Collaborative Research: Chemistry-Informed Ice Nucleation and Growth--Integrated Laboratory and Modeling Studies

The project team in this collaborative research project will combine laboratory experiments with numerical modeling in order to study how the chemistry of ice nucleating particles immersed in solution droplets impact the ice nucleation process and subsequent ice growth. There are many existing uncertainties and knowledge gaps related to the chemistry of ice nucleating particles, primarily associated with understanding the sensitivity of ice nucleation and crystal growth as it relates to the chemical composition of freezing droplets. This research will develop a detailed experiment-informed modeling framework that aims to fill these gaps. The research includes laboratory experiments and modeling work that will be done concurrently. Educational videos will be produced with a professional weather communication team that will be shared online and on local public television stations. Both graduate and undergraduate students will be trained and integrated during this project. The project team will combine laboratory experiments, including both nucleation and growth experiments, with existing ice crystal growth, aerosol evolution, and ice nucleation models. The specific tasks in this project include: (1) the characterization of ice nucleation of mineral dust and biological analogs internally mixed with acids or salts using both stochastic and deterministic modeling frameworks; (2) the characterization of ice growth in these same systems; (3) the development of improved ice nucleation parameterizations; and (4) the development of ice growth parameterizations for aerosol-based Lagrangian particle models. Outreach and educational videos will be produced in collaboration with the Pennsylvania State University Weather Communications Group. Additional outreach will be made via the Weather World program that airs on local public television stations. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.