Identification of Ice Nucleation Sources from Marine Phytoplankton

This research focuses on the role of marine phytoplankton in the generation of ice-nucleating particles in atmospheric aerosols and seeks to establish a link between fast phytoplankton growth rates and increased particle activity. Ice nucleating particles (INP) play a key role in forming ice crystals in clouds and can affect cloud lifetimes and optical properties and the formation of precipitation. They can also play an important role in the global radiative budget and therefore affect climate.

The objectives of this research are to: (1) Identify sources of INP produced by phytoplankton and characterize their ice nucleation properties; and (2) Identify how phytoplankton physiology (particularly growth rate) affects the production of INP. These objectives are being achieved through a series of laboratory experiments using representative globally important phytoplankton grown under highly controlled conditions, primarily using continuous cultures.

These experiments will be used to develop a mechanistic understanding of the factors that affect INP production by phytoplankton. The hypothesis is that nucleic acids and proteins help to catalyze ice nucleation.

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.