scholarly journals Baseline data for monitoring geomorphological effects of glacier lake outburst flood: A very high-resolution image and GIS datasets of the distal part of the Zackenberg River, northeast Greenland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra M. Tomczyk ◽  
Marek W. Ewertowski
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Landscape Changes ◽  
Channel Stability ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Very High

Abstract. The Arctic regions experience intense transformations, such that efficient methods are needed to monitor and understand Arcticlandscape changes in response to climate warming and low-frequency high-magnitude events. One example of such events,capable of causing serious landscape changes, is glacier lake outburst floods. On 6 August 2017, a flood event related to glacial lake outburst affected the Zackenberg River (NE Greenland). Here, we provided a very high-resolution dataset representingunique time-series of data captured immediately before (5 August 2017), during (6 August 2017), and after (8 August 2017)the flood. Our dataset covers a 2.1-km-long distal section of the Zackenberg River. The available files comprise: (1)unprocessed images captured using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV): https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4495282 (Tomczykand Ewertowski, 2021a); and (2) results of structure-from-motion (SfM) processing (orthomosaics, digital elevation models, and hillshade models in a raster format), uncertainty assessments (precision maps) and effects of geomorphological mappingin vector formats: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4498296 (Tomczyk and Ewertowski, 2021b). Potential applications of thepresented dataset include: (1) assessment and quantification of landscape changes as an immediate result of glacier lakeoutburst flood; (2) long-term monitoring of high-Arctic river valley development (in conjunction with other datasets); (3)establishing a baseline for quantification of geomorphological impacts of future glacier lake outburst floods; (4) assessment of geohazards related to bank erosion and debris flow development (hazards for research station infrastructure – station buildingsand bridge); (5) monitoring of permafrost degradation; and (6) modelling flood impacts on river ecosystem, transport capacity,and channel stability.  

scholarly journals Baseline data for monitoring geomorphological effects of glacier lake outburst flood: a very-high-resolution image and GIS datasets of the distal part of the Zackenberg River, northeast Greenland

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5293-5309
Author(s):  
Aleksandra M. Tomczyk ◽  
Marek W. Ewertowski
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Landscape Changes ◽  
Outburst Flood ◽  
Channel Stability ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Very High

Abstract. The polar regions experience widespread transformations, such that efficient methods are needed to monitor and understand Arctic landscape changes in response to climate warming and low-frequency, high-magnitude hydrological and geomorphological events. One example of such events, capable of causing serious landscape changes, is glacier lake outburst floods. On 6 August 2017, a flood event related to glacial lake outburst affected the Zackenberg River (NE Greenland). Here, we provided a very-high-resolution dataset representing unique time series of data captured immediately before (5 August 2017), during (6 August 2017), and after (8 August 2017) the flood. Our dataset covers a 2.1 km long distal section of the Zackenberg River. The available files comprise (1) unprocessed images captured using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4495282, Tomczyk and Ewertowski, 2021a) and (2) results of structure-from-motion (SfM) processing (orthomosaics, digital elevation models, and hillshade models in a raster format), uncertainty assessments (precision maps), and effects of geomorphological mapping in vector formats (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4498296, Tomczyk and Ewertowski, 2021b). Potential applications of the presented dataset include (1) assessment and quantification of landscape changes as an immediate result of a glacier lake outburst flood; (2) long-term monitoring of high-Arctic river valley development (in conjunction with other datasets); (3) establishing a baseline for quantification of geomorphological impacts of future glacier lake outburst floods; (4) assessment of geohazards related to bank erosion and debris flow development (hazards for research station infrastructure – station buildings and bridge); (5) monitoring of permafrost degradation; and (6) modelling flood impacts on river ecosystem, transport capacity, and channel stability.

scholarly journals Melt Pond Retrieval Based on the LinearPolar Algorithm Using Landsat Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 4674
Author(s):  
Yuqing Qin ◽  
Jie Su ◽  
Mingfeng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Relative Error ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Landsat Data ◽  
Melt Pond ◽  
Melt Ponds ◽  
Very High ◽  
Sentinel 2

