Earlier this summer during the months of June and July, we were fortunate to get to participate in the SOAS (Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study) field campaign in Centreville, Alabama. This field campaign was one of the largest in history, comprising hundreds of researchers from dozens of universities across the United States and around the world. These research scientists gathered to study and advance our understanding of climate change, aerosols, emissions, and the relation between natural and human-related impacts on these topics.
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| SEM image of aerosol particles |
Besides simply enjoying the beautiful forested region and the benefits of a peanut butter and jelly station, Dr. Andrew Ault and undergraduate Victor Nhliziyo from Tuskegee collected aerosol samples daily. After the arrival of a long-awaited freezer to store the collected samples, the aerosol samples were transported up to Ann Arbor for analysis. Using one of the single-particle techniques to analyze these micro and nano-sized aerosol samples, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) (a technique used to look at really, really small stuff), our first images were captured!
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| Zoomed in SEM image of aerosol particles |
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| Oxygen content |
First and foremost, we were excited to see that our substrates did indeed have particles on them. Whew! It was also interesting to note the variety of particle sizes and shapes present; we definitely have our work cut out for us studying all these particles! Taking a closer look at some of the particles, we did some elemental mapping to determine their elemental composition. Besides just the pretty colors, looking at these maps can be used to determine what was floating around in the air.
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| Aluminum content |
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| Carbon content |
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| Sodium content |
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