Fisher, Jenny

Overview

My research centres on investigating the sources, chemical evolution, and transport pathways of atmospheric pollution. I use a global chemical transport model combined with observational data sets (ground-based, aircraft, and satellite) to increase our fundamental understanding of the impacts of human activity and natural processes on atmospheric composition in diverse environments. See more at www.uow.edu.au/~jennyf

Recent group news:

Sam Limbrey was awarded a 2019 ACEDD Scholar Award in recognition of his outstanding scholarship in the Bachelor of Science (Honours) - the same week that he submitted his Honours thesis! Congratulations, Sam!
Sandra Konigseder arrived from Germany to start her PhD. Sandra will primarily be working with Tim Barrows on tidewater glaciers, using climate model output. A nice opportunity for some interdisciplinary research!
Dr Jesse Greenslade has officially completed his PhD. Following an APR internship, he is now a contract employee at the Bureau of Meteorology. Congratulations, Jesse!
Dr Bea Bukosa has officially completed her PhD. She is now a postdoc at NIWA in New Zealand. Congratulations Bea!
Maria Paula Perez-Peña joins us as a joint PhD student, based primarily in the Kable group at UNSW. Welcome Maria!
Our new paper led by former Honours student Kaitlyn Lieschke was published in Geophysical Research Letters.
I am honoured to have received 3rd place in the Australian competition for the APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE Prize) nomination.
PhD student Bea Bukosa’s paper on shipborne measurements of carbon gases is now published in ACP.
My new paper on nitrogen cycling over the remote Pacific Ocean is now published in Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres.

Prospective students:
I am always looking for motivated students from diverse backgrounds who are interested in applying their skills to atmospheric chemistry modelling. For more information, please read the Prospective Students section on the Supervision tab.

Top Publications

Year	Title
2019	Decreasing Trend in Formaldehyde Detected From 20-Year Record at Wollongong, Southeast Australia Published in Geophysical Research Letters
2018	Methyl, ethyl, and propyl nitrates: global distribution and impacts on reactive nitrogen in remote marine environments Published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
2017	Improved method for linear carbon monoxide simulation and source attribution in atmospheric chemistry models illustrated using GEOS-Chem v9 Published in Geoscientific Model Development
2016	Organic nitrate chemistry and its implications for nitrogen budgets in an isoprene- and monoterpene-rich atmosphere: constraints from aircraft (SEAC4RS) and ground-based (SOAS) observations in the Southeast US Published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2015	Seasonal changes in the tropospheric carbon monoxide profile over the remote Southern Hemisphere evaluated using multi-model simulations and aircraft observations Published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2013	Factors driving mercury variability in the Arctic atmosphere and ocean over the past 30 years Published in Global Biogeochemical Cycles: an international journal of global change
2012	Riverine source of Arctic Ocean mercury inferred from atmospheric observations Published in Nature Geoscience
2011	Sources, distribution, and acidity of sulfate-ammonium aerosol in the Arctic in winter-spring Published in Atmospheric Environment
2010	Source attribution and interannual variability of Arctic pollution in spring constrained by aircraft (ARCTAS, ARCPAC) and satellite (AIRS) observations of carbon monoxide Published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

Research Areas

0401 - ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES

Research Overview

I work collaboratively with colleagues in the Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry at UOW, as well as researchers around the world, to investigate a variety of issues related to atmospheric composition, chemistry, and climate, with particular emphasis on long-range pollution transport.