The formation and distribution of melt ponds have an important influence on the Arctic climate. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain more accurate information on melt ponds on Arctic sea ice by remote sensing. The present large-scale melt pond products, especially the melt pond fraction (MPF), still require verification, and using very high resolution optical satellite remote sensing data is a good way to verify the large-scale retrieval of MPF products. Unlike most MPF algorithms using very high resolution data, the LinearPolar algorithm using Sentinel-2 data considers the albedo of melt ponds unfixed. In this paper, by selecting the best band combination, we applied this algorithm to Landsat 8 (L8) data. Moreover, Sentinel-2 data, as well as support vector machine (SVM) and iterative self-organizing data analysis technique (ISODATA) algorithms, are used as the comparison and verification data. The results show that the recognition accuracy of the LinearPolar algorithm for melt ponds is higher than that of previous algorithms. The overall accuracy and kappa coefficient results achieved by using the LinearPolar algorithm with L8 and Sentinel-2A (S2), the SVM algorithm, and the ISODATA algorithm are 95.38% and 0.88, 94.73% and 0.86, and 92.40%and 0.80, respectively, which are much higher than those of principal component analysis (PCA) and Markus algorithms. The mean MPF (10.0%) obtained from 80 cases from L8 data based on the LinearPolar algorithm is much closer to Sentinel-2 (10.9%) than the Markus (5.0%) and PCA algorithms (4.2%), with a mean MPF difference of only 0.9%, and the correlation coefficients of the two MPFs are as high as 0.95. The overall relative error of the LinearPolar algorithm is 53.5% and 46.4% lower than that of the Markus and PCA algorithms, respectively, and the root mean square error (RMSE) is 30.9% and 27.4% lower than that of the Markus and PCA algorithms, respectively. In the cases without obvious melt ponds, the relative error is reduced more than that of those with obvious melt ponds because the LinearPolar algorithm can identify 100% of dark melt ponds and relatively small melt ponds, and the latter contributes more to the reduction in the relative error of MPF retrieval. With a wider range and longer time series, the MPF from Landsat data are more efficient than those from Sentinel-2 for verifying large-scale MPF products or obtaining long-term monitoring of a fixed area.

scholarly journals Simultaneous measurements of aerosol size distributions at three sites in the European high Arctic

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 7377-7395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Dall'Osto ◽  
David C. S. Beddows ◽  
Peter Tunved ◽  
Roy M. Harrison ◽  
Angelo Lupi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Size Distributions ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Main Mode ◽  
Accumulation Mode

Abstract. Aerosols are an integral part of the Arctic climate system due to their direct interaction with radiation and indirect interaction through cloud formation. Understanding aerosol size distributions and their dynamics is crucial for the ability to predict these climate relevant effects. When of favourable size and composition, both long-range-transported – and locally formed particles – may serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Small changes of composition or size may have a large impact on the low CCN concentrations currently characteristic of the Arctic environment. We present a cluster analysis of particle size distributions (PSDs; size range 8–500 nm) simultaneously collected from three high Arctic sites during a 3-year period (2013–2015). Two sites are located in the Svalbard archipelago: Zeppelin research station (ZEP; 474 m above ground) and the nearby Gruvebadet Observatory (GRU; about 2 km distance from Zeppelin, 67 m above ground). The third site (Villum Research Station at Station Nord, VRS; 30 m above ground) is 600 km west-northwest of Zeppelin, at the tip of north-eastern Greenland. The GRU site is included in an inter-site comparison for the first time. K-means cluster analysis provided eight specific aerosol categories, further combined into broad PSD classes with similar characteristics, namely pristine low concentrations (12 %–14 % occurrence), new particle formation (16 %–32 %), Aitken (21 %–35 %) and accumulation (20 %–50 %). Confined for longer time periods by consolidated pack sea ice regions, the Greenland site GRU shows PSDs with lower ultrafine-mode aerosol concentrations during summer but higher accumulation-mode aerosol concentrations during winter, relative to the Svalbard sites. By association with chemical composition and cloud condensation nuclei properties, further conclusions can be derived. Three distinct types of accumulation-mode aerosol are observed during winter months. These are associated with sea spray (largest detectable sizes, >400 nm), Arctic haze (main mode at 150 nm) and aged accumulation-mode (main mode at 220 nm) aerosols. In contrast, locally produced particles, most likely of marine biogenic origin, exhibit size distributions dominated by the nucleation and Aitken mode during summer months. The obtained data and analysis point towards future studies, including apportioning the relative contribution of primary and secondary aerosol formation processes and elucidating anthropogenic aerosol dynamics and transport and removal processes across the Greenland Sea. In order to address important research questions in the Arctic on scales beyond a singular station or measurement events, it is imperative to continue strengthening international scientific cooperation.

