COBRA

Campaign Name: COBRA (NERC-funded project); PI - Lucy Carpenter
UK contribution to the International Polar Year (IPY).
Location: Kuujjuarapik, Northern Canada (55° 17' N, 77° 46' W)
Duration: February 10th - March 15th, 2008
Aim:
The polar atmosphere in spring exhibits very unusual chemistry involving halogens like bromine and iodine. Bromine is probably released from brine on sea-ice, and iodine from algae on the underside of sea-ice. Once in the atmosphere these compounds cause very rapid destruction of ozone, and the oxidation of atomic mercury. This chemistry involves catalytic cycles which are fed by the hydroxide (OH) and hydroperoxy (HO₂) radicals. Oxidised mercury then deposits on the snow, runs off into sea-water and enters the food chain. High levels of this toxic element occur in the indigeneous inhabitants of the Arctic countries.

A number of UK, Irish and Canadian Institutes and Universities are involved in the project, including the Universities of Leeds, Manchester and York, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), University College Cork (UCC), Canadian Meteorology Service, among others.

We will be travelling to Northern Quebec, Canada to the Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik Research Station (55° 17' N, 77° 46' W) on the east of Hudson Bay in February and March.

For the University of Leeds:
From Dwayne Heard's research group Roisin Commane, Pete Edwards and Trevor Ingham (instrument scientist) operate the FAGE instrument to measure OH and HO₂. Hilke Oetjen and Anoop Mahajan from John Plane's research group will deploy a long-path DOAS instrument to monitor the IO and BrO radicals. Mat Evans will be travelling out as the responsible adult for the final two weeks.