Brief communication: Analysis of organic matter in surface snow by PTR-MS – implications for dry deposition dynamics in the Alps

• Published in: The Cryosphere
• Main Authors: D. Materić, E. Ludewig, K. Xu, T. Röckmann, R. Holzinger
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2019
• Subjects: geo; envir; The Cryosphere
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-297-2019; https://www.the-cryosphere.net/13/297/2019/tc-13-297-2019.pdf; https://doaj.org/article/ac5eac3c1c7b474791bd44dc030d5a27

The exchange of organic matter (OM) between the atmosphere and snow is poorly understood due to the complex nature of OM and the convoluted processes of deposition, re-volatilisation, and chemical and biological processing. OM that is finally retained in glaciers potentially holds a valuable historical record of past atmospheric conditions; however, our understanding of the processes involved is insufficient to translate the measurements into an interpretation of the past atmosphere. This study examines the dynamic processes of post-precipitation OM change at the alpine snow surface with the goal of interpreting the processes involved in surface snow OM.