Degrading permafrost threatens Arctic nature and built environment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Hjort ◽  
Olli Karjalainen ◽  
Juha Aalto ◽  
Sebastian Westermann ◽  
Vladimir Romanovsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
At Risk ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Engineering Structures ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Population At Risk

<p>Arctic earth surface systems are undergoing unprecedented changes, with permafrost thaw as one of the most striking examples. Permafrost is critical because it controls ecosystem processes, human activities, and landscape dynamics in the north. Degradation (i.e. warming and thawing) of permafrost is related to several hazards, which may pose a serious risk to humans and the environment. Thaw of ice-rich permafrost increases ground instability, landslides, and infrastructure damages. Degrading permafrost may lead to the release of significant amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and threatens also biodiversity, geodiversity and ecosystem services. Thawing permafrost may even jeopardize human health. Consequently, a deeper understanding of the hazards and risks related to the degradation of permafrost is fundamental for science and society.</p><p>To address climate change effects on infrastructure and human activities, we (i) mapped circumpolar permafrost hazard areas and (ii) quantified critical engineering structures and population at risk by mid-century. We used observations of ground thermal regime, geospatial environmental data, and statistically-based ensemble methods to model the current and future near-surface permafrost extent at ca. 1 km resolution. Using the forecasts of ground temperatures, a consensus of three geohazard indices, and geospatial data we quantified the amount and proportion of infrastructure elements and population at risk owing to climate change. We show that ca. 70% of current infrastructure and population in the permafrost domain are in areas with high potential for thaw of near-surface permafrost by 2050. One-third of fundamental infrastructure is located in high hazard regions where the ground is susceptible to thaw-related ground instability. Owing to the observed data-related and methodological limitations we call for improvements in the circumpolar hazard mappings and infrastructure risk assessments.</p><p>To successfully manage climate change impacts and support sustainable development in the Arctic, it is critical to (i) produce high-resolution geospatial datasets of ground conditions (e.g., content of organic material and ground ice), (ii) develop further high-resolution permafrost modelling, (iii) comprehensively map permafrost degradation-related hazards, and (iv) quantify the amount and economic value of infrastructure and natural resources at risk across the circumpolar permafrost area.</p>

scholarly journals Atmospheric black carbon and sulfate concentrations in Northeast Greenland

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (16) ◽  
pp. 9681-9692 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Massling ◽  
I. E. Nielsen ◽  
D. Kristensen ◽  
J. H. Christensen ◽  
L. L. Sørensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Carbon ◽  
Correlation Coefficient ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Maximum Level ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Summer Period ◽  
Transport Pathways ◽  
Inorganic Matter

