Project SNOWBALL

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[edit] Ions

Research Objective: To asses the geographical distribution of ions in the snowpack in Alaska.

Background: Due to a combination of unique climate conditions and the physical and chemical properties of toxic substances, the Arctic becomes a sink for many of these substances. Toxic mercury, emmitted as a byproduct of energy production processes and from natural sources, is transported to the Arctic where it can be deposited and re-emitted into the atmosphere. Mercury deposition and surface ozone depletion events are linked together in an autocatalytic cycle initiated by activated halogens. During this autocatalytic cycle, ozone concentrations in the lower troposphere decrease from roughly 40 ppb background level to less than 1 ppb. Due to its oxidizing properties ozone is a heavily monitored EPA criterion pollutant. The oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere is very important because it is what transforms many persistent species in the atmosphere, thus controlling the environmental lifetimes of many pollutants. For many years now researchers have been investigating these processes and found that what links all of them is active halogen chemistry on snow/ice surfaces. The original source of these halogens is salts from seawater that are transported inland and deposited on the snowpack. This project aims to track the halogens associated with these chemical cycles and monitor their distribution tendencies in the selected areas. Ion distribution in Alaskan snow has never been assessed on a statewide scale. While these environmental chemical reactions involve more than just ions, knowledge of the distribution of ions around the state would tell us how likely these reactions are to occur at a particular location.

How: In this project, snow sampling kits including bottles, a PVC pipe, a spatula, vials of ultra-clean water, a Tyvek™ suit, and plastic gloves will be mailed to participating schools. Using these items students will take snow samples according to the instructions and pictures given (see Snow Sampling Procedure). The samples will then be mailed back to Fairbanks to be analyzed using ion chromatography. All the analyzed data will be compiled into a report with the intent to publish it, which would allow participating students to have their names printed in a scientific journal.

[edit] Stable Isotopes

Research Objective: To extend the monthly isotopic composition precipitation data for Alaska and provide a more detailed Alaskan map of isotopic composition of precipitation.

Background: The stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions of water are widely used as tracers in the global hydrological cycle. The heavy isotope content of precipitated water and snow varies widely and predictably across the globe, providing a label that is incorporated in climate archives and also through diet to human and animal tissue. The pattern of precipitated isotopes is a product of the distillation process and meteorology. As a result, these isotopes serve as ideal tracers of geographic origin and have been applied in research areas such as paleoclimate, paleohydrology, wildlife migration, archeology and forensics. Realizing the potential for application of stable water isotope ratios in a number of scientific disciplines, the World Metrological Organization (WMO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) established the Global Network for Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP) in the early 1960s. This worldwide network of precipitation-monitoring stations persists and continues to evolve today. However, the GNIP data measurements are distributed very unevenly in time and space. Alaska only has three data points in Anchorage, Barrow, and Nome. It is necessary to extend Alaska’s spatial and temporal resolution on the global precipitation isotope map.

How: We will design a small science project involving students from rural high schools across the state of Alaska to obtain the preliminary data. Students from selected schools will collect monthly samples of precipitation from 2007 till 2008. Students will be given clear instructions for collecting and storing precipitation samples. We will select the most diligent student to visit the Alaska Stable Isotope Facility (ASIF) at UAF and analyze samples themselves in the laboratory. We will mentor students for the project and they will present the scientific results in the Alaska State High School Science Symposium (ASHSSS) in 2008 and enter the Alaska IPY Polar Contest.

[edit] Educational Goals of Project Snowball

• Provide a unique IPY connection for rural high students in Alaska;

• Embrace and stimulate rural high school student’s interests in science by providing hand-on science experiences;

• Connect with high school science teachers to co-mentor students toward developing skills in data collecting, hypothesis forming, and scientific report writing;

• Bring unique rural Alaskan research perspectives and experiences to the Alaska State High School Science Symposium (ASHSSS) and the Alaska IPY Polar Contest; and

• Increase awareness and promote appreciation of Alaskan lifestyles and polar research and education by disseminating work nationally and internationally.