Introduction
Recent studies have identified important chemical processes occurring in snow and ice in polar, alpine, and midlatitude regions that can influence the chemical composition of snow/ice and the surrounding environment. Many processes are photochemically driven and can significantly impact the composition of the atmosphere overlying these chemically active snowpacks. Observations include both ozone and mercury depletion in the lower atmosphere, driven by interactions between the atmosphere and photochemically active snow/ice. These processes may also impact the overall oxidizing capacity of the tropospheric boundary layer.
Photochemical processes in snow and ice
In the mid-1980s scientists made the shocking discovery of complete ozone removal from the marine boundary layer in the Arctic. Concentrations of ozone in the lowest portion of the atmosphere were occasionally significantly depleted from typical background levels of 40 ppb (parts per billion). It was found that the...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Bibliography
Dominé, F., Albert, M., Huthwelker, T., Jacobi, H.-W., Kokhanovsky, A. A., Lehning, M., Picard, G., and Simpson, W. R., 2008. Snow physics as related to snow photochemistry. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 8, 171–208.
Grannas, A. M., Jones, A. E., Dibb, J., Ammann, M., Anastasio, C., Beine, H., Bergin, M., Bottenheim, J., Boxe, C. S., Carver, G., Crawford, J. H., Domine, F., Frey, M. M., Guzman, M. I., Heard, D., Helmig, D., Hoffmann, M. R., Honrath, R. E., Huey, L. G., Jacobi, H.-W., Klan, P., McConnell, J., Sander, R., Savarino, J., Shepson, P. B., Simpson, W. R., Sodeau, J., von Glasgow, R., Weller, R., Wolff, E., and Zhu, T., 2007. An overview of snow photochemistry: evidence, mechanisms and impacts. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 7, 4329–4373.
Simpson, W. R., von Glasow, R., Riedel, K., Anderson, P., Ariya, P., Bottenheim, J., Burrows, J., Carpenter, L. J., Friess, U., Goodsite, M. E., Heard, D., Hutterli, J., Jacobi, H.-W., Kaleschke, L., Neff, B., Plane, J., Platt, U., Richter, A., Roscoe, H., Sander, R., Shepson, P., Sodeau, J., Steffen, A., Wagner, T., and Wolff, E., 2007. Halogens and their role in polar boundary-layer ozone depletion. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 7, 4375–4418.
Steffen, A., Douglas, T., Amyot, M., Ariya, P., Aspmo, K., Berg, T., Bottenheim, J., Brooks, S., Cobbett, F., Dastoor, A., Dommergue, A., Ebinghaus, R., Ferrari, C., Gardfeldt, K., Goodsite, M. E., Lean, D., Poulain, A. J., Scherz, C., Skov, H., Sommar, J., and Temme, C., 2008. A synthesis of atmospheric mercury depletion event chemistry in the atmosphere and snow. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 8, 1445–1482.
Takenaka, N., Ueda, A., Daimon, T., Bandow, H., Dohmaru, T., and Maeda, Y., 1996. Acceleration mechanism of chemical reaction by freezing: The reaction of nitrous acid with dissolved oxygen. The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 100, 13874–13884.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Grannas, A.M. (2011). Chemical Processes in Snow and Ice. In: Singh, V.P., Singh, P., Haritashya, U.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2642-2_625
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2642-2_625
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-2641-5
Online ISBN: 978-90-481-2642-2
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences