SOILS 415
Join us Wednesdays at 3:30 for our fall departmental seminar series. This week's guest is Hannah Kenagy, Assistant Professor in the UMN Department of Chemistry.
Title: "Laboratory, model, and observational perspectives on atmospheric organic aerosol production"
Abstract: Secondary organic aerosol (SOA), atmospheric particulate matter formed from low-volatility products of volatile organic compound (VOC) oxidation, affects both air quality and climate. Current 3D models, however, cannot reproduce the observed variability in atmospheric organic aerosol. Because many SOA model descriptions are derived from environmental chamber experiments, our ability to represent atmospheric conditions in chambers directly affects our ability to assess the air quality and climate impacts of SOA. Here, we develop an approach that leverages global modeling and detailed chemical mechanisms to design SOA chamber experiments that mimic the atmospheric chemistry of organic peroxy radicals (RO2), a key intermediate in VOC oxidation. Through a systematic comparison with ambient field measurements, we show that our new laboratory experiments better capture atmospheric SOA composition than any previous experimental approach. Finally, we propose new approaches for 3D model parameterizations of SOA that capture our new experimental insights.
Visit the SWAC website for a full calendar of this semester's seminars.