Current research interests include:
- Long-range pollution transport in the southern hemisphere
- Mercury biogeochemistry in Australia and the Antarctic
- Biogenic emissions and chemistry in the Southeast US and in Australia
- Nitrogen chemistry over the remote oceans
- Atmospheric emissions from electronic waste disposal

Available as Research Supervisor

Available for Collaborative Projects

Member Of

Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society 2013 -
Centre of Atmospheric Chemistry 2012 -
American Geophysical Union 2009 -
Earth Science Women's Network 2005 -
Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub 2015 - 2020

Selected Publications

Journal Article

Year	Title
2021	WOMBAT: A fully Bayesian global flux-inversion framework
2020	Atmospheric mercury in Australia: Recent findings and future research needs Published In Elementa
2020	Detection and attribution of wildfire pollution in the Arctic and northern midlatitudes using a network of Fourier-Transform infrared spectrometers and GEOS-Chem Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2020	Global inorganic nitrate production mechanisms: Comparison of a global model with nitrate isotope observations Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2019	Decreasing Trend in Formaldehyde Detected From 20-Year Record at Wollongong, Southeast Australia Published In Geophysical Research Letters
2019	Emissions of methane in Europe inferred by total column measurements Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2019	Simultaneous shipborne measurements of CO2, CH4 and CO and their application to improving greenhouse-gas flux estimates in Australia Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2019	Unprecedented Atmospheric Ammonia Concentrations Detected in the High Arctic From the 2017 Canadian Wildfires Published In Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

2018	High-resolution inversion of OMI formaldehyde columns to quantify isoprene emission on ecosystem-relevant scales: Application to the southeast US Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2018	Hot summers: Effect of extreme temperatures on ozone in Sydney, Australia Published In Atmosphere
2018	Methyl, ethyl, and propyl nitrates: global distribution and impacts on reactive nitrogen in remote marine environments Published In Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
2017	Atmospheric mercury in the Southern Hemisphere tropics: Seasonal and diurnal variations and influence of inter-hemispheric transport Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

2017	Glyoxal yield from isoprene oxidation and relation to formaldehyde: chemical mechanism, constraints from SENEX aircraft observations, and interpretation of OMI satellite data Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2017	Impact of Southeast Asian smoke on aerosol properties in Southwest China: First comparison of model simulations with satellite and ground observations Published In Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
2017	Improved method for linear carbon monoxide simulation and source attribution in atmospheric chemistry models illustrated using GEOS-Chem v9 Published In Geoscientific Model Development
2017	Stratospheric ozone intrusion events and their impacts on tropospheric ozone in the Southern Hemisphere Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2016	A mass budget for mercury and methylmercury in the Arctic Ocean Published In Global Biogeochemical Cycles: an international journal of global change
2016	Aqueous-phase mechanism for secondary organic aerosol formation from isoprene: application to the southeast United States and co-benefit of SO2 emission controls Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2016	Observing atmospheric formaldehyde (HCHO) from space: validation and intercomparison of six retrievals from four satellites (OMI, GOME2A, GOME2B, OMPS) with SEAC4RS aircraft observations over the southeast US Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2016	Organic nitrate chemistry and its implications for nitrogen budgets in an isoprene- and monoterpene-rich atmosphere: constraints from aircraft (SEAC4RS) and ground-based (SOAS) observations in the Southeast US Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

