Observations of atmospheric and snowpack chemistry in the summer on the Juneau Icefield

Abstract:

Cryospheric environments, such as ice sheets and glaciers, are particularly sensitive to perturbations in radiative forcing due to climate change. In recent decades, research in Arctic regions has revealed unique local-scale chemistry related to the greenhouse gas ozone and chemical interactions with snow and ice surfaces. Additionally, these remote regions are often impacted by long range transport events that bring atmospheric pollutants, including both gases and atmospheric particles, from anthropogenic sources and biomass burning; these pollutants can reduce visibility, change absorption and/or scattering of solar radiation, and lead to reductions in snow albedo (e.g., through deposition of black carbon). Both ozone and black carbon particles have consequences on radiative forcing and can lead to increased snow ablation and glacier recession. The Juneau Icefield is a temperate tidewater glacier network located east of Juneau, Alaska. In July 2014, as part of the Juneau Icefield Research Program, we conducted a pilot study including measurements of ozone, size-resolved atmospheric particles, and atmospheric black carbon, in conjunction with snowpack black carbon, inorganic ion, and albedo measurements. Here, we present the initial findings from this study and discuss local-scale atmospheric composition and impacts of long-range transport on snow albedo.