The Partitioning Processes of Sea Ice Associated Marine Ice Nucleation Particles Impacting the Arctic Clouds

The Arctic is a region that is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, as it is warming at a faster rate than the rest of the world. This warming causes a decline in multiyear sea ice cover, which results in an increasing open-ocean surface with a much lower albedo therefore leading to positive feedback and enhanced warming. Another factor that plays a role in regulating the temperature in the Arctic is the type and extent of cloud cover. Aerosols that can serve as cloud condensation nuclei or ice nucleating particles (INPs) are key for cloud formation. Some microorganisms are known to produce INPs, but it is not well understood which microorganisms are responsible, which environments they inhabit, and how active they are. In this study, we set out to investigate the partitioning of INPs between the Arctic marine and atmospheric environment by combining in situ measurements with laboratory experiments.

First, we wanted to determine if sea ice acts as a reservoir for INPs and, if so, whether the INPs are partitioned into the sea ice during its formation or produced by microorganisms within the sea ice. We used a modified ice-finger to grow sea ice using natural samples from West Greenland and found that INPs concentrate into the ice fraction during sea-ice formation, and that these INPs typically are associated with microorganisms.

Next, we wanted to understand the temporal and spatial dynamics of INPs in Arctic sea ice. We collected sea ice cores from the Arctic before and during the spring sea ice phytoplankton bloom and analysed them using cold-stage INP measurements, flow-cytometry, and amplicon sequencing. The results showed that there are between <10⁵ · L^-1 (at the top) and >10⁶ · L^-1  (at the bottom of the sea ice) INP_-10 present in the Arctic sea ice.  

Finally, we wanted to determine the potential contribution of sea ice to the atmospheric INP pool in the Arctic. We introduced natural samples of bulk water and sea ice from Nuuk and Station Nord into a temperature-controlled sea spray simulation chamber and quantified the microorganisms and INPs present in the bulk water, surface microlayer and air before and after aerosolization. The results showed that the highly active INPs are efficiently aerosolized into the atmosphere during bubble-bursting where they may contribute to the formation of ice in clouds.

Overall, this study provides new insight into the role of Arctic sea ice as a reservoir for INPs and the microorganisms that produce them, as well as the mechanisms by which INPs are released into the Arctic atmosphere. This information is important for understanding the impact of climate change on the Arctic region and the potential consequences for the rest of the world.