Arctic Sea-Ice-Zone Blowing Snow - Contribution to Sea Salt Aerosol (ABSCISSA)

北极海冰区（SIZ）影响大气成分和气候，并对气候变化作出迅速反应。我们迫切需要量化它对区域/全球大气的影响，以便我们能够预测未来可能发生的变化。北极研究在后勤和科学上都具有挑战性，并不断依赖于新的国际伙伴关系，共享科学专业知识，数据和物流。这种科学背景和工作方式完全反映了我们在拟议的ABSCISSA项目中的重点和方法。我们的科学重点是北极SIZ成为海盐气溶胶（SSA）来源的潜力。气溶胶是大气中的小颗粒，起着几种关键作用。它们影响阳光的传输和云的形成。它们生产的卤素化合物进入大气，进而影响大气氧化化学和食物链中汞的供应-这是北极人民目前的一个主要健康问题。当它们沉积在极地冰盖上时，海盐气溶胶留下了过去条件的记录，可以通过钻取冰芯来获得。因此，重要的是要查明和量化SSA的来源。有强有力的证据表明，在极地地区，来源是风吹在海冰表面的咸雪上的影响。如果这是正确的，它打开了使用冰芯数据来获得海冰范围在长时间内变化的可能性。因此，了解极地海盐气溶胶的来源并能够预测它们如何随气候变化以及如何对气候产生反馈是非常重要的。SIZ内的实地工作具有挑战性-该地区难以进入，很少有基于船舶的项目在那里开展，特别是在冬季。然而，在2015年冬季，挪威极地研究所（NPI）将在他们的研究船Lance上举办一次深入北极SIZ的巡航。我们已经谈判了一个参与的机会，但需要资金的强制性财政贡献。我们已经在NPI中建立了新的项目合作伙伴。我们的科学目标是确定海冰上的风吹雪是否真的是北极海盐气溶胶的主要来源，并进行一系列测量，以在数值模型中参数化这一过程。我们将使用与我们之前成功的南极SIZ冬季巡航（由NERC资助）相同的方法，设备和人员，从而将之前的NERC投资作为此次北极研究的跳板。北极的SIZ与南极的SIZ有很大的不同，因此要评估北极的海盐来源和影响，我们必须直接从北极SIZ获得数据。与NPI的合作是高度互利的：NPI物流将使我们能够进入一个无法进入的地区;我们将进行新的测量，需要，但不是由我们的NPI合作伙伴进行;同样，他们的数据将填补我们测量套件的空白;我们都将贡献数据解释的专业知识。这样的工作实践提供了相当大的杠杆作用，并为未来建立了强有力的合作。从战略上讲，该项目符合政府层面的谅解备忘录，旨在加强英国和挪威之间的科学合作。该项目符合NERC对BAS在北极发挥更大作用的愿望。从长远来看，我们将使用我们的数据i）扩大规模以获得北极区域来源，ii）与南极洲的海盐生产进行比较，iii）评估对大气化学成分的影响，iv）评估海盐气溶胶作为海冰代理的适用性。因此，我们的研究结果有助于一系列不同的学术团体，提高英国科学在北极的形象和势头，并有助于一个具有强烈科学，政治和公共利益的领域：与减少北极海冰范围相关的社会经济和气候影响和反馈。

The Arctic sea ice zone (SIZ) affects atmospheric composition and climate, and it is responding rapidly to climate change. We urgently need to quantify its influence on the regional/global atmosphere so we can predict how this may change in the future. Arctic research is logistically and scientifically challenging, and continually relies on new international partnerships, shared science expertise, data, and logistics. This scientific context and modus operandi entirely reflects our focus and approach within the proposed ABSCISSA project.Our scientific focus is the potential of the Arctic SIZ to be a source of sea salt aerosol (SSA). Aerosols are small particles in the atmosphere which play several critical roles. They affect the transmission of sunlight and the formation of clouds. They host the production of halogen compounds to the atmosphere which in turn affect atmospheric oxidation chemistry and the availability of mercury to the food chain - a major current health concern for Arctic people. When they are deposited on polar ice caps, sea salt aerosols leave a record of past conditions that can be accessed by drilling ice cores. So it's important to pinpoint and quantify sources of SSA. There is strong evidence that in the polar regions, the source is the effect of wind blowing on salty snow on the sea ice surface. If this is right, it opens the possibility of using ice core data to derive changes in sea ice extent over long time periods. It is therefore important to understand the sources of polar sea salt aerosol and to be able to predict how they may vary with, and feedback to, climate.Field work within the SIZ is challenging - the area is hard to access and very few ship-based programmes operate there, particularly during the winter. However in winter 2015, the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) will host a cruise on their research ship, Lance, deep within the Arctic SIZ. We have negotiated a chance to participate but need funding for the mandatory financial contribution. We have established new project partners in NPI with whom to work. Our scientific aim is to determine whether wind-blown snow on sea ice really is the dominant source of Arctic sea salt aerosol, and to make a series of measurements needed to parameterise this process in numerical models. We will use the same methodology, equipment and personnel deployed by us during a previous successful winter cruise to the Antarctic SIZ (funded by NERC), thus using previous NERC investment as a springboard for this Arctic research. The Arctic SIZ is substantially different from that of the Antarctic so to assess sea salt sources and impacts in the Arctic, we must have data derived directly from the Arctic SIZ. The collaboration with NPI is highly mutually beneficial: NPI logistics will enable access to an otherwise inaccessible region; we will make novel measurements, needed, but not made by our NPI partners; similarly, their data will fill gaps in our measurement suite; we will all contribute expertise for data interpretation. Such working practices provide considerable leverage, and build strong collaborations for the future.Strategically, the project fits within a government-level MoU that aims to increase scientific collaboration between the UK and Norway. The project fits NERC aspirations for BAS to assume an increased role in the Arctic. In the longer-term, we will use our data i) to scale up to derive an Arctic regional source, ii) to compare with sea salt production over Antarctica, iii) to assess the impact on chemical composition of the atmosphere, and iv) to assess the suitability of sea salt aerosol as a sea ice proxy. Our results thus contribute to a range of different academic groups, raise the profile and momentum of UK science within the Arctic, and contribute to an area of intense scientific, political and public interest: the socio-economic and climatic implications and feedbacks associated with reducing Arctic sea ice extent.