Global Warming Creates 'Arctic Ultrafine Particles'

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Junho] Domestic researchers have, for the first time in the world, identified the source of ultrafine particles floating in the Arctic Ocean. They proved that these particles originate from the Arctic inland and are carried down to the marine atmosphere. The research team warned that as temperatures rise in the Arctic, substances that cause ultrafine particles increase, potentially leading to a higher concentration of ultrafine particles within the Arctic.

The research team led by Dr. Yoon Young-jun and Dr. Park Ji-yeon recently published a study in the international journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, identifying precursor substances emitted from rivers and tundra in the Arctic inland as the cause of ultrafine particles floating in the Arctic sea sky.

Precursor substances are gaseous materials that generate ultrafine particles under specific conditions. Sulfur oxides and volatile organic compounds fall under this category.

After analyzing ultrafine particles, the research team reported that those originating from the Arctic inland were approximately 3.2 times higher than those from marine sources. The influence from outside the Arctic Circle was relatively minor. In particular, the team warned that as Arctic temperatures rise, the amount of emitted precursor substances increases, and the formation of Arctic ultrafine particles may accelerate.

In 2017, the research team sailed 16,090 km of ocean from the Arctic Ocean through the Pacific Ocean and Japan's Sea of Okhotsk to the East Sea aboard the Araon, South Korea's only icebreaking research vessel, conducting real-time observations and analyses of ultrafine particles, leading to these conclusions.

Ultrafine particles refer to particulate matter smaller than 1 micrometer suspended in the air. They closely affect solar light scattering and cloud formation, which are related to temperature changes. Ultrafine particles can also pose health risks, prompting extensive research.

Senior Researcher Park Ji-yeon of the Korea Polar Research Institute (first author) stated, "This study partially reveals answers regarding the formation of ultrafine particles in the Arctic marine atmosphere, which greatly impacts climate change, and will help identify the natural causes of ultrafine particle formation on the Korean Peninsula in the future." This research achievement was recently published in the international journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.