EAS News Article
The air up there
By Amira Zamin
Insights: The College of Science Magazine
Spring/Summer Issue 2005
The Shepson Research Group prepares to launch the 45-foot-long research balloon that collects air samples. The helium-filled balloon is made of a polymer-coated nylon and requires 10 people to manage is when it's on the ground. The balloon is powered and controlled through a cable and tether system that holds up 1,000 pounds of torque. This is connected to a winch developed specifically for this balloon by the Jonathan Amy Facility for Chemical Instrumentation.
At the moment, most of the Arctic Ocean is covered in this sheet of ice, and in 50 years, it's likely to be mostly gone,” Paul Shepson, a professor in chemistry and in earth and atmospheric sciences, explains.
In a joint project with the University of Fairbanks and Environment Canada, members of the Shepson Research Group spent the spring semester in northern Alaska collecting samples that would allow them to begin to assess the impact losing the Arctic ice could have on climate worldwide.
“[People] are contributing to an enormous change in the Arctic,” explains Shepson. As atmospheric temperatures rise worldwide, the ice caps, home to polar bears and seals, among others, are melting. “Within our lifetime, the habitat for these animals will be gone.”
In Barrow, Alaska, 340 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the team collected air samples at various altitudes over snowpacks and ice cracks, known as leads, to develop a profile of the release of a chemical called acetaldehyde.
“[Acetaldehyde] is a precursor to a molecule called PAN, which is carcinogenic and related to production of ozone, a human respiratory irritant,” says Shepson. Acetaldehyde is emitted by cars, some production facilities, and is also contained in tobacco smoke. It is in the same family of chemicals as formaldehyde, a chemical commonly used in embalming and another environmental contaminant. <Complete Article>
