Release and uptake of volatile inorganic and organic gases through the snowpack at Niwot Ridge, Colorado

Helmig, Detlev; Apel, E. C.; Blake, Donald R.; Ganzeveld, L.; Lefer, B. L.; Meinardi, Simone; Swanson, Aaron L.

doi:10.1007/s10533-009-9326-8

Cited by 22 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…More than 50 volatile gases were determined by gas chromatography in whole air flask samples collected from the two snow sampling towers. Results from these measurements reported in Helmig et al (2009a) clearly show how the NWT snowpack functions as a source of trace gas species, and the release rates for CHCl 3 , dimethylsulfide, CS 2 , and CHCl 3 add four more compounds to the list of gas emissions that previously have been reported from snow-covered ecosystems. The complexity of the snowpack behavior is exemplified by the fact that for 19 other gases uptake to the snow was observed.…”

Section: Helmig Et Al (Voc; Soddie Site)mentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Follow-up research in seasonal snow collected in Northern Michigan (Honrath et al 2000) suggested that similarly NO may be produced and released from mid-latitude snow. Helmig et al (2009a) at the Soddie site showed enhanced (NO ? NO 2 ) levels in the snow, with interstitial air concentrations at times exceeding ambient air levels (above the snow surface) by a factor of 10-50.…”

Section: Williams Et Al (Snow and Water Chemistry; Soddie Site)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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White on green: under-snow microbial processes and trace gas fluxes through snow, Niwot Ridge, Colorado Front Range

2009

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The importance of snow and related cryospheric processes as an ecological factor has been recognized since at least the beginning of the twentieth century. Even today, however, many observations remain anecdotal. The research to date on cold-lands ecosystems results in scientists being unable to evaluate to what extent changes in the cryosphere will be characterized by abrupt changes in local and global biogeochemical cycles, and how these changes in seasonality may affect the rates and timing of key ecological processes. Studies of gas exchanges through snow have revealed that snow plays an important role in modulating wintertime soil biogeochemical processes, and that these can be the driving processes for gas exchange at the snow surface. Previous research has primarily focused on carbon dioxide, and resulted from episodic experiments at a number of snow-covered sites. Here we report new insights from several field sites on Niwot Ridge in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, including a dedicated snow gas flux research facility established at the 3340 m Soddie site. A novel in situ experimental system was developed at this site to continuously sample trace gases from above and within the snowpack for the duration of seasonal snow cover. The suite of chemical species investigated includes carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and volatile inorganic and organic gases. Wintertime measurements have been supplemented by soil chamber experiments and eddy covariance measurements to allow assessment of the contribution of wintertime fluxes to annual biogeochemical budgets. This research has resulted in a plethora of new insight into the physics of gas transport through the snowpack, and the magnitude and the chemical and biogeochemical processes that control fluxes at the soil-snowpack and the snow-atmosphere interface. This article provides an overview of the history and evolution of this research, and highlights the findings from the ten articles that constitute this special issue.

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Section: Helmig Et Al (Voc; Soddie Site)mentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Williams Et Al (Snow and Water Chemistry; Soddie Site)mentioning

confidence: 99%

White on green: under-snow microbial processes and trace gas fluxes through snow, Niwot Ridge, Colorado Front Range

2009

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“…It has been discussed previously that photochemistry of organic compounds changes the composition of the snowpack/ice impurities (Klan and Holoubek, 2002) and leads to VOC production (Grannas et al, 2007b). Helmig et al (2009) showed that the snowpack can act as a source for some gas phase species (CO 2 , CHCl 3 , (CH 3 ) 2 S, CS 2 , CHBrCl 2 ) or as a sink for others (CO, COS, some halogenated compounds and hydrocarbons). Biological activity in snow and sea ice is another important but asyet poorly constrained source of VOCs (Ariya et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organics in environmental ices: sources, chemistry, and impacts

et al. 2012

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Abstract. The physical, chemical, and biological processes involving organics in ice in the environment impact a number of atmospheric and biogeochemical cycles. Organic material in snow or ice may be biological in origin, deposited from aerosols or atmospheric gases, or formed chemically in situ. In this manuscript, we review the current state of knowledge regarding the sources, properties, and chemistry of organic materials in environmental ices. Several outstanding questions remain to be resolved and fundamental data gathered before an accurate model of transformations and transport of organic species in the cryosphere will be possible. For example, more information is needed regarding the quantitative impacts of chemical and biological processes, ice morphology, and snow formation on the fate of organic material in cold regions. Interdisciplinary work at the interfaces of chemistry, physics and biology is needed in order to fully characterize the nature and evolution of organics in the cryosphere and predict the effects of climate change on the Earth's carbon cycle.

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“…At the C1 site, there are continuous data for the whole winter for CO 2 , and a single day of measurements of N 2 O and VOCs (Swanson et al 2005). At the Soddie site, there are continuous data for the whole winter for CO 2 ), N 2 O (Filippa et al 2009), and O 3 and NO x (Helmig, Apel, et al 2009), and several days of data for Hg (Faïn et al 2013) and VOCs and CH 4 ). The subalpine Soddie and C1 sites differ by several hundred metres in elevation but also in the landscape setting.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Winter gas exchange between the atmosphere and snow-covered soils on Niwot Ridge, Colorado, USA

Liptzin

Helmig

Schmidt

et al. 2015

Plant Ecology & Diversity

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Background: There is a growing interest in understanding the gas exchange between the atmosphere and seasonally snowcovered regions, especially in light of projections that climate change will alter the timing and extent of seasonal snow cover. In snow-covered ecosystems, gas fluxes are due both to microbial activity in the snow-covered soils and to chemical and physical reactions with the various gases and/or dissolved constituents in the snowpack. Niwot Ridge, in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, has one of the most extensive sets of measurements of winter gas exchange globally. Aims: Our goal was to examine the temporal patterns and environmental controls on Niwot Ridge of gas fluxes for gases with different sources and sinks. Methods: Here, we review the concentrations and fluxes that have been measured for carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, nitrogen oxides, ozone, gaseous elemental mercury and volatile organic carbon compounds. Results and Conclusions: We looked for similarities and differences among the gases, but in many cases, the origin, fate and controls of these fluxes still need to be determined. However, we believe that many of the biologically driven reactions are the result of exponential growth of a winter microbial community during the long period of stable environmental conditions under the seasonal snowpack.

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Release and uptake of volatile inorganic and organic gases through the snowpack at Niwot Ridge, Colorado

Cited by 22 publications

References 53 publications

White on green: under-snow microbial processes and trace gas fluxes through snow, Niwot Ridge, Colorado Front Range

White on green: under-snow microbial processes and trace gas fluxes through snow, Niwot Ridge, Colorado Front Range

Organics in environmental ices: sources, chemistry, and impacts

Winter gas exchange between the atmosphere and snow-covered soils on Niwot Ridge, Colorado, USA

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