Award Abstract # 2109352
Collaborative Research: NSFGEO-NERC--Coupled Tropospheric Reactive Halogen Chemistry in the Subtropical Marine Boundary Layer

NSF Org: AGS
Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
Recipient: BERMUDA INSTITUTE OF OCEAN SCIENCES (BIOS) INC.
Initial Amendment Date: May 28, 2021
Latest Amendment Date: May 28, 2021
Award Number: 2109352
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Sylvia Edgerton
sedgerto@nsf.gov
 (703)292-8522
AGS
 Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
GEO
 Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date: June 1, 2021
End Date: May 31, 2024 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $24,969.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $24,969.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2021 = $24,969.00
History of Investigator:
  • Kaitlin Noyes (Principal Investigator)
    kaitlin.noyes@asu.bios.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), Inc.
17 BIOLOGICAL STATION
ST. GEORGE'S
 BD  GE01
(441)297-1880
Sponsor Congressional District:
Primary Place of Performance: Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), Inc.
 BD
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): KKGGL32KGLX3
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): Atmospheric Chemistry
Primary Program Source: 01002122DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 1679
Program Element Code(s): 152400
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.050

ABSTRACT

This is a project that is jointly funded by the National Science Foundation?s Directorate of Geosciences (NSF/GEO) and the National Environment Research Council (UKRI/NERC) of the United Kingdom (UK) via the NSF/GEO-NERC Lead Agency Agreement. This Agreement allows a single joint US/UK proposal to be submitted and peer-reviewed by the Agency whose investigator has the largest proportion of the budget. Upon successful joint determination of an award, each Agency funds the proportion of the budget and the investigators associated with its own investigators and component of the work.

This research addresses the influence of reactive halogens on the oxidation capacity (the reactivity) of the atmosphere. A measurement campaign will be conducted at the BIOS Tudor Hill Marine Atmospheric Observatory in Bermuda to measure reactive gaseous halogens (bromine, chlorine, and iodine species) and their aerosol-phase counterparts. The results of this research will improve the process level representation of reactive halogen chemistry in atmospheric chemical transport models, increasing the ability to accurately predict the concentrations of pollutants such as ozone in the atmosphere.

The observations supported by this effort will include what are expected to be the most abundant reactive gaseous bromine, chlorine, and iodine species (HCl, BrO, ClNO2, IO, among several others) and their aerosol-phase counterparts (Br-, Cl-, I-) from which the gas-phase species are derived. For gas-phase species, three different observational techniques (CIMS, LP-DOAS, TILDAS) will be employed, allowing for comparison of the measurements of some key reactive halogens while also expanding the suite of measured halogen species. A chemically detailed representation of the halogen chemistry will be included into the GEOS-Chem model as part of this project. This project will support three U.S. graduate students and one U.K. graduate student, providing these students with experience in field work, global modeling, and international collaboration.

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.

PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT

Disclaimer

This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.

NSF Project Outcomes Report: Collaborative Research: NSFGEO-NERC--Coupled Tropospheric Reactive Halogen Chemistry in the Subtropical Marine Boundary Layer

Award Number:  2109352
Principal Investigator: Kaitlin Notes
Institution: Bermuda institute of Ocean Sciences
Project Title: Collaborative Research: NSFGEO-NERC--Coupled Tropospheric Reactive Halogen Chemistry in the Subtropical Marine Boundary Layer

Overview

This NSF-funded research project investigated the role of reactive halogens (chlorine, bromine, and iodine compounds) in atmospheric chemistry over subtropical ocean regions. As a core component of the Broader Impacts of this award the project broadened dissemination of the research by way of the development of a suite of engagement opportunities focused on the seasonality of atmospheric patterns in Bermuda. The broader impacts of this project entailed the creation of a Data Lab for BIOS’s High Dive Into Ocean Data Educator Workshop funded by NSF OCE-1948162. As a part of the atmospheric Data Lab creation, a simplified data set was curated that can be utilized by educators and students to explain large scale atmospheric transport to Bermuda by season.

Broader Impacts Accomplishments

1. STEM Education and Student Training

  • Curriculum Development: A significant outcome of this project was the development of two digital modules for ASU BIOS Data Labs, focused on exploring ozone in the troposphere in both Bermuda and Hawaii. ASU BIOS Data Labs are digital resources providing curated oceanographic and atmospheric datasets along with supporting media for educators. The goal was to enhance data literacy by making large datasets more accessible and relevant to students studying broader ocean and atmospheric phenomena.

Specific Objectives:

  • Develop an interactive data module for students to confidently download, manipulate, and analyze datasets.

  • Establish a community of practice to test, refine, and integrate the data labs into university, college, and community college curricula, including field courses.

  • Co-design a user-friendly interface enabling students to explore NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory ozone data repository.

  • Create a DataTaste feature to scaffold data visualization confidence in a student-led, stepwise manner.

  • Design a DataByte lesson that allows students to download and analyze curated datasets.

  • Provide tools for students to locate seasonal air masses and analyze historical ozone trends.

  • Optimize the module’s design and web user interface and develop an implementation plan.

  • Disseminate the module to a broader educational audience.

Significant Results:

  • Two interactive data modules were developed, tested, and refined based on user feedback.

  • A community of practice consisting of ten professors from community colleges, colleges, and universities was formed to implement the module in classrooms.

  • The user interface was optimized, migrated to ASU BIOS’s Drupal format, and refined for ease of use and formative assessment.

  • A DataTaste feature was introduced to provide students with additional scaffolding before downloading their own dataset.

  • A DataByte was built and tested, facilitating the download of .csv ozone datasets for analysis.

  • A concluding module section was designed to help students explore seasonal ozone trends in Bermuda and Hawaii.

  • The module continues to be revised as it is utilized annually in multiple courses at ASU BIOS and within the community of practice.

2. Outreach and Community Engagement

  • Data Workshops: Hosted one interactive workshop for ten community college professors at ASU BIOS where this module was tested and refined with support of additional funding from NSF OCE-1948162.

  • Partnership with Local Schools: Developed an educational partnership with Delaware Valley University, integrating this module into their annual field Chemistry course at ASU BIOS. 

3. Increasing Inclusion in STEM

  • Improving accessibility: The digital nature of this module allows for exploration of oceanographic and atmospheric data from anywhere in the world. Formative assessment built into the module allows students to build confidence that they are reading instructions correctly as progression is made through the module. 

4. Infrastructure and Capacity Building

  • Open-Source Data Sharing: Published educator-friendly datasets in publicly accessible repositories to facilitate future research collaborations.

  • Collaborations with Experts: Partnered with the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Office (BCO-DMO)  to learn more about best practices in creation of data modules.

Impact and Future Directions

This project has had a lasting impact on STEM education. By integrating research with outreach and training the module has supported over 300 students to date. Future work will build upon these efforts by enhancing learning experiences and fostering additional partnerships utilizing ASU BIOS Data Labs,.

Publications and Dissemination

Module publication
https://bios.asu.edu/databytes

Noyes, K.; Langston, M. Building Data Literate Undergraduate Chemistry Students One Byte at a Time. Presented at the American Chemical Society National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, March 2023. Poster 3814034

Noyes, K.; Langston, M. Building Data Literate Undergraduate Chemistry Students One Byte at a Time. Presented at the American Chemical Society National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, March 2023. Oral Presentation Room 110 - Indiana Convention Center

For more information, please contact kaitlin.noyes@bios.asu.edu

 


Last Modified: 03/07/2025
Modified by: Kaitlin Marie Noyes

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