Open AccessStudying Bromine, Ozone, and Mercury Chemistry in the Arctic
Author(s) -
Nghiem Son V.,
ClementeColón Pablo,
Douglas Thomas,
Moore Christopher,
Obrist Daniel,
Perovich Donald K.,
Pratt Kerri A.,
Rigor Ignatius G.,
Simpson William,
Shepson Paul B.,
Steffen Alexandra,
Woods John
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1002/2013eo330002
Subject(s) - sea ice , arctic ice pack , arctic , arctic geoengineering , oceanography , antarctic sea ice , arctic sea ice decline , mercury (programming language) , snow , cryosphere , drift ice , environmental science , geology , climatology , atmospheric sciences , geomorphology , computer science , programming language
Accentuated by a new record low in 2012, the springtime extent of Arctic perennial sea ice continues its precipitous decline. Consequently, the Arctic sea ice cover is increasingly dominated by seasonal sea ice, consisting of thinner and saltier ice with more leads (fractures), polynyas (areas of open water), nilas (sea ice crust less than about 10 centimeters thick), frost flowers (clusters of salty ice crystals on sea ice surface), and saline snow. The increase in the salinity of the sea ice cover is potentially conducive to ice‐mediated photochemical and meteorological processes leading to ozone (O 3 ) and gaseous elemental mercury depletion from the atmosphere.