Abstract
Since 1999, atmospheric and snow chemists have shown that snow is a very active photochemical reactor that releases reactive gaseous species to the atmosphere including nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, aldehydes, halocarbons, carboxylic acids and mercury. Snow photochemistry therefore affects the formation of ozone, a potent greenhouse gas, and of aerosols, which affect the radiative budget of the planet and, therefore, its climate. In parallel, microbiologists have investigated microbes in snow, identified and quantified species, and sometimes discussed their nutrient supplies and metabolism, implicitly acknowledging that microbes could modify snow chemical composition. However, it is only in the past 10 years that a small number of studies have revealed that microbial activity in cold snow (< 0 °C, in the absence of significant amounts of liquid water) could lead to the release of nitrogen oxides, halocarbons, and mercury into the atmosphere. I argue here that microbes may have a significant effect on snow and atmospheric composition, especially during the polar night when photochemistry is shut off. Collaborative studies between microbiologists and snow and atmospheric chemists are needed to investigate this little-explored field.
Highlights
Microbes are ubiquitous on Earth and have colonized the most hostile and improbable environments, including snow [1], glacial ice [2] and permafrost [3]
The case of snow chemistry is interesting because changes in snow chemical composition, whether caused by photochemistry, dark chemistry, or microbes, have the potential to affect atmospheric composition and climate [6,7], as well as the carbon budget of the cryosphere [8,9]
They have considered the availability of nutrients but have paid little attention to the impact of microbial metabolism on snow chemical composition and reactivity
Summary
Microbes are ubiquitous on Earth and have colonized the most hostile and improbable environments, including snow [1], glacial ice [2] and permafrost [3]. Microbiologists have expectedly focused on their field and have characterized microbial assemblages and quantified populations [10,11]. They have considered the availability of nutrients but have paid little attention to the impact of microbial metabolism on snow chemical composition and reactivity. Too few interactions have taken place between these two scientific communities The purpose of this short note, which is not an exhaustive review, is to illustrate with selected examples that snow and atmospheric chemistry may be significantly dependent on microbial activity. I argue that understanding how climate change will impact microorganisms and how these may in return feedback on the climate through their effect on snow and atmospheric chemistry requires highly interdisciplinary collaborations
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