The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded Iowa State researchers $150,000 to conduct atmospheric research that may be important for understanding how global climate changes.

The project, a collaboration between ISU professor of geology and atmospheric science Bill Gutowski and post-doctoral researcher Zekai Otles, along with hydrologists at the University of New Hampshire and the University of Minnesota, will examine the pan-Arctic terrestrial and atmospheric water cycle. The project entails looking at the water cycle in the arctic region, and the coupling between the atmospheric input of water and the river outflow of water into the Arctic Ocean.

Scientists want to know how freshwater runoff may impact the formation of sea ice in the arctic, and whether freshwater runoff that makes its way to the ocean is diluting the oceans salt water. If salt water is too diluted, it may prevent sea water from sinking, which has implications for global climate change.

“The reason why that’s important is that the fresh water flowing into the salty ocean can affect sea ice formation and potentially heat exchange between the tropics and high latitudes,” Gutowski said. “That can affect global climate.”

Gutowski said that if you alter the salinity balance of the ocean, by putting more fresh water in, you can alter the rate at which water sinks in the high latitudes. As ocean water sinks, more water moves up from tropical oceans to replace it. That water carries heat into the high latitudes.

“That’s the global connection,” Gutowski said. “That sinking and flowing is part of a large overturning process in the ocean. If you change it you can change climate.”

This is relevant to potential green house warming because in a warmer climate more water could be transferred into arctic regions by the atmosphere, Gutowski explained.

Gutowski said the grant will fund the research of graduate students and post-docs at all three of the universities involved in the research. He hopes to be able to fund undergraduates if there is enough money.

Although there are field research stations in Canada that may be used by researchers on this project, Gutowski said most of the work will involve computer simulations of climate.

The DOE grant is for three years and the $150,000 is for the first year of work, Gutowski said.