Waiting on a mule deer crossing…
Composition and Photochemical Transformations of Light-Absorbing Components of Organic Carbon in Aerosol and Snowpack Samples Collected at RMBL The scope of this project is to collect samples of light-absorbing organic carbon materials present in atmospheric aerosol and snowpack in support of the DOE funded and organized Surface-Atmosphere Integrated Field Laboratory (SAIL)1 field campaign co-located at the RMBL site. Collected samples will be returned to laboratories of the co-investigators for in-depth chemical analysis. The analysis efforts will be focused on characterization of the chemical composition and optical properties of complex organic matter in aerosols and snowpack to establish a relationship between the composition of atmospheric particles and their impact on the snow albedo and snow photochemistry. A complimentary combination of molecular-level characterization and chemical imaging approaches will be used to elucidate atmospheric ageing processes governing evolution of chemical composition and optical properties of organic carbon in the area of study ? a very challenging knowledge gap needed to improve predictive understanding of aerosol effects on climate.