Due to poorly constrained atmospheric concentrations of ice nucleating particles in the arctic, it is difficult to estimate the radiative energy budged of this area. The marine microlayer, the bacterioneuston, is an important source of biological ice-nucleating particles, in particular during the period of high primary production and in regions with low concentrations of these particles, such as the arctic. In this multidisciplinary project we will study the contribution of marine emissions to the atmospheric bio-particulate matter, with a particular focus on biological ice nucleators. Our investigations will contribute to the prediction of sources, concentrations, and the distribution of particles that are involved in cloud development and ice crystal formation, and thus are the drivers of meteorological and climatic processes in the arctic. Using next generation sequencing methods coupled with phenotypical assays, we will be linking microbial activity to atmospheric processes as well as specific functional communities. Thus this part of the project will both provide input data for meteorological models as well as contribute to an in depth understanding of the importance of marine emissions for the arctic atmosphere. This project will fit well with our previous studies in the arctic, which looked into local terrestrial sources as well as the long distance transport of bioaerosols and biological ice nucleators.

Field Site: Baffin Bay

Link to Isaaffik website

PI: Kai Finster

Particpants: Tina Santl-Temkiv and Malin Alsved