Sampling started on time – since my gear had arrived as planned. I have settled into a sampling routine with initially 3 snow samples a day (morning/noon/late afternoon). I have since added a fourth sample in the early morning before sunrise. The dedicated snow sampling site is just behind the tent on the picture. I also take air samples once a day at the snow site and will collect aerosol samples near the prefab buildings with the MOUDI. Additionally I take snow samples for Hg and microbiological analyses (i.e. sterile).
The idea is to monitor VOC concentrations in air and surface snow as it changes over the day. With the additional dark sample I would like to follow the concentrations with the diurnal cycle. As a consequence I would like to investigate, how species move between snow and air and are subjected to photochemistry and microbiological degradation.
I put out the MOUDI yesterday for a first run, but had to take it in in the late afternoon, because of the blowing snow – which started clogging the sampling vent. You can see parts of it on the left – now parked in the lab.
On a related note – I helped launching a balloon yesterday. Find me on the pictures in the OASIS blog. Hint: Second row of pictures, right photo – I am the guy on the far right 😉
