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Chemical Imaging and Molecular Characterization of Solid Organic Particles Discovered in the Area of Southern Great Plains


EMSL Project ID
49232

Abstract

Recent discovery of solid (glassy) atmospheric soil organic particles (ASOP), emitted through atmosphere-land-surface interactions in the area of Southern Great Plains (SGP) suggests that ASOP may have a regional-scale impact on the atmospheric environment. Systematic investigation of this newly discovered type of organic particles will have important implications for multiple aspects of environmental science. Initial results revealed unique properties of ASOP (macro-molecular organic composition, solid (glassy) phase and refractory nature) and indicated their potential to affect the atmospheric environment and the carbon cycle in the area. The objective of the proposed project is to conduct in-depth chemical imaging of particles and molecular-level studies of physicochemical properties of ASOP typical for the SGP area, and obtain fundamental knowledge for predictive understanding of their environmental impact including radiative properties and cloud forming potential. The ultimate goal is to provide experimental data necessary for parameterization of ASOP properties in in atmospheric and climate models.

Project Details

Project type
FICUS ARM Research
Start Date
2016-04-18
End Date
2017-09-30
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

Mary Gilles
Institution
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Co-Investigator(s)

Bingbing Wang
Institution
Xiamen University

Team Members

Daniel Bonanno
Institution
University of the Pacific

Matthew Fraund
Institution
University of the Pacific

Daniel Knopf
Institution
State University of New York at Stony Brook

Related Publications

Veghte DP, S China, J Weiss, L Kovarik, MK Gilles, and A Laskin. 2017. "Optical Properties of Airborne Soil Organic Particles." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry. doi:10.1021/acsearthspacechem.7b00071