2016	Sensitivity to grid resolution in the ability of a chemical transport model to simulate observed oxidant chemistry under high-isoprene conditions Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
2016	Sensitivity to grid resolution in the ability of a chemical transport model to simulate observed oxidant chemistry under high-isoprene conditions Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2016	Source and meteorological influences on air quality (CO, CH4 & CO2) at a Southern Hemisphere urban site Published In Atmospheric Environment
2016	Why do models overestimate surface ozone in the Southeast United States? Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2015	A decline in Arctic Ocean mercury suggested by differences in decadal trends of atmospheric mercury between the Arctic and northern midlatitudes Published In Geophysical Research Letters
2015	Aqueous-phase mechanism for secondary organic aerosol formation from isoprene: Application to the Southeast United States and co-benefit of SO2 emission controls Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
2015	Multi-model simulation of CO and HCHO in the Southern Hemisphere: comparison with observations and impact of biogenic emissions Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2015	Seasonal changes in the tropospheric carbon monoxide profile over the remote Southern Hemisphere evaluated using multi-model simulations and aircraft observations Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2015	Sources, seasonality, and trends of Southeast US aerosol: An integrated analysis of surface, aircraft, and satellite observations with the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
2015	Sources, seasonality, and trends of southeast US aerosol: an integrated analysis of surface, aircraft, and satellite observations with the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2014	Annual distributions and sources of Arctic aerosol components, aerosol optical depth, and aerosol absorption Published In Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
2014	Progress on understanding atmospheric mercury hampered by uncertain measurements Published In Environmental Science and Technology (Washington)
2013	Factors driving mercury variability in the Arctic atmosphere and ocean over the past 30 years Published In Global Biogeochemical Cycles: an international journal of global change
2012	Gas-particle partitioning of atmospheric Hg(II) and its effect on global mercury deposition Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2012	Meteorological modes of variability for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air quality in the United States: implications for PM2.5 sensitivity to climate change Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2012	Riverine source of Arctic Ocean mercury inferred from atmospheric observations Published In Nature Geoscience
2011	Effects of aging on organic aerosol from open biomass burning smoke in aircraft and laboratory studies Published In ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
2011	Effects of aging on organic aerosol from open biomass burning smoke in aircraft and laboratory studies Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2011	Sources of carbonaceous aerosols and deposited black carbon in the Arctic in winter-spring: Implications for radiative forcing Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2011	Sources, distribution, and acidity of sulfate-ammonium aerosol in the Arctic in winter-spring Published In Atmospheric Environment
2010	Chemistry of hydrogen oxide radicals (HOx) in the Arctic troposphere in spring Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2010	Global estimates of CO sources with high resolution by adjoint inversion of multiple satellite datasets (MOPITT, AIRS, SCIAMACHY, TES) Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2010	Source attribution and interannual variability of Arctic pollution in spring constrained by aircraft (ARCTAS, ARCPAC) and satellite (AIRS) observations of carbon monoxide Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2010	The Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) mission: design, execution, and first results Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2009	Error correlation between CO2 and CO as constraint for CO2 flux inversions using satellite data Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2009	Exploring CO pollution episodes observed at Rishiri Island by chemical weather simulations and AIRS satellite measurements: long-range transport of burning plumes and implications for emissions inventories Published In Tellus B
2009	Exploring CO pollution episodes observed at Rishiri Island by chemical weather simulations and AIRS satellite measurements: long-range transport of burning plumes and implications for emissions inventories Published In Tellus Series B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology
2009	North polar frontal clouds and dust storms on Mars during spring and summer Published In Icarus

Conference Paper

Year	Title
2018	Philippines TCCON project: One-year measurement results and future Published In Optics InfoBase Conference Papers

Presentations

Investigator On

Year	Title
2021 - 2022	Spatio-Temporal Statistical Methods for Producing OCO-2/OCO-3 Level 3 and Level 4 Estimates Awarded by: NASA Funding Scheme: Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES)
2020	Aromatic Chemistry in the Global Atmosphere: Impacts from Urban and Biomass Burning Emissions Awarded by: NASA Funding Scheme: Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES)
2019	2019 ASPIRE nomination "Natural Laboratories" Awarded by: Australian Academy of Science Funding Scheme: APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE)
2016 - 2017	Air pollution at the human-natural interface in Australia: A Window to Future Global Pollution Awarded by: L'Oreal Australia Funding Scheme: Women in Science Fellowships
2016	Tackling Atmospheric Chemistry Grand Challenges in the Southern Hemisphere Awarded by: Australian Research Council (ARC) Funding Scheme: Discovery Projects
2016	Travel to Edinburgh and U.S.A. Awarded by: Ian Potter Foundation Funding Scheme: Travel Grant
2015	Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub Awarded by: National Environmental Science Programme (NESP) Funding Scheme: Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub
2014	Using NASA aircraft observations to improve understanding of biogenic VOC chemistry and aerosols over the eastern US, and to increase the value of related satellite observations Awarded by: NASA Funding Scheme: Grant

