Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
During this week's Environmental Speaker Series presentation, we will have the opportunity to hear from three graduate students.
4:30 p.m. | Ella Hall
Wildfire Smoke-Derived Black Carbon Deposition on the Greenland Ice Sheet:
Integrating Remotely Sensed, Modeled, and In-Situ Data to Investigate Smoke Deposition Patterns and Albedo Reduction
Wildfire smoke contains black carbon (BC), which has the strongest light-absorbing ability of all light-absorbing particles (e.g. dust, brown carbon, and snow algae). When deposited on snow and ice, BC darkens the surface, increasing solar radiation absorption and accelerating melt. Smoke from North American wildfires can be transported across Baffin Bay and be deposited on the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS)—a 1.7 million km² mass of snow and ice that is now the largest contributor to global sea level rise. As wildfires intensify with climate change, more smoke may be transported to the GrIS, further reducing its albedo and increasing melt.
This study uses modeled smoke deposition fluxes to the surface of the GrIS to examine spatial and temporal deposition patterns over the past 20 years. It also integrates remotely sensed albedo measurements and meteorological data from automatic weather stations to quantify albedo reductions attributed to black carbon at varying spatial resolutions. The goal of this study is to improve understanding of smoke deposition patterns across regions of the GrIS and isolate the impact of BC on albedo reduction.
Photo, below, from near Pituffik Space Base (Thule) on the Greenland Ice Sheet, June 2024. Credit: Ella Hall
4:45 p.m. | Ellie Ryan
Cross-Latitude Drivers of Snowmelt and Albedo Reduction:
The impact of snow nutrients on growth and pigmentation of snow algae in Alaska, Washington, and the Antarctic
Warming temperatures and declining annual snowpack in the Pacific Northwest and beyond have significant impacts on watersheds, ecosystems, and the planet. The darkening of snow surfaces by inorganic deposits and biotic organisms reduces snow albedo—the reflectivity of snow—accelerating snowmelt. Snow algae, a key light-absorbing particle, thrives on snowpacks worldwide. Researchers aim to understand the drivers of these algal blooms, often called watermelon or blood snow, to predict their impact on albedo. Ellie is studying how snow nutrient composition influences bloom intensity across latitudes. She has conducted field campaigns on Mount Baker and in the Antarctic Peninsula and is incorporating a 2023 dataset from the Khan Lab on the Lemon Creek Glacier in Alaska. In her presentation, she will compare these regions and discuss her progress in understanding how variations in snow nutrients affect snow algae growth and, in turn, snow albedo.
5:00 p.m. | Kaitlin Macaranas
Claws for Concern:
Exploring the Impact of the Invasive European Green Crab on Eelgrass and Bottom-Dwelling Sea Life in the Salish Sea
In this talk, Kaitlin discuss the threat posed by the European green crab (Carcinus maenas) to coastal ecosystems, focusing on eelgrass estuaries in the Salish Sea. Known for their voracious appetites and extreme aggression, green crabs are one of the most destructive invasive species, capable of drastically altering habitats like eelgrass beds—vital for carbon storage, sediment stabilization, and marine biodiversity.
The Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, home to one of the largest eelgrass beds in North America, is at risk from an early-stage green crab invasion. In collaboration with the Padilla Bay team, Kaitlin's research investigates how climate change is amplifying the vulnerability of these habitats to invasive species and the resulting disruption to eelgrass survival and benthic invertebrate communities. Through field surveys and quarantine lab experiments, we aim to understand the broader impacts of green crabs on these critical ecosystems and inform more effective conservation strategies.
The Environmental Speaker Series is free and open to the public. Talks are held each Thursday at 4:30pm in Academic Instructional Center West, room 204. Join us at WWU or online on Zoom!
During this week's Environmental Speaker Series presentation, we will have the opportunity to hear from three graduate students.
4:30 p.m. | Ella Hall
Wildfire Smoke-Derived Black Carbon Deposition on the Greenland Ice Sheet:
Integrating Remotely Sensed, Modeled, and In-Situ Data to Investigate Smoke Deposition Patterns and Albedo Reduction
Wildfire smoke contains black carbon (BC), which has the strongest light-absorbing ability of all light-absorbing particles (e.g. dust, brown carbon, and snow algae). When deposited on snow and ice, BC darkens the surface, increasing solar radiation absorption and accelerating melt. Smoke from North American wildfires can be transported across Baffin Bay and be deposited on the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS)—a 1.7 million km² mass of snow and ice that is now the largest contributor to global sea level rise. As wildfires intensify with climate change, more smoke may be transported to the GrIS, further reducing its albedo and increasing melt.
This study uses modeled smoke deposition fluxes to the surface of the GrIS to examine spatial and temporal deposition patterns over the past 20 years. It also integrates remotely sensed albedo measurements and meteorological data from automatic weather stations to quantify albedo reductions attributed to black carbon at varying spatial resolutions. The goal of this study is to improve understanding of smoke deposition patterns across regions of the GrIS and isolate the impact of BC on albedo reduction.
Photo, below, from near Pituffik Space Base (Thule) on the Greenland Ice Sheet, June 2024. Credit: Ella Hall
4:45 p.m. | Ellie Ryan
Cross-Latitude Drivers of Snowmelt and Albedo Reduction:
The impact of snow nutrients on growth and pigmentation of snow algae in Alaska, Washington, and the Antarctic
Warming temperatures and declining annual snowpack in the Pacific Northwest and beyond have significant impacts on watersheds, ecosystems, and the planet. The darkening of snow surfaces by inorganic deposits and biotic organisms reduces snow albedo—the reflectivity of snow—accelerating snowmelt. Snow algae, a key light-absorbing particle, thrives on snowpacks worldwide. Researchers aim to understand the drivers of these algal blooms, often called watermelon or blood snow, to predict their impact on albedo. Ellie is studying how snow nutrient composition influences bloom intensity across latitudes. She has conducted field campaigns on Mount Baker and in the Antarctic Peninsula and is incorporating a 2023 dataset from the Khan Lab on the Lemon Creek Glacier in Alaska. In her presentation, she will compare these regions and discuss her progress in understanding how variations in snow nutrients affect snow algae growth and, in turn, snow albedo.
5:00 p.m. | Kaitlin Macaranas
Claws for Concern:
Exploring the Impact of the Invasive European Green Crab on Eelgrass and Bottom-Dwelling Sea Life in the Salish Sea
In this talk, Kaitlin discuss the threat posed by the European green crab (Carcinus maenas) to coastal ecosystems, focusing on eelgrass estuaries in the Salish Sea. Known for their voracious appetites and extreme aggression, green crabs are one of the most destructive invasive species, capable of drastically altering habitats like eelgrass beds—vital for carbon storage, sediment stabilization, and marine biodiversity.
The Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, home to one of the largest eelgrass beds in North America, is at risk from an early-stage green crab invasion. In collaboration with the Padilla Bay team, Kaitlin's research investigates how climate change is amplifying the vulnerability of these habitats to invasive species and the resulting disruption to eelgrass survival and benthic invertebrate communities. Through field surveys and quarantine lab experiments, we aim to understand the broader impacts of green crabs on these critical ecosystems and inform more effective conservation strategies.
The Environmental Speaker Series is free and open to the public. Talks are held each Thursday at 4:30pm in Academic Instructional Center West, room 204. Join us at WWU or online on Zoom!
