Welcome to the Pratt Lab blog! Dr. Kerri Pratt is an assistant professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Earth & Environmental Sciences and faculty associate of the Program in the Environment at the University of Michigan. We study the chemical interactions of atmospheric trace gases, particles, clouds, and snow, with a focus on the Polar Regions and wintertime environments. Our interdisciplinary research has relevance to climate change, air quality, and human health. As an analytical chemistry lab, we primarily apply novel mass spectrometry techniques to our field research. We invite you to follow our adventures in (and outside!) the lab!

Monday, February 19, 2018

Winter field work in Kalamazoo

What are we doing:
Pratt Lab 4th year PhD student Stephen McNamara (me) and visiting PhD student Jacinta Edebeli from the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland are conducting a two month field study at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI, about 100 miles west of Ann Arbor.
Kalamazoo (circled) located in the southwest corner of the state near Lake Michigan (Google Maps image)

Our primary research question focuses on characterizing the chemical composition of the urban atmosphere and how it interacts with the snowpack. Our research group has measured air-snowpack interactions in the Arctic, so the mid-latitude, urban area is somewhat of a new environment for us! One important type of species, oxidants, can impact the lifetimes or "fates" of a variety of atmospheric compounds such as greenhouse gases or other pollutants. They exist in very low quantities in the atmosphere (parts-per-trillion levels) and many are short lived, so they are difficult to measure. Additionally, the oxidant budget can vary between the summer and winter months, so there is still quite a lot to learn about them!

Snowy Kalamazoo morning


Where are all the instruments?
In a trailer! Or rather, a "mobile laboratory".
The "mobile laboratory" snowed in after a large storm on Feb 9
The trailer with WMU in the background
We deployed our chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS), operated by Stephen, and ambient ion monitor-ion chromatograph system (AIM-IC), operated by Jacinta, as well as several additional instruments - all packed into this trailer! With everything inside, it was quite cozy (and very loud, so ear protection was a must).

Thank you to Prof. Steve Bertman of Western Michigan University who is hosting us at his university!
Top: Jacinta and the CIMS. Bottom: AIM-IC
If you're interested in learning more about the deployment of our mobile laboratory trailer, continue to check out our blog for more details!
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)