Autumn 2007 Atmospheric Circulation Newsletter of the University of Washington Atmospheric Sciences Department In Search of Soot in Snow Steve Domonkos: in the Russian Arctic The Magician of the Machine Shop by Tom Grenfell accelerated snow melting and by Dale Durran and Sarah Doherty greater warming. The soot content of the snow modu- One thing in lates the melt rate and length the UW Atmo- of the melt season. Soot is spheric Sciences especially effective because: D e p a r t m e n t (1) it is one of the blackest that has hardly natural substances; (2) the changed in 37 peak of soot fallout occurs in years is the en- the spring and coincides with thusiasm and tal- onset of snowmelt; (3) melt- ent that Steven ing spring snow has lower in- herent albedo and larger grain Domonkos brings size than cold snow enhanc- to the design and ing the influence of the soot; construction of and (4) soot may concentrate systems for use Steve Domonkos in scientific re- Transportation in Vorkuta. A light Russian army tank. at the surface during melt more effectively decreasing search or classroom demonstrations. Steve Black carbon particles, or soot, produced the albedo. joined the UW in 1970, took partial retire- by biomass and fossil fuel combustion are In 1983/84 Tony Clarke and Kevin ment in 2002, and is still continuing to work distributed throughout the atmosphere. Noone, then in Civil Engineering, carried half time as a Research Engineer. Steve These particles can travel thousands of out a survey over the western Arctic to was been nominated twice for the UW miles allowing the soot to reach the most observe levels of the soot particles in the Distinguished Staff award. The number of remote parts of the Arctic where they can snowpack. The resulting paper (Clarke nominations campus-wide greatly exceeds be deposited on the surface, scavenged and Noone, Atmos. Environment, 19, #12, the number of awards, so since Steve is not by snow or rainfall. Soot particles in the 2045–2053, 1985) received wide recogni- known to have heroically saved anyone snowpack make the snow darker, acting to tion and raised questions about the role of from a fiery death, he did not receive the decrease the albedo most strongly at visible contaminants in the radiative energy bal- award. and near ultraviolet wavelengths where ice ance of snow-covered areas of the world. Nevertheless, the comments many con- is most transparent. As an example, 25 I was involved in the project as a volun- tributed to his nomination materials helps teer to collect snow. Since that time Steve parts-per-billion of soot can reduce the total fill out the picture of Steve’s unique ser- reflectance of the snow pack by about 2%. Warren and I have maintained a continuing vices. As Bonnie Light, Physicist with the This cannot be distinguished by eye but has interest in soot and its effects on the optical significant implications for the regional cli- properties of snow. We obtained additional Applied Physics Laboratory and former mate. According to Hansen and Nazarenko samples at various locations on the Antarc- graduate student, expressed: “Steve is more (Proceedings of the National Academy of tic Plateau and in the Arctic as opportuni- than a machinist. He is a problem-solver. Sciences, 101, 423–428, 2004), the effect ties arose on other field projects, but we He will often look over my plan for how of soot in snow on the earth’s energy bud- never carried out a systematic wide-area to construct something, think about it, dig get may be one-quarter as large as that due survey similar in scope to the Clarke and back into his vast experience, suggest a bet- to the increase of greenhouse gases since Noone study. ter way to do it, help me visualize this new pre-industrial times. A major gap in the 1983/84 survey was approach, and know immediately how to Snow is particularly important because the area across northern Russia, spanning build it. This is a skill set that is uncommon 11 time zones—almost half of the Arctic. the annual snowpack acts to amplify cli- and hugely valuable…. He is incredibly mate change. If the climate cools, the snow In the 80s this region was not accessible to flexible. This is enormously helpful when can cover a larger area, hiding dark under- US scientists. Further it has become ap- lying surfaces, reflecting more sunlight, parent from our work to date that the soot doing research-grade machining. Steve un- and promoting further cooling. If the cli- levels we have been finding are sufficiently derstands the quirks of research and works mate warms, the winter snow pack melts low that there are a variety of serious prob- really well within this framework. He pret- earlier, exposing darker underlying sur- lems with using