Ice Nucleating Particles at Alert During the Polar Spring

Ice nucleating particles (INPs) are a small subset of aerosols that can trigger heterogeneous ice nucleation in the atmosphere. These particles can play an important role in precipitation and climate by affecting the formation of ice and mixed-phase clouds. A change in INP concentrations in the Arctic could alter climate in the region. However, few studies have focused on INPs in this region. A three- week field study was carried out during March 2016 at Alert, Canada, which is located 817km from the North Pole. Size-fractionated aerosol samples were collected using a Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor for INP analysis, along with quartz filters for metal analysis. INP concentrations were determined using a droplet freezing technique. Results from these measurements will be presented and compared with previous studies done in similar environments.