Description:

Widespread Arctic haze in winter and early spring has been recognized as an annual feature for over a century, impacting the surface energy budget, snow melt, cloud properties, visibility, and human health. However, pollution sources are evolving in the rapidly warming Arctic-Boreal Zone (ABZ), a region that lies north of approximately 50°N and includes the boreal, sub‐Arctic, and Arctic climate zones. For instance, wildfires in the last few decades have become more frequent and intense from spring through fall, and local dust sources are also increasingly becoming exposed. As the ABZ continues to warm, new sources of pollution will likely result from increased access to minerals, oil and natural gas, fisheries, and trans‐polar shipping routes, including the development of the infrastructure to support these activities. At the same time, changing meteorological and precipitation patterns are likely impacting regional pollutant transport, chemistry, and accumulation. In this session, we invite presentations on new activities and insights on the transport, evolution, and impacts of ABZ air pollutants.