Pics and Video!

Tara (Univ. of Toronto PhD student) plutting on her plastic gloves so that she doesn't contaminate her snow sampling site. While at Summit, she decided to add another experiement for fun: looking at the differences between chemical reactions taking place in the direct sunlight and in the shade.

Here is Tara retrieving a shaded snow sample!

Max and Steve (UCLA) with their long-path Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS). DOAS is a method to determine concentrations of trace gases by measuring their specific narrow band absorption structures in the UV and visible spectral region. DOAS identifies many trace gases in the atmosphere, e.g. OH, NO3, HONO, BrO, IO. It is still one of the most appropriate methods to measure HONO in the open atmosphere.

The Swiss 45 meter meteorological tower. Here we measure temperature at ten different heights and wind speed at three heights. Can you tell where the snow and sky meet?

One of the anemometers that measures wind speed and direction on the Swiss tower.

Our above snow actinic flux spectroradiometer.

GA Tech's Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (CIMS) on the back left that measures different free radicals compounds (HOx) in a specific and quick manner. These free radicals react very fast in the atmosphere and are basically the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere ("clean up the atmosphere"). The other CIMS on the middle left measures HCl, BrO, Br2, pernitric acid, and several more stable compounds.

Our snow actinic flux spectroradiometer that measures radiation from about 3000-5600 nanometers at five different depths within the snow. The energy spectrum is important for understanding chemistry in the snow, and the gases that can be produced through reactions at high energy (short wavelengths).



Fiber optic cables belonging to the snow actinic flux spectroradiometer.

Another shot of the snow spectroradiometer and the five cables.




Me sledding in front of the big house before our game of golf a few days ago.