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Author Barret Manuel, Domine Florent, Houdier Stephan, Gallet Jean-Charles, Weibring Petter, Walega James, Fried Alan, Richter Dirk, doi  openurl
  Title Formaldehyde in the Alaskan Arctic snowpack: Partitioning and physical processes involved in air-snow exchanges Type Journal Article
  Year (down) 2011 Publication J. Geophys. Res. Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 116 Issue Pages D00R03-  
  Keywords adsorption, carbonyls, diffusion, halogen, solid-solution, 0322 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Constituent sources and sinks, 0365 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Troposphere: composition and chemistry, 0736 Cryosphere: Snow (1827, 1863), 3307 Atmospheric Processes: Boundary layer processes, 9315 Geographic Location: Arctic region (0718, 4207),  
  Abstract The snowpack is a photochemically active medium which produces numerous key reactive species involved in the atmospheric chemistry of polar regions. Formaldehyde (HCHO) is one such reactive species produced in the snow, and which can be released to the atmospheric boundary layer. Based on atmospheric and snow measurements, this study investigates the physical processes involved in the HCHO air-snow exchanges observed during the OASIS 2009 field campaign at Barrow, Alaska. HCHO concentration changes in a fresh diamond dust layer are quantitatively explained by the equilibration of a solid solution of HCHO in ice, through solid-state diffusion of HCHO within snow crystals. Because diffusion of HCHO in ice is slow, the size of snow crystals is a major variable in the kinetics of exchange and the knowledge of the snow specific surface area is therefore crucial. Air-snow exchanges of HCHO can thus be explained without having to consider processes taking place in the quasi-liquid layer present at the surface of ice crystals. A flux of HCHO to the atmosphere was observed simultaneously with an increase of HCHO concentration in snow, indicating photochemical production in surface snow. This study also suggests that the difference in bromine chemistry between Alert (Canadian Arctic) and Barrow leads to different snow composition and post-deposition evolutions. The highly active bromine chemistry at Barrow probably leads to low HCHO concentrations at the altitude where diamond dust formed. Precipitated diamond dust was subsequently undersaturated with respect to thermodynamic equilibrium, which contrasts to what was observed elsewhere in previous studies.
 
  Programme 1017  
  Campaign  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher AGU Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0148-0227 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved yes  
  Call Number Serial 1029  
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