Hydrogen Peroxide, Formaldehyde, and Sub-Annual Snow Accumulation in West Antarctica: Participation in West Antarctic Traverse

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This award supports a project to improve understanding of atmospheric photochemistry over West Antarctica, as recorded in snow, firn and ice. Atmospheric and firn sampling will be undertaken as part of the U.S. International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition (US ITASE) traverses. Measurements of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and formaldehyde (HCHO) will be made on these samples and a recently developed, physically based atmosphere-to-snow transfer model will be used to relate photochemical model estimates of these components to the concentrations of these parameters in the atmosphere and snow. The efficiency of atmosphere-to-snow transfer and the preservation of these components is strongly related to the rate and timing of snow accumulation. This information will be obtained by analyzing the concentration of seasonally dependent species such as hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid and stable isotopes of oxygen. Collection of samples along the US ITASE traverses will allow sampling at a wide variety of locations, reflecting both a number of different depositional environments and covering much of the West Antarctic region.