The polar regions are undergoing rapid environmental transformations with profound implications for global climate. Aerosols, clouds, and biogeochemical processes within the ocean and sea ice play a pivotal role in modulating the Earth's radiative balance, influencing weather systems, and driving climate feedbacks. Understanding the complex and dynamic interactions among these components is essential for improving predictions of both polar and global climate change.
This session brings together researchers studying the coupled processes linking aerosols, clouds, and ocean–ice biogeochemistry in the Arctic and Antarctic. It aligns with the goals of initiatives such as CATCH (Cryosphere and ATmospheric CHemistry), CIce2Clouds (Coupling of ocean-ice-atmosphere processes: from sea-Ice biogeochemistry to aerosols and Clouds), and BEPSII (Biogeochemical exchanges at Sea Ice Interfaces). We invite contributions spanning field observations, remote sensing, laboratory experiments, and modeling studies.
Key topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
1) Aerosol–cloud interactions and their influence on cloud microphysics, radiative properties, and precipitation patterns in polar environments
2) Impacts of natural and anthropogenic aerosols—including sea salt, mineral dust, biological particles, black carbon, and organic aerosols—on polar climate and ecosystems
3) The role of atmospheric dynamics and boundary layer processes in shaping aerosol and cloud properties
4) Biogeochemical cycling in the ocean and sea ice, including marine and terrestrial sources and feedbacks with atmospheric components
5) Advances in observational tools, laboratory studies, and modeling frameworks to improve understanding of polar aerosol–cloud systems
6) Implications of polar aerosol–cloud interactions for climate model performance and global climate projections
We particularly welcome studies drawing on long-term observations, reanalysis, and data from recent field campaigns, such as MOSAiC and ARTofMELT in the Arctic, and MISO and Denman in the Southern Ocean. Contributions from researchers at all career stages and across disciplines are encouraged to promote a collaborative and integrative approach to these critical scientific challenges.