Impact Story

Where does Arctic mercury come from?
Summary
In research published in 2012, my colleagues and I used atmospheric observations from sites across the Arctic to test current understanding of Arctic mercury cycling. From this work, I proposed a new hypothesis: that Arctic rivers provide a very large pulse of mercury to the Arctic Ocean in late spring, which is ultimately responsible for a previously unexplained peak in Arctic atmospheric mercury in summer (<a href="https://ro.uow.edu.au/scipapers/4665/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fisher et al., 2012</a>). This work was highlighted in a News and Views piece in Nature Geoscience (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo1508" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sönke and Heimburger, 2012</a>). My follow-up work then identified solar radiation and air temperature as the major meteorological factors driving Arctic mercury variability (<a href="https://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers/1375/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fisher et al., 2013</a>). This body of work kick-started a community effort to better understand the role of rivers in Arctic mercury cycling (e.g., <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es400715r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmerton et al., 2014</a>; <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969715001199?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Søngergaard et al., 2015</a>; <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2015GB005124" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zhang et al., 2015</a>). Most recently, my Arctic mercury hypothesis provided the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-im-sailing-to-the-arctic-in-search-of-missing-mercury-37310" target="_blank" rel="noopener">motivation</a> for an independent research group to undertake five years of measurements in the Eurasian Arctic to observationally quantify (for the first time ever) the role of rivers in Arctic mercury cycling. Their work provided observational evidence that supports our original hypothesis and “confirms a new Arctic mercury cycling paradigm” (<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/115/50/E11586" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sonke et al., 2018</a>).

Detail View

Detail View Summary View
Detail of Impact
Mercury is a toxic pollutant. It is a particular problem in the Arctic, where elevated mercury levels have been measured in both marine wildlife and in indigenous populations that rely on marine-based diets. Understanding how mercury gets to the Arctic and into Arctic marine foodwebs is thus important for understanding and reducing mercury exposure. In 2012, <a href="https://ro.uow.edu.au/scipapers/4665/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our paper in Nature Geoscience</a> proposed a new hypothesis for how mercury enters the Arctic Ocean, where it can subsequently be converted to its toxic form (methylmercury) and taken up by marine organisms. Previously, elevated mercury in the Arctic had been assumed to originate from emissions in the more populous mid-latitudes (North America, Europe, and Asia), where coal burning and other activities release large amounts of mercury to the air. The thinking was that these mid-latitude mercury emissions were transported to the Arctic in the atmosphere and from there deposited to the ocean. In our work, we showed that this assumption was inconsistent with observations of mercury in Arctic air. Instead, we found that the observations could be explained if Arctic rivers provided a very large pulse of mercury to the Arctic Ocean in late spring. This new hypothesis implied a fundamental re-thinking of mercury cycling in the Arctic, suggesting that on an annual timescale the Arctic Ocean was actually a source of mercury to the atmosphere, and not the other way around. Our paper had a significant impact on the Arctic mercury research community. One of the major limitations that we highlighted in the paper was a lack of data on mercury in Arctic rivers in spring and summer, which made it difficult to confirm or refute our hypothesis. This provided the motivation for a number of groups to make new mercury measurements in Arctic rivers (e.g., <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es400715r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmerton et al., 2014</a>; <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969715001199?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Søngergaard et al., 2015</a>; <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/115/50/E11586" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sonke et al., 2018</a>). For example, in their paper Emmerton et al. noted "However, [Fisher et al., 2012] highlighted the lack of contemporary, seasonal sampling of Hg in large Arctic rivers... Between 2007 and 2010, we had the opportunity to address some of these issues affecting Hg concentration and export estimates, including the lack of sampling during ice-breakup." In a 2015 <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-im-sailing-to-the-arctic-in-search-of-missing-mercury-37310" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article in The Conversation</a>, Dr Lars-Eric Heimbürger linked to our paper as a key motivator for making new measurements in Russian rivers, by far the largest and least sampled rivers in the Arctic. "...<a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v5/n7/full/ngeo1508.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">models suggest</a> that atmospheric emissions <a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v5/n7/full/ngeo1478.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">can’t account</a> for all the mercury. A large source of mercury to the Arctic Ocean is missing. Rivers could provide such a source, especially during spring flood of Siberian rivers... That’s why we are now investigating the mercury discharge, especially during the spring flood, of one of the largest Siberian rivers, the Yenisei." Three years later, the results of that investigation were <a href="http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1811957115" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>. Before this work, there were no measurements at all of mercury in Russian rivers during spring and summer. Now, mercury has been measured from spring to autumn for multiple years in two of the largest rivers in the Arctic (Yenisei and Severnaya Dvina). These comprehensive observations, originally motivated by our hypothesis, have also helped to confirm it: as they state in their paper, the authors "find that the spring flood mercury flux from Eurasian rivers is indeed large, which confirms a new Arctic mercury cycling paradigm."
Field of Research
Countries / Regions
Beneficiaries

