material is ubiquitous in atmospheric particles. This proposal focuses on potential ice nucleation (IN) activity of biomass burning aerosol (BBA). Biomass burning is a major source of gases and particles to the atmosphere with its emission rate comparable to emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Recent findings have demonstrated that biomass burning plumes can affect the atmosphere on a regional to global scale and also penetrate the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere where temperatures promote the formation of ice8. BBA particles represent very complex organic mixtures. We will investigate how the chemical composition of these particles affects heterogeneous ice nucleation. While in the atmosphere the particles are exposed to atmospheric trace gases such as ozone. O3 can lead to the oxidation of organic species in aerosol particles by heterogeneous reactions. This process is also termed chemical aging. The effect of chemical aging on particle surface composition and subsequent consequences on ice nucleation will be investigated in the laboratory.
Project Details
Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2008-10-01
End Date
2011-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members
Related Publications
Knopf DA, BB Wang, A Laskin, RC Moffet, and MK Gilles. 2010. "Heterogeneous Nucleation of Ice on Anthropogenic Organic Particles Collected in Mexico City." Geophysical Research Letters 37(11):Article No. L11803. doi:10.1029/2010GL043362