Collaborative Research: Atmospheric Chlorine Oxidation of Hydrocarbons Emitted from the North Slope of Alaska Oil Fields

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The goal of this project is to investigate the mechanisms of chlorine (Cl) oxidation of trace gases in the atmosphere. Scientists plan to conduct analyses, modeling and interpretation of data collected during a recent field project at Oliktok Point, an area that is within the coastal North Slope of Alaska oil fields. This project will address key knowledge gaps in the understanding of Cl oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the ambient atmosphere and has the potential to transform knowledge about atmospheric Cl chemistry, with implications for wintertime and marine/coastal environments.The activities will be used together to investigate the dominant mechanisms of Cl oxidation of atmospheric trace gases through the following objectives: (1) Identify reactive VOCs and quantify their Cl reactivity in an Arctic oil field; (2) Identify oxygenated VOCs (OVOC) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) products of VOC + Cl reactions; and (3) Investigate the 2020 Arctic DOE-supported CLOROX field campaign VOC, OVOC, and SOA composition data during active chlorine chemistry, connecting objectives 1 and 2. This project is in response to Dear Colleague Letter 21-064 “Supporting the Use of Existing Data and Samples in Atmospheric Sciences Research and Education.” Several undergraduate and graduate students will receive training and experience through mentoring in a private sector R&D environment.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.