Beneficiary Quantification Description
External Partners
Evidence of Impact

Evidence Description
UOW Centres / Programs
UOW Researchers / Collaborators

Available as Research Supervisor

Potential Supervision Topics

I am always looking for motivated students interested in applying their skills to atmospheric chemistry modelling. Previous experience with computer programming is useful but not necessary, and I am open to inquiries from students with a background in chemistry, earth science, environmental science, math, physics, computer science (and possibly others!). Women, minorities, and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

PhD. I am able to accept at most 1 new PhD student each year (as primary supervisor). Prospective students should contact me before applying for admission and funding via the UOW Graduate Research School (due in mid-October). If you are interested in applying, please email me with subject “Prospective PhD Application” and include (1) a cover letter; (2) a short statement of research interests and any prior research experience, including contributions to any presentations or publications; (3) transcripts from undergraduate and (if relevant masters) degrees; (4) contact information for two academic references. For reasons of equity, all applications received by 15 June will be reviewed at the same time (for autumn session start). For mid-year start, please contact me directly to discuss options.

Honours/MRes. I typically supervise 1-2 UOW honours students from Chemistry or Environmental Science per year. If you are a UOW student interested in an honours project in atmospheric chemistry, please email me to arrange a meeting. If you are a non-UOW student interested in pursuing Honours or MRes at UOW, contact me as early as possible so that we can discuss possibilities.

Undergraduate Research. I am always open to inquiries from undergraduates interested in research, either during the session or over the summer. Please email me to discuss possible opportunities. I can typically come up with projects to suit students with different backgrounds and levels of experience. Depending on individual circumstances, students may be able to receive coursework credit or wages for participating in research.

Other opportunities in the Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry can be found at http://smah.uow.edu.au/cac/opportunities/index.html.

Teaching Activities

EESC331 Changing Global Environments Developer, Instructor 2018 -
EESC102 Earth's Interconnected Spheres Developer, Coordinator, and Instructor 2016 -

Advisees

Graduate Advising Relationship

Degree	Research Title	Advisee
Master of Philosophy -SMAH	Improving Our Understanding of Atmospheric Mercury and Bromine Over the Southern Ocean and Antarctic Sea-Ice Region
Doctor of Philosophy	Improving our knowledge of biogenic volatile organic compounds concentration and emission in the Sydney Basin Region	Ramirez Gamboa, Jhonathan
Doctor of Philosophy	Investigating the controls on the extent of tidewater glaciers using climate reanalysis	Koenigseder, Sandra
Master of Research -SMAH	Intercontinental Air Pollution Transport: A Southern Hemisphere Perspective	Sheridan, Lily
Doctor of Philosophy	Contaminated Networks: Mercury Contamination, Supply and Informal Entrepreneurial Gold Mining Networks in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa	Kpokro, DOMINIQUE KPOKRO

Education And Training

Ph.D. in Earth & Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Earth & Planetary Sciences, Thesis: Atmospheric pollution in the Arctic: sources, transport, and chemical processing 2011
Sc.M. in Engineering Sciences, Harvard University, Earth & Planetary Sciences 2009
B.S. in Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology, Geological & Planetary Sciences, with honors 2005

Awards And Honors

Australian 3rd place, APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE), conferred by Australian Academy of Science, 2019
L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science, conferred by L'Oreal Australia, 2016
Vice Chancellor's Research Excellence Award for Emerging Researchers, conferred by University of Wollongong, 2016

