Presenter(s): Neil Yotsuya − Architecture
Faculty Mentor(s): Dave Sutherland
Poster 194
Research Area: Physical Science
The ability for snow to reflect light, otherwise known as albedo, is plays a key role in both local and global environmental conditions. Snow grain size and snow albedo have a inverse relationship; the larger that a snow grain is, the lower its albedo will tend to be. Environmental factors that impact grain size are many and factors such as solar zenith, aerosol pollutants, time, and extreme weather must all be accounted for when understanding why snow grain changes in size. Crystal metamorphosis, the process by which ground snow increases in grain size, is susceptible to aerosol pollutants. Black Carbon (BC), in particular, is one major pollutant that can increase the speed at which snow grain undergoes metamorphosis. The exact degree to which BC and other aerosols have altered snow albedo of seasonal snowpack near urban regions is still not fully understood. Data seems to show a strong correlation between pollutant level and grain size. However, the amount of pollutants has no direct correlation with albedo. A possible conclusion may be made that, while not directly impacting snowpack albedo, BC and other aerosol pollutants do impact grain size, thereby impacting snowpack albedo. Better understanding how exactly pollution and climate change has impacted snowpack albedo through grain metamorphosis can help us to better understand the exact impact that urban pollution has on local and global environmental factors.