This is a past event.

The Richard E. Honrath Memorial Lecture

Studies of Snowpack Photochemistry in the Arctic:  A Tribute to Richard Honrath

In 1998, two field campaigns in the Arctic (one at Alert, Nunavut, and one at Summit Greenland) revealed that important reactive atmospheric species (HCHO and NO_x) were photochemically produced in and emitted from sunlit snowpacks.  These discoveries led to a large number of field campaigns, satellite observations, laboratory studies, and modeling activities aimed at observing and understanding the impact of these processes on the composition of the overlying atmosphere.  These initial studies led to the discovery that molecular halogens (Cl₂, Br₂, and I₂) are photochemically produced in and released from sunlit snowpacks.  Those halogens photolyze to produce halogen atoms that destroy O₃ and Hg^o, and impact the composition of aerosol in the Arctic.  In this talk I will discuss the state of this field, and how it has been impacted by developments in analytical chemistry.  The need for further observational leaps forward will be discussed, in the context of changes in the Arctic related to climate change.  I will also discuss the impact of inspirational leaders like Richard Honrath.