CAREER: Understanding the Fate of Reactive Organic Carbon in the Atmosphere

This CAREER project is focused on studying the removal of organic gases from the atmosphere by wet deposition. A series of laboratory and field measurements of the solubility and scavenging of organic gases will enable estimates of the timescales for removal. The results of this research could significantly improve model estimates of atmospheric composition and aerosol mass and could more broadly lead to a better understanding of the global carbon cycle relevant to the study of air quality and climate change.

The overarching goal of this research is to estimate timescales for the deposition of oxygenated gases to assist with understanding the fate of reactive organic carbon and the removal of atmospheric reactivity. The major objectives are to: (1) quantify the parameters controlling the deposition of reactive organic carbon through novel laboratory and field measurements; (2) understand the fate of atmospheric components and the potential for deposition to impact atmospheric reactivity and aerosol formation; and (3) improve understanding of atmospheric composition and aerosol formation.

A novel “rain chamber” will be built that uses controlled, variable precipitation to selectively scavenge gases as a function of solubility. Henry’s Law constants will be measured in this chamber for hundreds of short-lived oxygenated gases formed from a wide range of atmospherically relevant precursors. The scavenging chamber also will be deployed in the field at the Virginia Forest Lab to connect compound solubility to wet deposition for short-lived oxygenated gases, with a focus on data collected during the growing season when terpene emission is high.

The results of this research will lead to a better understanding of the competition between oxidation and deposition for the removal of reactive carbon from the atmosphere.

This project includes the development of on-line educational materials and hands-on activities through a collaboration with the Science Museum of Western Virginia and the Virginia Tech Center for Educational Networks and Impacts.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.