Abstract. Measurements of equivalent black carbon (EBC) in aerosols at the high Arctic field site Villum Research Station (VRS) at Station Nord in North Greenland showed a seasonal variation in EBC concentrations with a maximum in winter and spring at ground level. Average measured concentrations were about 0.067 ± 0.071 for the winter and 0.011 ± 0.009 for the summer period. These data were obtained using a multi-angle absorption photometer (MAAP). A similar seasonal pattern was found for sulfate concentrations with a maximum level during winter and spring analyzed by ion chromatography. Here, measured average concentrations were about 0.485 ± 0.397 for the winter and 0.112 ± 0.072 for the summer period. A correlation between EBC and sulfate concentrations was observed over the years 2011 to 2013 stating a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.72. This finding gives the hint that most likely transport of primary emitted BC particles to the Arctic was accompanied by aging of the aerosols through condensational processes. BC and sulfate are known to have only partly similar sources with respect to their transport pathways when reaching the high Arctic. Aging processes may have led to the formation of secondary inorganic matter and further transport of BC particles as cloud processing and further washout of particles is less likely based on the typically observed transport patterns of air masses arriving at VRS. Additionally, concentrations of EC (elemental carbon) based on a thermo-optical method were determined and compared to EBC measurements. EBC measurements were generally higher, but a correlation between EC and EBC resulted in a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.64. Model estimates of the climate forcing due to BC in the Arctic are based on contributions of long-range transported BC during spring and summer. The measured concentrations were here compared with model results obtained by the Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model, DEHM. Good agreement between measured and modeled concentrations of both EBC/BC and sulfate was observed. Also, the correlation between BC and sulfate concentrations was confirmed based on the model results observed over the years 2011 to 2013 stating a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.74. The dominant source is found to be combustion of fossil fuel with biomass burning as a minor, albeit significant source.

scholarly journals Dynamics of gaseous oxidized mercury at Villum Research Station during the High Arctic summer

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 13287-13309
Author(s):  
Jakob Boyd Pernov ◽  
Bjarne Jensen ◽  
Andreas Massling ◽  
Daniel Charles Thomas ◽  
Henrik Skov
Keyword(s):  
General Pattern ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Cold Temperatures ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
Arctic Summer ◽  
Gaseous Oxidized Mercury

Abstract. While much research has been devoted to the subject of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) and gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) in the Arctic spring during atmospheric mercury depletion events, few studies have examined the behavior of GOM in the High Arctic summer. GOM, once deposited and incorporated into the ecosystem, can pose a threat to human and wildlife health, though there remain large uncertainties regarding the transformation, deposition, and assimilation of mercury into the food web. Therefore, to further our understanding of the dynamics of GOM in the High Arctic during the late summer, we performed measurements of GEM and GOM, along with meteorological parameters and atmospheric constituents, and utilized modeled air mass history during two summer campaigns in 2019 and 2020 at Villum Research Station (Villum) in northeastern Greenland. Seven events of enhanced GOM concentrations were identified and investigated in greater detail. In general, the common factors associated with event periods at ground level were higher levels of radiation and lower H2O mixing ratios, accumulated precipitation, and relative humidity (RH), although none were connected with cold temperatures. Non-event periods at ground level each displayed a different pattern in one or more parameters when compared to event periods. Generally, air masses during event periods for both campaigns were colder and drier, arrived from higher altitudes, and spent more time above the mixed layer and less time in a cloud compared to non-events, although some events deviated from this general pattern. Non-event air masses displayed a different pattern in one or more parameters when compared to event periods, although they were generally warmer and wetter and arrived from lower altitudes with little radiation. Coarse-mode aerosols were hypothesized to provide the heterogenous surface for halogen propagation during some of the events, while for others the source is unknown. While these general patterns were observed for event and non-event periods, analysis of individual events showed more specific origins. Five of the seven events were associated with air masses that experienced similar conditions: transported from the cold, dry, and sunlit free troposphere. However, two events experienced contrasting conditions, with air masses being warm and wet with surface layer contact under little radiation. Two episodes of extremely high levels of NCoarse and BC, which appear to originate from flaring emissions in Russia, did not contribute to enhanced GOM levels. This work aims to provide a better understanding of the dynamics of GOM during the High Arctic summer.

scholarly journals Application of New Precipitation and Reconstructed Streamflow Products to Streamflow Trend Attribution in Northern Eurasia

2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 1807-1828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer C. Adam ◽  
Dennis P. Lettenmaier
Keyword(s):  
River Discharge ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Northern Eurasia ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Northeastern Siberia ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Streamflow Trends ◽  
Precipitation Trends

