Capturing the influence of ocean biology on aerosol collected in the remote region of the eastern north Atlantic
EMSL Project ID
51631
Abstract
Cloud lifetime and optical properties, as well as precipitation, depend heavily on aerosol size, concentration, and chemical properties. Oceans which cover 71% of the Earth's surface are a major source of atmospheric aerosol populations as a result of waves breaking and bubbles bursting at the sea surface. Interconnections between aerosols, clouds, and marine ecosystems are one of the largest sources of uncertainty in future climate projections. The DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) study site on remote Graciosa Island in the Azores was designed to improve predictive understanding of how aerosol particles impact cloud formation over the marine environment. The study site location is a region of persistent marine boundary layer clouds in the North Eastern Atlantic. The objective of our exploratory proposal is to extract organic compounds associated with aerosolized sea spray particles (SSA) impacted onto filters and use mass spectrometry-based metabolomics analyses to obtain a molecular characterization of that organic material. This will enable us to learn how biological activities in surface ocean waters map into SSA and reveal the nature of organic compounds which can be subsequently transferred into the atmosphere. These data will compliment concurrent measurements on aerosol particle properties and contributions from different sources for representative air masses and meteorological conditions. The proposed project will provide data for improving modeled SSA chemistry and parameterization of marine derived compounds
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2020-12-01
End Date
2021-12-31
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)