gaseous elemental mercury measurements at gmd barrow and … · and the 2015 arctic geotraces...

Gaseous Elemental Mercury Measurements at GMD Barrow

and the 2015 Arctic GEOTRACES Cruise to the

North Pole

GMD Meeting May 18, 2016

Steve Brooks – University of Tennessee

Rob Mason and Brian DiMento – University of Connecticut

Chris Moore – Gas Technology Institute

Funding - NSF

Ice Breaker to the North Pole

North Pole Sept. 6 2016

3rd US Surface Ship to Reach North Pole First US Ship to reach Pole Unassisted Longest Ship Underway deployment in Coast Guard History 49 NSF Science Members 87 Coast Guard 2 Dept. of Homeland Security 1 General Electric (propulsion)

Sparger

Tekran Hg+2 in Air

DOAS

Concentration of mercury in hair:Mummies at Qilakitsoq 15. century Hg 3,1 Cd 0,5 Pb 0,7Animal hair from Qilakitsoq 15. century Hg 0,6 Cd 0,3 Pb 0,4Greenland 20. century Hg 9,8 Cd 0,4 Pb 6,0Animal hair 20. century Hg 2,6 Cd 0,8 Pb 1,9Denmark 20. century Hg 0,6Gert Asmund, 2001

Mercury levels ppm Greenland Mummies 1500 3.1 Greenland People 2000 9.8 Greenland ringed seal 1500 0.6 Greenland ringed seal 2000 2.6 Average EU citizen 2000 0.6 Gert Asmund, 2001

March 2015

Hg+2

1.1ng/m3

Hgo 0.3ng/m3

Hg+2

Hgo

September 2015 No Ice

Hg+2

1.4ng/m3

Hgo 0.0ng/m3

Hg+2

Hgo

X

September 2015 Contiguous Ice

Hg+2

1.4ng/m3

Hgo 0.0ng/m3

Hg+2

Hgo

X X

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

8/7/15 0:00 8/17/15 0:00 8/27/15 0:00 9/6/15 0:00 9/16/15 0:00 9/26/15 0:00 10/6/15 0:00

N. Pole

Marginal Ice zones

AIR

SEA

Dutch Harbor

Dutch Harbor

Hgo

ng m-3

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

8/7/15 0:00 8/12/150:00

8/17/150:00

8/22/150:00

8/27/150:00

9/1/15 0:00 9/6/15

GE

M (

ng

/m3)

Dutch Super- Saturated

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

8/7/15 0:00 8/12/150:00

8/17/150:00

8/22/150:00

8/27/150:00

9/1/15 0:00 9/6/15

GE

M (

ng

/m3)

Sub-Saturated

Air

Sea

North Pole

North Bound

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

8/7/15 0:00 8/12/150:00

8/17/150:00

8/22/150:00

8/27/150:00

9/1/15 0:00 9/6/15

GE

M (

ng

/m3)

Dutch Super- Saturated

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

8/7/15 0:00 8/12/150:00

8/17/150:00

8/22/150:00

8/27/150:00

9/1/15 0:00 9/6/15

GE

M (

ng

/m3)

Sub-Saturated

Air

Sea

Marginal Ice Zone

Super-Saturat

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

8/7/15 0:00 8/12/150:00

8/17/150:00

8/22/150:00

8/27/150:00

9/1/15 0:00 9/6/15

GE

M (

ng

/m3)

Dutch Super- Saturated

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

8/7/15 0:00 8/12/150:00

8/17/150:00

8/22/150:00

8/27/150:00

9/1/15 0:00 9/6/15

GE

M (

ng

/m3)

Sub-Saturated

Air

Sea

Marginal Ice Zone

A

B

August 25 21:00

A

August 26 21:00 B

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

8/7/15 0:00 8/12/150:00

8/17/150:00

8/22/150:00

8/27/150:00

9/1/15 0:00 9/6/15

GE

M (

ng

/m3)

Dutch Super- Saturated

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

8/7/15 0:00 8/12/150:00

8/17/150:00

8/22/150:00

8/27/150:00

9/1/15 0:00 9/6/15

GE

M (

ng

/m3)

Sub-Saturated

Air

Sea

Marginal Ice Zone

C

August 30 15:00

SHIP

BARROW

0.9

1

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.5

1.6

1.7

1.8

1.9

0.9 1.1 1.3 1.5 1.7 1.9

Ship

Ba

rro

w

0.9

1

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.5

1.6

1.7

1.8

1.9

0.9 1.1 1.3 1.5 1.7 1.9

Ship

Ba

rro

w

Conclusions • In the open seas (Bering and Chukcki) the

surface water was on average sub-saturated.

• In the Marginal Ice Zone the surface water on average was slightly super-saturated

• In the contiguous ice zone the surface water was super-saturated

• Ice acts as a barrier to evasion after late winter and spring deposition (Feb-June)

• Barrow is very representative of the Arctic marine environment for Gaseous Elemental Mercury

We would like to thank GMD for their cooperation, and Barrow Staffers - Marty Martinsen and

Ross Burgener

•

Questions???