Finnish Meteorological Institute’s method to detect carbon in snow and water helps climate research

The research showed that the OCEC thermal optical method, a standard method for atmospheric samples, is suitable to detect carbon in snow and water samples. The effect of the studied error sources due to snow and water samples was minimal, i.e., 0-2 %. The method can be applied, e.g., for model and satellite data ground truth verifications.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute uses the method in its collaboration research projects to detect carbon in snow, glacier ice and water samples collected in Finland and Europe, as well as outside Europe, too.

The researchers investigated the best sampling, filtering, and analysis protocols to detect carbon in snow. In addition, some of the uncertainties and error sources were studied. Use was made of samples collected within and around the urban background SMEARIII (Station for Measuring Ecosystem-Atmosphere Relations) at Kumpula (60oN) and the Arctic GAW (Global Atmospheric Watch) station at Sodankylä (67oN).

The research was published in the “Interaction of Air Pollution with Snow and Seasonality Effects” special issue of the Atmopshere-journal.

Black carbon, organic carbon, and total carbon in the cryosphere and hydrosphere are important for their climatic and cryospheric effects. They are also part of the global carbon cycle. Atmospheric black and organic carbon (including brown carbon) may deposit and darken snow surfaces. Atmospheric black carbon originates mainly from incomplete combustion of carbonaceous materials, for example fossil fuels and biomass. Organic carbon, in turn, is co‐emitted with black carbon or may come from algae and other micro-organisms in snow, or local soils, and it refers to carbon mass that is not black.

Further information:

Senior research scientist Outi Meinander, Finnish Meteorological Institute, tel. +358 50 5698 900, outi.meinander@fmi.fi

Research scientist Minna Aurela, Finnish Meteorological Institute, minna.aurela@fmi.fi

Head of group Antti Hyvärinen, Finnish Meteorological Institute, antti.hyvarinen@fmi.fi

Meinander, O.; Heikkinen, E.; Aurela, M.; Hyvärinen, A. Sampling, Filtering, and Analysis Protocols to Detect Black Carbon, Organic Carbon, and Total Carbon in Seasonal Surface Snow in an Urban Background and Arctic Finland (>60° N). Atmosphere 2020, 11, 923. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11090923

Download the research article (pdf)

The research was funded by the Academy of Finland (NABCEA no. 296302 and SnowAPP no. 315497).