Markus Frey

Research Area

My research is about physical and chemical air-snow exchange processes to gain a better understanding of how snow and ice surfaces influence atmospheric composition and oxidation capacity, and ultimately climate, with a focus on tropospheric ozone, the nitrogen and sulfur cycle, halogen chemistry, as well as aerosol formation and growth. Further aims are to quantify the preservation of chemical trace species in snow and ice to develop proxies of atmospheric composition in the past using ice cores. My focus is on field and lab experiments to investigate processes controlling atmospheric composition (trace gases, aerosol), and I collaborate with modellers to quantify their wider impacts on air quality and climate. Recently I observed for the first time sea salt aerosol being produced by sublimating blowing snow above Antarctic sea ice during and after storms, thereby validating an existing model hypothesis.

Project Interests

Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nucleating particles (INPs) play a key role for the phase, occurrence and lifetime of clouds. Yet little is known about their abundance, sources and climate impacts in the polar regions. Topics to develop include

• Quantification of the sea spray source from open leads in sea ice and climate impacts using sea ice chamber experiments and modelling
• Quantification of an INP/CCN source from blowing snow above sea ice and vertical impacts using lab/field experiments and modelling; climate impacts
• Development of a millennial atmospheric record of INPs from an existing Antarctic ice core