Kerri Pratt

(University of Michigan)

Influence of the Changing Arctic Surface on Snow, Aerosol, and Trace Gas Chemistry

What Meteo Colloquium UG Homepage GR
When Sep 30, 2015
from 03:30 pm to 04:30 pm
Where 112 Walker
Contact Name Jose Fuentes
Contact email
Contact Phone 814-863-1585
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Kerri Pratt U Mich

Climate change is leading to rapid observable changes in the Arctic region. With summertime sea ice loss, the winter and springtime sea ice cover has transitioned from multiyear sea ice to thinner first-year sea ice cover, which is characterized by significant fracturing, resulting in the formation of leads (areas of open water surrounded by sea ice) and numerous ice floes. Sea spray can be produced from these leads, and open water is leading to development in the Arctic. We expect these changes to alter downwind aerosol, snowpack, and trace gas chemistry. I will discuss measurements of aerosol, snowpack, and trace gas chemical composition in the winter-spring near Barrow, Alaska. In particular, I will examine the contributions of sea spray aerosol from leads and impacts on snowpack photochemistry and the production of reactive halogen species and subsequent atmospheric ozone depletion. Understanding the connections between halogen chemistry and the changing Arctic sea ice will improve our ability to predict Arctic atmospheric composition.