Molecular identification of non-proteinaceous biological particles towards nucleating ice
EMSL Project ID
49077
Abstract
A small number of atmospheric ice-nucleating particles (INPs) can induce freezing of supercooled droplets in tropospheric clouds and conceivably influence precipitation and the planet’s climate. Neglecting them may produce a large uncertainty in weather predictions and climate projections. Recently, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC; i.e., one of the most abundant non-proteinaceous plant structural polymers) has been identified as an efficient INP, which may add crucial importance to quantifying the role of primary non-proteinaceous biological INP (BINP) in the troposphere. However, it is still uncertain whether the ice-nucleating activity is specific to the MCC structure or generally relevant to all plant constituents and, thereby, if the laboratory results of MCC can be representatively scaled up to the total plant debris concentrations in the atmosphere to assess the overall role of BINPs in clouds and the climate system. Hence, more in-depth characterization of physico-chemical properties of cellulose-containing particles is necessary to allow better estimates of their effects on clouds and the global climate. The proposed research aims at identifying molecular composition of natural fibrous samples (e.g., plant debris and arable soil dust) to assess their cellulose mass fraction and at characterizing the nanoscale surface structure and crystalline properties of several important plant structural materials as well as natural plant debris as model proxies for atmospheric cellulose-containing particles to address their potential accessibility for water molecules. To complement these compositional and structural analyses, we also intend to measure the surface-scaled ice nucleation activity of a total 6 samples, including 2 natural samples (dried leaf powders and arable soil dust) and 4 plant structural materials (i.e., cellulose, lignin, lipids and carbohydrates), which can be dispersed and immersed in cloud droplets in the ice nucleation chamber. We will develop a leadership role in BINP research and provide state-of-the-art representations of BINPs to the weather- and climate-modelling community. In the end, the proposed project will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of aerosol-cloud-climate interactions, such that decision-makers will be provided with schemes on how to mitigate climate changes.
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2015-10-15
End Date
2016-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)
Team Members
Related Publications
Hiranuma, N. et al.: Ice nucleation by plant structural materials and its potential contribution to glaciation in clouds, AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, USA, Dec. 2015.
Hiranuma N., K. Adachi, D.M. Bell, F. Belosi, H. Beydoun, B. Bhaduri, and H. Bingemer, et al. 2019. "A comprehensive characterization of ice nucleation by three different types of cellulose particles immersed in water: lessons learned and future research directions." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 19. PNNL-SA-141665. doi:10.5194/acp-19-4823-2019
Steinke, I. et al.: From macromolecules to plant related aerosols ?investigating the ice nucleation properties of complex biological particles, Atmospheric Ice Nucleation Conference ? Focus Meeting 9, Leeds, UK, Jan. 2017.
Suski K.J., D.M. Bell, N. Hiranuma, O. Mohler, D. Imre, and A. Zelenyuk-Imre. 2018. "Activation of Intact Bacteria and Bacterial Fragments Mixed with Agar as Cloud Droplets and Ice Crystals in Cloud CHamber Experiments." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 18, no. 23:17497-17513. PNNL-SA-131706. doi:10.5194/acp-18-17497-2018