International Collaborations on Atmospheric Makeup in Antarctica, Amazon Rainforest Present Insights into Climate Change

What do the Amazon rainforest and Antarctica have in common? While very different in scale and makeup, both regions play strategic roles in the atmospheric composition of the Earth, which serves as a control and important factor in the study of climate change. 

Through an international partnership, Swarup China, a chemist with the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Ricardo Godoi, a professor of environmental engineering at the Federal University of Parana in Brazil, and several colleagues from Germany and U.S. universities are collaborating on research to study the atmospheric makeup of both the Amazon rainforest and Antarctica for the purpose of better understanding climate change and its impacts. 

The Amazon, with its lush and densely populated rainforest, produces an immense amount of oxygen and other gases vital to daily life that are emitted by plants. It also acts as a large carbon sink—absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that is produced both naturally and by man-made means. Comparatively, Antarctica contains 90 percent of Earth’s ice and 70 percent of its fresh water. The makeup of the continent affects ocean currents and atmospheric patterns. With rises in temperatures, the melting of its ice sheet also contributes to rising sea levels. 

“Both Antarctica and the Amazon rainforest present very pristine locations with very unique atmospheric processes,” China said. “We are fortunate to build a team with refined expertise and bring together what would not be possible with just one institution, but multiple. It is important in us answering various important scientific questions regarding our world.” 

Aerosols above Antarctica 

Last year, Godoi worked with China and a larger team to study aging of sea salt particles in Antarctica. Salt particles react with gases that are released into the atmosphere from snowpack. They were able to present evidence of photochemical processing in west Antarctica aerosols, which may assist in reducing modeling uncertainties regarding the atmosphere above the continent. Reducing uncertainties in models will help better understand climate change and its impacts on the world’s future. 

The team used EMSL’s computer-controlled scanning electron microscope, coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (CCSEM/EDX) for their research. 

“Our challenge in Antarctica was to characterize aerosols at a location where there is no source of contaminants and particulate matter,” Godoi said. “We found some interesting particles—nitrate particles. We were able to make a connection between ozone formation and particles at the center of the continent. We are now working on figuring out how to present this information to the scientific community and what this means on the larger scale.” 

China said the process for both collecting aerosols and analyzing their makeup is very challenging in Antarctica, which made the research particularly difficult, but also more interesting. 

“To study these processes, like the work that Ricardo leads in Antarctica, presents a very challenging atmospheric environment in and of itself,” he said. “It’s not like going to a city and collecting samples. To go to a very unique place where you need to develop an understanding of atmospheric processes is very challenging. Having this opportunity to work with researchers across the world to build strong collaborations is very important. It helps to bring the various components together so you can see the full picture.” 

Fog atop the Amazon 

Godoi is also working with China and a larger team of researchers to study whether fog and clouds can act as a habitat for microorganisms over the Amazon rainforest. Biological particles can indirectly affect global and regional energy budgets by affecting fog and cloud processing that help form water droplets and ice crystals, China said. 

The team is using EMSL’s ice nucleation chamber, nanospray desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (NanoDESI), CCSEM/EDX, omics and mass spectrometry for metabolomics, and environmental transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for their research. 

“The idea of this proposal is to study the influence of fog in the jungle,” Godoi said. “Fog is important in the jungle because it acts like a lift—an elevator. We have a lot of emissions in the ground. We are looking at one pattern or one type of process that brings these types of components to the atmosphere.” 

Swarup said in the grand scheme, little is known about what comprises fog in the Amazon because its dynamics are constantly changing. 

“Sometimes it stays stagnant for a long time, but other times it disperses quickly,” he said. “We want to know that atmospheric composition and whether it contains any biogenic constituent.” 

China said particularly within the Amazon rainforest, there is a complex atmospheric biochemical chamber where a lot of different processes occur. The plants themselves emit biological particles, but those can also be affected by other factors, he said. 

“Most of the time, you may have a pristine environment, but then you may also have contribution from an anthropogenic event,” he said. “We are studying how these atmospheric processes are happening and, specifically, we are examining atmospheric phases before fog, as well as throughout the fog.” 

The data is being collected using the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory. 

International collaborations make discoveries possible, provide opportunities for next generation 

Godoi said studying areas where they are collecting certain types of information and samples to analyze for the first time requires a unique set of expertise, which is why being able to partner across the globe with researchers whose expertise lies in a variety of different areas is key. 

Godoi said through partnerships with laboratories like EMSL, they not only have access to various instrumentation to conduct analysis, poll data, and run calculations, they also benefit from the expertise of individuals like China. 

“The most important part of this is the scientific collaborations, in and of themselves,” he said. “Swarup is quite young as a researcher, but also quite clever. The idea is to organize a group to figure it out and get information specifically about this planet that is quite important to everybody. This information is not only important to us as scientists, but also to the rest of the world.” 

China and Godoi said both students and young researchers are a crucial component of their research. Nurun Nahar Lata, a postdoctoral researcher on China’s team at EMSL, for example, has been vital in conducting analysis of the particles. And Bruna Sebben, a Master of Science student in the post-graduation in environmental engineering (PPGEA) program on Godoi’s team, has been vital with their work in examining fog content from the Amazon rainforest. 

Through these international collaborations, Godoi said students also have the benefit of experiencing science firsthand that they otherwise might never have had the opportunity to experience. This is a component that Godoi and China are particularly proud of. 

“As professors, we have ideas and can turn some of these projects into reality, but we need the students that can go into the forest and help us collect data and make our findings a reality,” Godoi said. “When students have the opportunity to go and visit labs like PNNL, they are exposed to a variety of new experiences, instrumentation, and learn from other established researchers. We are creating opportunities for young scientists to have contact abroad and then become experts in the field that can lead the next generation.”