Analyzing the impact of wildfires and light-absorbing aerosol deposition in the Arctic
Research Mentor(s)
Alia Khan
Description
Black carbon is a light-absorbing aerosol released from wildfires and fossil fuel burning whose presence on snow and ice decreases surface albedo, thus accelerating melt and contributing to the widespread decline of the cryosphere, both regionally and globally. The objectives of this project were two-fold: 1) contribute to the development of an open-source dataset of previously published black carbon ground observations from Arctic studies of snow and sea ice, and 2) collect 360° imagery of glaciers, snowfields, and other mountain geographical features in the Pacific Northwest for use in building science curricula focused on polar and alpine environments for local students. After collecting more than 20 published studies of ground observations of snow and ice, these data will be used this summer as part of an ongoing NASA project with collaborators at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to verify Earth-system model outputs derived from satellite observations from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer. The 360° imagery project is likewise ongoing, and images collected from the Sholes and Easton glaciers during the summer of 2021 will eventually be incorporated into interactive educational modules for environmental science students at WWU.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
May 2022
End Date
May 2022
Location
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Department
CE - Environmental Sciences
Genre/Form
student projects; posters
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Analyzing the impact of wildfires and light-absorbing aerosol deposition in the Arctic
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Black carbon is a light-absorbing aerosol released from wildfires and fossil fuel burning whose presence on snow and ice decreases surface albedo, thus accelerating melt and contributing to the widespread decline of the cryosphere, both regionally and globally. The objectives of this project were two-fold: 1) contribute to the development of an open-source dataset of previously published black carbon ground observations from Arctic studies of snow and sea ice, and 2) collect 360° imagery of glaciers, snowfields, and other mountain geographical features in the Pacific Northwest for use in building science curricula focused on polar and alpine environments for local students. After collecting more than 20 published studies of ground observations of snow and ice, these data will be used this summer as part of an ongoing NASA project with collaborators at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to verify Earth-system model outputs derived from satellite observations from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer. The 360° imagery project is likewise ongoing, and images collected from the Sholes and Easton glaciers during the summer of 2021 will eventually be incorporated into interactive educational modules for environmental science students at WWU.