Dr. Manjula Canagaratna

Dr. Manjula Canagaratna
Principal Scientist & Co-Director
Center for Aerosol and Cloud Chemistry, Aerodyne Research
Abstract

Unraveling the Chemical Complexity of the Atmosphere with Versatile and Advanced Mass Spectrometers

Air pollution is an issue of worldwide concern. Pollutants span the continuum from the gas to the condensed phase. Gas phase species emitted in urban areas fuel the oxidation chemistry that produces harmful levels of ozone. Fine particles with diameters less than 2.5 micron cause premature deaths and have significant impacts on the Earth’s radiation balance. Despite their known negative impacts, mitigation of the effects of air pollutants is complicated by their continually evolving sources and processes. Spatially and temporally resolved measurements of atmospheric constituents are needed to understand and accurately model this dynamic chemistry. In this talk I will discuss advanced aerosol mass spectrometers and chemical ionization mass spectrometers that address this need. I will also present insights that we have learned from worldwide deployments of these instruments over the last two decades in laboratory experiments and field environments.

Manjula Canagaratna

Dr. Manjula Canagaratna is currently a Principal Scientist and Co-Director of the Center for Aerosol and Cloud Chemistry at Aerodyne Research. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Ohio Northern University and a doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of Minnesota. She was a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Postdoctoral Fellow in Environmental Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research interests include atmospheric physics and chemistry, chemical kinetics, and molecular spectroscopy. Her current research utilizes advanced mass spectrometers and multivariate analysis techniques to characterize the evolving chemical composition of gases and particles in the atmosphere.

Hosted by Professor Kenneth Leopold