Observing—and Preserving—the Ozone Layer
Joe C. Gonzales, PhD student
Joe Gonzales is a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard. As a member of the Anderson Research Group, he develops tools to measure the impact of climate change. He talks about building a new aircraft to observe ozone loss, his journey to climate science, and the joys of passing down knowledge as a teaching fellow at Harvard College.
SPA Treatment
About nine miles above our heads, in the atmosphere, is the ozone layer. It provides important protection from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. In the early 1970s, it was discovered that chlorofluorocarbons—organic compounds composed of carbon, fluorine, and chlorine—dangerously deplete the ozone layer. While the use of CFCs has been phased out by countries around the world, I am trying to understand the mechanisms of new recent sources of possible ozone depletion.
Over the past four years, there has been a tremendous increase in wildfires. Ever since the 2020 New Year’s fires in Australia, they continue to grow hotter and more intense around the globe. We know that wildfires emit greenhouse gases and organic material that are hazardous to human health, but how do those chemicals impact the ozone layer? Do they contribute to depletion or are they just neutral “spectators”? Current data and observations, especially by Dr. Susan Solomon of MIT, suggest particles from recent wildfires are setting off chemical reactions in the atmosphere that do deplete the ozone layer. If we could understand and continuously track this chemistry, we could forecast ozone depletion and recovery with a level of specificity currently unavailable.
To provide the detail and certainty needed for this kind of forecasting, I am contributing to the design of the Harvard Climate Forecasting Observatory’s novel solar-powered aircraft (SPA) in collaboration with talented research scientists and engineers. The SPA will run entirely on solar panels and stay in the air for a year without interruption. Ideally, it would stay in the stratosphere and track ozone composition by the minute, if not faster, indicating which chemical reactions involving ozone are actively occurring. We have a lot of data from satellites about the atmosphere, but since they circulate the globe, they spend less than 1 percent of their time over any single climate target. The SPA will travel at slow velocities, allowing it to hover over a single space to make detailed and precise measurements.
In addition to observing the ozone layer, the SPA could also be used to track changes in the volume of polar ice caps, methane release due to permafrost thawing, and the rates of sea level rise. For instance, the Amazon rainforest has been experiencing its worst drought in history. We could position the SPA over that region for months on end and get extremely detailed data on the conditions there. In areas prone to wildfires, the SPA could record soil moisture to help us predict outbreaks so they can be extinguished before a flame ever ignites.
Revolutionary Work
It has never been a more exciting time to do climate science—unfortunately for the wrong reasons. As climate change accelerates, it attracts the attention of scientists from all fields. I know scientists—chemists who specialize in the study of chemical compounds known as transition metal complexes that consist of a central metal atom or ion surrounded by bound molecules or ions—who are trying to find climate-friendly replacements for refrigerants. Many research groups, no matter what their field, are thinking about how their work applies to climate change.
I started my academic career as an electrochemist. I synthesized materials that could potentially serve as improved cathodes—the positive electrode in lithium batteries—as an undergraduate at the University of California, Irvine, working with Professor Reginald M. Penner. I came to Harvard thinking I would continue down this path, but I eventually became interested in contributing to the effort to solve the energy and climate crises. Some friends recommended that I connect with professors Jim Anderson and Frank Keutsch at Harvard. I was impressed by how interdisciplinary and collaborative Jim’s research group was, using chemistry, physics, and engineering to address climate change.
The work that Professor Anderson’s group is doing today is revolutionary. We are building new technologies that will enable scientists to predict and analyze exactly what will happen to the planet as climate change continues to evolve, providing the information necessary for our society’s economic and political stability. This research, like most climate research, has actual life-saving implications. Even if the impact comes twenty years down the line, better late than never.
Cycle of Learning
I teach introductory chemistry courses at Harvard, and it makes my day to see knowledge passed down, to see the “light bulb” go off in a student’s head when they understand something new. Teaching has taught me so much about patience. I always keep in mind that I was once in my students’ shoes, learning for the first time what atoms and chemical bonds are.
Now that I am on the other side of the teaching fellow (TF)-student relationship, I have so much more appreciation for the TFs who taught me, because I know they were juggling graduate school and life behind the scenes. I can keep the cycle of learning going, passing down knowledge to students who may become future teachers, researchers, politicians, and others. Knowing that I can have an impact on someone’s education is the main thing that keeps me going. I want to see my students succeed and eventually surpass me. I am proud to be an inspiration and a guide for the next generation.
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