satellite remote sensing to ty much is always willing to find a way to faces that absorb more sunlight leading to (Continued on page ) (Continued on page ) 1 Department of Atmospheric Sciences Chair’s Column mer students have made significant contri- climate), Tom Ackerman (radiation, remote Dennis Hart- butions to the Holton Endowed Graduate sensing) and Dargan Frierson (atmospheric mann completed Fund. Peter Hobbs also bequeathed to the general circulation) are an impressive co- his term as chair at department his share of the royalties gen- hort who are well poised to continue the the end of June, af- erated by the new second edition of the UW’s tradition of leadership in the atmo- ter which I became Wallace and Hobbs classic Atmospheric spheric sciences. the 9th chairman Science, an Introductory Survey. We also lost two beloved academic fac- of the UW Atmo- Finally, I am very excited to announce ulty and one emeritus professor during the spheric Sciences that a new endowed lectureship was estab- last five years, whereas during the previ- Department. I am lished this spring in memory of Peter Hobbs ous 15 years no faculty, active or emeritus, honored to serve as by his wife Sylvia and their three sons, passed away. Dennis provided a steady chair of this depart- Stephen, Julian and Rowland (see Peter V. hand at the helm in our time of grief. ment with its excellent record of research, Hobbs Memorial Endowed Lectureship in Under Dennis’ leadership, we have seen teaching and service. I, together with the Experimental Meteorology, p. 5). a modest increase in enrollment in our rest of the faculty, congratulate and thank Let me close by thanking all those who undergraduate major, a major expansion Dennis for his five years of distinguished have made contributions to the department in the number of students served in our service. Some of the highlights from Den- (see Donor Recognition, p. 7), and also by undergraduate classes for non-majors, and nis’ tenure as chair are reviewed in Fea- thanking those who have sent updates about continued success in recruiting excellent tured Professor: Dennis Hartmann on p. 2. their activities (see Alumni News, p. 8). I graduate students. The department has Upon becoming chair, there were lots of urge all alums to send us news about their maintained it’s extensive program of little surprises, like the need to get moving activities to share in the 2008 edition of At- cutting-edge research despite the loss of on this issue of Atmospheric Circulation. mospheric Circulation. two active distinguished faculty. Fortunately Dennis had left me with a team Best wishes, Dennis also greatly expanded on the ef- of outstanding and highly capable people Dale Durran fort begun by Jim Holton to stay in better in the main office. Debra Wolf has played contact with our alumni though receptions a particularly major role in creating this is- Featured Professor: at the AMS Annual Meetings, and of course sue. Dennis Hartmann by editing editions two through six (2002– Those who have read the Chair’s Col- 2006) of this newsletter. The need to at- umn in previous editions of Atmospheric tract charitable contributions to strengthen Circulation will know it often mentions the department added a new dimension to the reality that state budgets for higher the tasks faced by the chairman, and Den- education do not provide the level of sup- nis tackled this with notable success as dis- port that they did in the past. In addition, cussed more fully in the Chair’s Column although our level of research funding has (see page 2). grown slightly, these funds can no longer Dennis is eager to get back to his re- directly support the facilities and adminis- search on clouds and climate change, and trative functions they could in the past. As on the low-frequency variability of the at- a consequence we have become increas- mosphere. He is particularly excited about ingly reliant on donations from our alumni the suite of new satellite observations just and friends to support special events, dis- becoming available that will give an un- tinguished lecturers, scholarships, and fel- precedented picture of cloud structure and lowships. distribution. In addition, he looks forward During Dennis’ tenure we received sev- Professor Dennis Hartmann to completing a long overdue revision of eral major gifts from those in an excellent Prof. Dennis Hartmann is returning to his textbook Global Physical Climatology. position to understand the situation: name- civilian life after serving for five years as Although Dennis has stepped down ly our emeritus and current faculty and chairman of the Atmospheric Sciences from the chairmanship, he will continue to their spouses. Bob Fleagle established an Department.