Keywords

atmospheric chemistry
atmospheric composition
chemical transport modelling
mercury biogeochemistry
tropospheric chemistry

Full Name

Jenny A. Fisher

Mailing Address

University of Wollongong

Northfields Avenue

Wollongong

NSW

2500

Australia

Geographic Location

University of Wollongong

Located In Facility

Buiding 41, Room G19

Orcid Id

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2921-1691 (confirmed)

Web Of Science Researcher Id

J-3979-2012

Scopus Id

35368622800

Top Publications

Year	Title
2019	Decreasing Trend in Formaldehyde Detected From 20-Year Record at Wollongong, Southeast Australia Published in Geophysical Research Letters
2018	Methyl, ethyl, and propyl nitrates: global distribution and impacts on reactive nitrogen in remote marine environments Published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
2017	Improved method for linear carbon monoxide simulation and source attribution in atmospheric chemistry models illustrated using GEOS-Chem v9 Published in Geoscientific Model Development
2016	Organic nitrate chemistry and its implications for nitrogen budgets in an isoprene- and monoterpene-rich atmosphere: constraints from aircraft (SEAC4RS) and ground-based (SOAS) observations in the Southeast US Published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2015	Seasonal changes in the tropospheric carbon monoxide profile over the remote Southern Hemisphere evaluated using multi-model simulations and aircraft observations Published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2013	Factors driving mercury variability in the Arctic atmosphere and ocean over the past 30 years Published in Global Biogeochemical Cycles: an international journal of global change
2012	Riverine source of Arctic Ocean mercury inferred from atmospheric observations Published in Nature Geoscience
2011	Sources, distribution, and acidity of sulfate-ammonium aerosol in the Arctic in winter-spring Published in Atmospheric Environment
2010	Source attribution and interannual variability of Arctic pollution in spring constrained by aircraft (ARCTAS, ARCPAC) and satellite (AIRS) observations of carbon monoxide Published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

Research Areas

0401 - ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES

Research Overview

I work collaboratively with colleagues in the Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry at UOW, as well as researchers around the world, to investigate a variety of issues related to atmospheric composition, chemistry, and climate, with particular emphasis on long-range pollution transport.

Current research interests include:
- Long-range pollution transport in the southern hemisphere
- Mercury biogeochemistry in Australia and the Antarctic
- Biogenic emissions and chemistry in the Southeast US and in Australia
- Nitrogen chemistry over the remote oceans
- Atmospheric emissions from electronic waste disposal

Member Of

Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society 2013 -
Centre of Atmospheric Chemistry 2012 -
American Geophysical Union 2009 -
Earth Science Women's Network 2005 -
Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub 2015 - 2020

Selected Publications

Journal Article

Year	Title
2021	WOMBAT: A fully Bayesian global flux-inversion framework
2020	Atmospheric mercury in Australia: Recent findings and future research needs Published In Elementa
2020	Detection and attribution of wildfire pollution in the Arctic and northern midlatitudes using a network of Fourier-Transform infrared spectrometers and GEOS-Chem Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2020	Global inorganic nitrate production mechanisms: Comparison of a global model with nitrate isotope observations Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2019	Decreasing Trend in Formaldehyde Detected From 20-Year Record at Wollongong, Southeast Australia Published In Geophysical Research Letters
2019	Emissions of methane in Europe inferred by total column measurements Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2019	Simultaneous shipborne measurements of CO2, CH4 and CO and their application to improving greenhouse-gas flux estimates in Australia Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2019	Unprecedented Atmospheric Ammonia Concentrations Detected in the High Arctic From the 2017 Canadian Wildfires Published In Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres

2018	High-resolution inversion of OMI formaldehyde columns to quantify isoprene emission on ecosystem-relevant scales: Application to the southeast US Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2018	Hot summers: Effect of extreme temperatures on ozone in Sydney, Australia Published In Atmosphere
2018	Methyl, ethyl, and propyl nitrates: global distribution and impacts on reactive nitrogen in remote marine environments Published In Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
2017	Atmospheric mercury in the Southern Hemisphere tropics: Seasonal and diurnal variations and influence of inter-hemispheric transport Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

