The carbon cycle in the Arctic atmosphere is important in understanding abrupt climate changes occurring in this region. Dr. Petr Vodička from the Research Group of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics, together with colleagues from Japan and Canada, was the main author of a study on carbonates in the atmosphere of the Canadian Arctic.
Two years of measurements (summer 2016–spring 2018) of carbonaceous aerosols at the high-Arctic station Alert showed that carbonate carbon (CC) was not negligible in the atmosphere. Its relative abundance in total carbon ranged from 0 to 65%, with an average of approximately 11% over the entire period. This is a new finding, as the contribution of carbonates to the Arctic atmosphere has been overlooked until now. However, if it were not taken into account, it could be misinterpreted as organic or elemental carbon, which has a different effect on atmospheric warming and thus on the climate. Based on an analysis of air mass back trajectories, two possible sources of CC in total suspended particulates were suggested: (1) erosion and resuspension of limestone sediments in the northern Canadian Arctic, which represent the primary source, and (2) marine aerosols containing calcified phytoplankton fragments released from the sea surface.
- Vodička P.*, Kawamura K., Kunwar B., Huang L., Kumar D., Haque M.M., Pokhrel A., Sharma S., Barrie L.: Carbonate content and stable isotopic composition of atmospheric aerosol carbon in the Canadian High Arctic. Chem. Phys. 2025, 25(17), 10215-10228. doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-10215-2025