A11C-0053
Comparison of Bulk Carbon Concentrations and Optical Properties of Carbonaceous Aerosols in the North Slope Alaska from Summer 2012 and Summer 2015
Monday, 14 December 2015
Poster Hall (Moscone South)
Rebecca J Sheesley, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States, Tate Edward Barrett, Baylor University, Institute of Ecological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, Waco, TX, United States, Claire Moffett, Baylor University, Department of Environmental Science, Waco, TX, United States, Matthew Gunsch, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI, United States and Kerri Pratt, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Department of Chemistry and Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
Abstract:
With recent drilling permits being issued for exploratory drilling in the Chukchi Sea, there is a need for characterization of carbonaceous aerosols in the Arctic both prior to and during the exploratory drilling phase. A month-long field sampling campaign will be conducted in Barrow, AK, at the confluence of the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, from August to September 2015. Total suspended particulate (TSP) aerosol samples will be collected at the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) climate research facility in Barrow, AK, USA. Samples will be analyzed for organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) on a Sunset carbon analyzer utilizing the NIOSH 5040 method. Samples will also be analyzed for water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) using a water extraction method and subsequent analysis on a Shimadzu Total Carbon Analyzer. Optical properties of the aqueous extracts will also be measured using an Agilent ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrometer. OC, EC and WSOC concentrations will then be compared to aerosol samples collected at the same location in summer 2012, prior to the onset of exploratory drilling in the Chukchi Sea. Back trajectory (BT) analysis will be performed for each sampling campaign to help assess the impact of source region on the carbonaceous aerosol budget and to identify any changes in source region between the two campaigns. A comparison of samples from the same location and season both prior to and post drilling will allow for a more accurate characterization and tracking of the potential impacts of new aerosol emission sources in the region.
