Fundamental Studies of Ice Nucleation Using Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM)
EMSL Project ID
48272
Abstract
The proposed research is to demonstrate applicability of a novel experimental platform for systematic studies of ice nucleation efficiency of atmospheric particles with determination of physicochemical properties of nucleating sites at microscopic level and other controlling factors. These experimental data will be of critical importance to elucidate fundamental processes of aerosol-ice cloud interactions -- one of the most challenging problems for predictive understanding of Earth's climate change. Hosted by environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM), we will develop a new capability to allow observation of ice nucleation over individual complex particles (ice nuclei, IN) relevant to anthropogenic and biogenic emissions at temperatures and relative humidity with respect to ice (RHice) typical for ice-containing cloud formation. Using the IN-ESEM platform, the resulting nano-scale visualization of ice nucleation and quantitative characterization of nucleating sites will be used to improve ice nucleation parameterizations for cloud and climate models.
Project Details
Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2014-10-01
End Date
2016-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)
Team Members
Related Publications
Wang B, DA Knopf, S China, BW Arey, T Harder, MK Gilles, and A Laskin. 2016. "Direct observation of ice nucleation events on individual atmospheric particles." Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP 18(43):29721-29731. doi:10.1039/c6cp05253c