Abstract River runoff to the Arctic Ocean has increased over the last century, primarily during the winter and spring and primarily from the major Eurasian rivers. Some recent studies have suggested that the additional runoff is due to increased northward transport of atmospheric moisture (and associated increased precipitation), but other studies show inconsistencies in long-term runoff and precipitation trends, perhaps partly due to biases in the observational datasets. Through trend analysis of precipitation, temperature, and streamflow data, the authors investigate the extent to which Eurasian Arctic river discharge changes are attributable to precipitation and temperature changes as well as to reservoir construction and operation between the years of 1936 and 2000. Two new datasets are applied: a gridded precipitation product, in which the low-frequency variability is constrained to match that of long-term bias-corrected precipitation station data, and a reconstructed streamflow product, in which the effects of reservoirs have been minimized using a physically based reservoir model. It is found that reservoir operations have primarily affected streamflow seasonality, increasing winter discharge and decreasing summer discharge. To understand the influences of climate on streamflow changes, the authors hypothesize three cases that would cause precipitation trends to be inconsistent with streamflow trends: first, for the coldest basins in northeastern Siberia, streamflow should be sensitive to warming primarily as a result of the melting of excess ground ice, and for these basins positive streamflow trends may exceed precipitation trends in magnitude; second, evapotranspiration (ET) in the warmer regions of western Siberia and European Russia is sensitive to warming and increased precipitation, therefore observed precipitation trends may exceed streamflow trends; and third, streamflow from the central Siberian basins should respond to both effects. It is found that, in general, these hypotheses hold true. In the coldest basins, streamflow trends diverged from precipitation trends starting in the 1950s to 1960s, and this divergence accelerated thereafter. In the warmest basins, precipitation trends consistently exceeded streamflow trends, suggesting that increased precipitation contributed to increases in both ET and streamflow. In the central basins, permafrost degradation and ET effects appear to be contributing to long-term streamflow trends in varying degrees for each basin. The results herein suggest that the extent and state of the permafrost underlying a basin is a complicating factor in understanding long-term changes in Eurasian Arctic river discharge.

scholarly journals Biogenic and anthropogenic sources of aerosols at the High Arctic site Villum Research Station

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (15) ◽  
pp. 10239-10256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingeborg E. Nielsen ◽  
Henrik Skov ◽  
Andreas Massling ◽  
Axel C. Eriksson ◽  
Manuel Dall'Osto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Polar Front ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Sea Ice Extent ◽  
Arctic Haze

Abstract. There are limited measurements of the chemical composition, abundance and sources of atmospheric particles in the High Arctic To address this, we report 93 d of soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS) data collected from 20 February to 23 May 2015 at Villum Research Station (VRS) in northern Greenland (81∘36′ N). During this period, we observed the Arctic haze phenomenon with elevated PM1 concentrations ranging from an average of 2.3, 2.3 and 3.3 µg m−3 in February, March and April, respectively, to 1.2 µg m−3 in May. Particulate sulfate (SO42-) accounted for 66 % of the non-refractory PM1 with the highest concentration until the end of April and decreasing in May. The second most abundant species was organic aerosol (OA) (24 %). Both OA and PM1, estimated from the sum of all collected species, showed a marked decrease throughout May in accordance with the polar front moving north, together with changes in aerosol removal processes. The highest refractory black carbon (rBC) concentrations were found in the first month of the campaign, averaging 0.2 µg m−3. In March and April, rBC averaged 0.1 µg m−3 while decreasing to 0.02 µg m−3 in May. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) of the OA mass spectra yielded three factors: (1) a hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA) factor, which was dominated by primary aerosols and accounted for 12 % of OA mass, (2) an Arctic haze organic aerosol (AOA) factor and (3) a more oxygenated marine organic aerosol (MOA) factor. AOA dominated until mid-April (64 %–81 % of OA), while being nearly absent from the end of May and correlated significantly with SO42-, suggesting the main part of that factor is secondary OA. The MOA emerged late at the end of March, where it increased with solar radiation and reduced sea ice extent and dominated OA for the rest of the campaign until the end of May (24 %–74 % of OA), while AOA was nearly absent. The highest O∕C ratio (0.95) and S∕C ratio (0.011) was found for MOA. Our data support the current understanding that Arctic aerosols are highly influenced by secondary aerosol formation and receives an important contribution from marine emissions during Arctic spring in remote High Arctic areas. In view of a changing Arctic climate with changing sea-ice extent, biogenic processes and corresponding source strengths, highly time-resolved data are needed in order to elucidate the components dominating aerosol concentrations and enhance the understanding of the processes taking place.

