Tiny Trace Gases in Arctic Sea Ice?

Valerie and Roland in Lab. Photo: Kristin Werner
Valérie Gros taking water samples from the Conductivity-Temperature-Depth rosette for their measurements. Photo: Roland Sarda-Esteve
Valérie Gros taking water samples from the Conductivity-Temperature-Depth rosette for their measurements. Photo: Roland Sarda-Esteve

Valérie Gros and Roland Sarda-Esteve from the Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE) in Paris have experience measuring trace gases in the ocean, but are new to working with sea ice. In addition to the gear they packed to work on ice floes, they brought their own air because they do not really trust the cool Arctic air. Their air is stored in gas bottles in front of their chemistry lab on deck E. From here, the air is transported through a very fine tube and mixed with seawater that is pumped from under the ship into the lab. “The air we are using to extract gases from the water is 100 percent clean. That means it does not contain any trace gases we aim to measure during our campaign on board RV Polarstern”, says Roland. Valérie and Roland are both interested in the very tiny amounts of carbon monoxide, dimethyl sulphide and various Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are found in seawater and sea ice. “The proportion of the gases we are measuring in the Arctic Ocean is very small – it is like searching for the famous needle in the haystack“, explains Valérie.

Even though the amount of these gases is very small, they are highly relevant to the atmospheric and climate system. While dimethyl sulphide provides nuclei for cloud condensation, other gases such as carbon monoxide and the VOCs take part in the formation of ozone in the atmosphere. „Our research is like a big puzzle. I am very excited to see how these small parts influence the whole picture of the Arctic climate“, Valérie adds. In addition, Roland is particularly interested in how the instruments set-up, a Proton Transfer Mass Spectrometer and a Gas chromatograph coupled to an Online Water Extraction Device, work aboard the RV Polarstern (for more information: see this PDF). These instruments have been running since the RV Polarstern departed Bremerhaven in order to obtain continuous measurements on the journey from the North Sea to the Arctic. Both scientists are very excited to reach the first sea-ice station to start their sampling on ice.

 

Friday’s bloggers (L-R Shannon MacPhee, Kirstin Werner, Meri Korhonen) are all first timers on the R/V Polarstern.On behalf of the Friday’s blogger team Meri Korhonen, Shannon McPhee and Kirstin Werner

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