Research
Current Projects
Inorganic and organic Hg cycling in ocean & atmosphere
My first crossing of the equator…
From the Metzyme cruise in October 2011. From Hawaii (Northern Hemisphere) to Samoa (Southern Hemisphere).
I use the GEOS-Chem model to improve our understanding of mercury dynamics in the ocean and atmosphere, and air-sea exchange.
I have improved the representation of inorganic mercury cycling in the surface ocean module of the GEOS-Chem mercury model and I am currently working on implementing methylated mercury species in the model. This is done with a focus on the Arctic and the possible effect of global change.
This work is done together with Elsie Sunderland, Daniel Jacob, Jenny Fisher, Bess Sturges Corbitt, Asif Qureshi,
Helen Amos, and Hannah Horowitz.
Publications: Soerensen et al. 2010b; 2013b (in prep)
Seasonal, spatial and decadal trends of Hg in the ocean
and marine boundary layer
GEOS-Chem surface ocean conceptual Hg cycling
I recently went on my first research cruise to the Pacific Ocean. I use this data, recent data from cruises in the West Atlantic ocean as well as cruise data ensembles from the last 40 years to explore spatial, seasonal and decadal trends in Hg in the surface ocean and marine boundary layer. This work is done together with Elsie Sunderland, Daniel Jacob and Robert Mason
Publications: Soerensen et al. 2012; 2013a (in prep)
Hg and Br chemistry in DEHM (2011-2013)
The Danish research stations Station Nord and Nuuk. Atmospheric Hg(0) is continuously measured at Station Nord.
I worked on updating the Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model (DEHM) with secondary Hg emissions (snow, biomass burning, ocean evasion) in order to improve the simulation of mercury dynamics in the troposphere with a focus on the Arctic. Sissal Erenbjerg (MSc. student) has continued this work by implementing halogen chemistry in the Arctic and looking at the effect on Hg and ozone. Sissal is supervised by Jesper Christensen (Aarhus University), Ole John Nielsen
(University of Copenhagen) and me (Harvard).
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Past Projects
Atmospheric Hg0 & HgII: a worldwide cruise (2008-2011)
Observations and GEOS-Chem model simulation of atmospheric Hg(0) released from Australian biomass burning.
Part of my Ph.D. project was to analyze atmospheric Hg data from a worldwide cruise (Galathea 3 cruise). Hg(0) and Hg(II) were measured continuously with a Tekran 2537A mercury vapor analyzer equipped with a Tekran 1130 unit. Measurements were available for 114 days. My main Ph.D. supervisors were Henrik Skov and Marianne Glasius (Aarhus University).
Publications: Soerensen et al., 2010a; 2010c
Influence of Long Range Transported Nitrogen on High
Arctic Tundra Systems (2006-2007)
Average yearly nitrogen deposition at Zackenberg as simulated by the DEHM model. Past, present and future scenarios are shown (from MSc thesis)
I looked at the influence of anthropogenic nitrogen deposition on tundra ecosystems with a focus on Zackenberg, Greenland. The DEHM (Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model) was used to look at the atmospheric transport to the area in past, present and future. Furthermore a nitrogen budget for two tundra types in the Zackenberg area was created. This work was done with Jesper Christensen (National Environmental Research Institute) and Helge Ro-Poulsen (Copenhagen University).
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General research topics that have my interest
Leaving my computer for a short while to go into the field for the first time
- Air-sea exchange of soluble gasses
- Global and regional spatial and temporal trends
- Long range transport of pollutants to the Arctic
- Model development
- Mercury in the marine boundary layer and upper ocean
- Organic Hg cycle in the ocean
- Anthropogenic influence on mercury chemistry