scholarly journals Dynamics of gaseous oxidized mercury at Villum Research Station during the High Arctic summer

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Boyd Pernov ◽  
Bjarne Jensen ◽  
Andreas Massling ◽  
Daniel Charles Thomas ◽  
Henrik Skov
Keyword(s):  
Meteorological Data ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Cold Temperatures ◽  
Air Mass ◽  
Back Trajectories ◽  
Arctic Summer ◽  
Gaseous Oxidized Mercury

Abstract. While much research has been devoted to the subject of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) and gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) in the Arctic spring, during atmospheric mercury depletion events, few studies have examined the behavior of GOM in the High Arctic summer. GOM, once introduced into the ecosystem, can pose a threat to human and wildlife health, though there remain large uncertainties regarding the transformation, deposition, and assimilation of mercury into the ecosystem. Therefore, to further our understanding of the dynamics of gaseous oxidized mercury in the High Arctic during the late summer, we performed measurements of GEM and GOM along with meteorological parameters, atmospheric constituents, and air mass history during two summer campaigns in 2019 and 2020 at Villum Research Station (Villum) in Northeastern Greenland. Five events of enhanced GOM concentrations were identified and investigated in greater detail. The origin of these events was identified, through analysis of air mass back-trajectories, associated meteorological data, and other atmospheric constituents, to be the cold, dry free troposphere. These events were associated with low RH, limited precipitation, cold temperatures, and intense sunlight along the trajectory path. Events were positively correlated with ozone, aerosol particle number, and black carbon mass concentration, which were interpreted as an indication of tropospheric air masses. This work aims to provide a better understanding of the dynamics of GOM during the High Arctic summer.

scholarly journals Atmospheric VOC measurements at a High Arctic site: characteristics and source apportionment

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 2895-2916
Author(s):  
Jakob B. Pernov ◽  
Rossana Bossi ◽  
Thibaut Lebourgeois ◽  
Jacob K. Nøjgaard ◽  
Rupert Holzinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Dimethyl Sulfide ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Source Regions ◽  
Arctic Haze

Abstract. There are few long-term datasets of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the High Arctic. Furthermore, knowledge about their source regions remains lacking. To address this matter, we report a multiseason dataset of highly time-resolved VOC measurements in the High Arctic from April to October 2018. We have utilized a combination of measurement and modeling techniques to characterize the mixing ratios, temporal patterns, and sources of VOCs at the Villum Research Station at Station Nord in northeastern Greenland. Atmospheric VOCs were measured using proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Ten ions were selected for source apportionment with the positive matrix factorization (PMF) receptor model. A four-factor solution to the PMF model was deemed optimal. The factors identified were biomass burning, marine cryosphere, background, and Arctic haze. The biomass burning factor described the variation of acetonitrile and benzene and peaked during August and September. The marine cryosphere factor was comprised of carboxylic acids (formic, acetic, and C3H6O2) as well as dimethyl sulfide (DMS). This factor displayed peak contributions during periods of snow and sea ice melt. A potential source contribution function (PSCF) showed that the source regions for this factor were the coasts around southeastern and northeastern Greenland. The background factor was temporally ubiquitous, with a slight decrease in the summer. This factor was not driven by any individual chemical species. The Arctic haze factor was dominated by benzene with contributions from oxygenated VOCs. This factor exhibited a maximum in the spring and minima during the summer and autumn. This temporal pattern and species profile are indicative of anthropogenic sources in the midlatitudes. This study provides seasonal characteristics and sources of VOCs and can help elucidate the processes affecting the atmospheric chemistry and biogeochemical feedback mechanisms in the High Arctic.

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