Collaborative Research: NSFGEO-NERC: Recent changes in Arctic biogenic sulfur aerosol from a central Greenland ice core

PI	Institute/Department	Email
Alexander, Becky	University of Washington, Department of Atmospheric Sciences	beckya@uw.edu
Cole-Dai, Jihong	South Dakota State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry	jihong.cole-dai@sdstate.edu

Award#(s)

2230350

2230351

IPY Project?

No

Funding Agency

US\Federal\NSF\GEO\OPP\ARC\ANS

Program Manager	Funding Agency	Email
Brunt, Dr. Kelly McCarrick	National Science Foundation	kbrunt@nsf.gov

Discipline(s)

Cryosphere

Project Web Site(s)

https://arcticdata.io/

https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/

https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2230351

Science Summary

This project will provide the first simultaneous measurements of MSA and biogenic sulfate from Greenland ice cores over the last 30 years when the Arctic has warmed considerably, allowing us to quantify trends in total biogenic sulfur aerosol resulting from the oxidation of DMS. This project will shed light on interpretation of Arctic ice-core MSA records by providing an observational constraint for the potential influence of a changing MSA yield during oxidation of DMS due to changes in atmospheric oxidant abundances. A better understanding of how a warming Arctic influences biogenic sulfur aerosol will improve predictions of future Arctic climate and oceanic productivity.

This project has broad implications for the ice-core, climate, and atmospheric chemistry communities by improving our understanding of the impacts of Arctic climate change and anthropogenic emissions on biogenic sulfur aerosols, and thus our understanding of a potentially important climate feedback at high latitudes and future climate projections. This project will support the training of two graduate students and several undergraduate students at the UW and SDSU in ice-core processing, chemical and isotopic analysis, global modeling, and international collaboration. The students and PIs will participate in local outreach events in Seattle, WA and in Brookings, SD. We will work with the School of Ice to produce a new Virtual Field Lab geared towards students from middle school through early college.

Logistics Summary

This collaboration between Alexander (University of Washington, 2230350) and Cole-Dai (2230351, South Dakota State University) will provide the first simultaneous measurements of MSA and biogenic sulfate from Greenland ice cores over the last 30 years when the Arctic has warmed considerably, allowing researchers to quantify trends in total biogenic sulfur aerosol resulting from the oxidation of DMS.

The team will drill shallow ice cores at Summit, Greenland covering the last 30 years of snow accumulation and measure ion and MSA concentrations and sulfur isotopes of sulfate. The last 30 years will cover the time when anthropogenic NOx emissions from North America and Europe began to decline (after the mid-1990s). This will yield an additional 16 years of data compared to the team’s current record extending from 1200 C.E. through 2006.

Season	Field Site	#People
2023	Greenland - Summit	2