The Ault Group received a research grant from the University of Michigan Water Center to "advance water research capabilities at the University of Michigan". This collaboration with the Pratt Group will develop a mobile laboratory to to transport state-of-the-art instrumentation for field sampling of atmospheric aerosols produced from wave-breaking on the Great Lakes, a phenomenon we have termed "lake spray aerosol (LSA)" as the freshwater corollary to sea spray aerosol. This research builds on efforts with the Water Center to understand impacts of harmful algal blooms on air quality, in addition to water quality, for coastal communities on the Great Lakes. This research direction has grown in recent years with a general focus characterizing lake spray aerosol (aerosols produced by wave-breaking on the Great Lakes) both in the laboratory and in the field. This exciting project has produced two manuscripts that will be submitted shortly.
The Lake Spray Aerosol Project and mobile lab to study it have received press from across Michigan in recent months.
The funding for this project was recently highlighted by the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) (link).
In addition the general Lake Spray Aerosol (LSA) project was recently highlighted in the Grand Traverse Record Eagle (link).
We are looking forward to getting out and seeing what the Great Lakes tell us the next time the wind causes waves like this!
Photo Credit: Dave Sanford