2017	Glyoxal yield from isoprene oxidation and relation to formaldehyde: chemical mechanism, constraints from SENEX aircraft observations, and interpretation of OMI satellite data Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2017	Impact of Southeast Asian smoke on aerosol properties in Southwest China: First comparison of model simulations with satellite and ground observations Published In Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
2017	Improved method for linear carbon monoxide simulation and source attribution in atmospheric chemistry models illustrated using GEOS-Chem v9 Published In Geoscientific Model Development
2017	Stratospheric ozone intrusion events and their impacts on tropospheric ozone in the Southern Hemisphere Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2016	A mass budget for mercury and methylmercury in the Arctic Ocean Published In Global Biogeochemical Cycles: an international journal of global change
2016	Aqueous-phase mechanism for secondary organic aerosol formation from isoprene: application to the southeast United States and co-benefit of SO2 emission controls Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2016	Observing atmospheric formaldehyde (HCHO) from space: validation and intercomparison of six retrievals from four satellites (OMI, GOME2A, GOME2B, OMPS) with SEAC4RS aircraft observations over the southeast US Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2016	Organic nitrate chemistry and its implications for nitrogen budgets in an isoprene- and monoterpene-rich atmosphere: constraints from aircraft (SEAC4RS) and ground-based (SOAS) observations in the Southeast US Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

2016	Sensitivity to grid resolution in the ability of a chemical transport model to simulate observed oxidant chemistry under high-isoprene conditions Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
2016	Sensitivity to grid resolution in the ability of a chemical transport model to simulate observed oxidant chemistry under high-isoprene conditions Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2016	Source and meteorological influences on air quality (CO, CH4 & CO2) at a Southern Hemisphere urban site Published In Atmospheric Environment
2016	Why do models overestimate surface ozone in the Southeast United States? Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2015	A decline in Arctic Ocean mercury suggested by differences in decadal trends of atmospheric mercury between the Arctic and northern midlatitudes Published In Geophysical Research Letters
2015	Aqueous-phase mechanism for secondary organic aerosol formation from isoprene: Application to the Southeast United States and co-benefit of SO2 emission controls Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
2015	Multi-model simulation of CO and HCHO in the Southern Hemisphere: comparison with observations and impact of biogenic emissions Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2015	Seasonal changes in the tropospheric carbon monoxide profile over the remote Southern Hemisphere evaluated using multi-model simulations and aircraft observations Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2015	Sources, seasonality, and trends of Southeast US aerosol: An integrated analysis of surface, aircraft, and satellite observations with the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions
2015	Sources, seasonality, and trends of southeast US aerosol: an integrated analysis of surface, aircraft, and satellite observations with the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2014	Annual distributions and sources of Arctic aerosol components, aerosol optical depth, and aerosol absorption Published In Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
2014	Progress on understanding atmospheric mercury hampered by uncertain measurements Published In Environmental Science and Technology (Washington)
2013	Factors driving mercury variability in the Arctic atmosphere and ocean over the past 30 years Published In Global Biogeochemical Cycles: an international journal of global change
2012	Gas-particle partitioning of atmospheric Hg(II) and its effect on global mercury deposition Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2012	Meteorological modes of variability for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air quality in the United States: implications for PM2.5 sensitivity to climate change Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2012	Riverine source of Arctic Ocean mercury inferred from atmospheric observations Published In Nature Geoscience
2011	Effects of aging on organic aerosol from open biomass burning smoke in aircraft and laboratory studies Published In ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
2011	Effects of aging on organic aerosol from open biomass burning smoke in aircraft and laboratory studies Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2011	Sources of carbonaceous aerosols and deposited black carbon in the Arctic in winter-spring: Implications for radiative forcing Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2011	Sources, distribution, and acidity of sulfate-ammonium aerosol in the Arctic in winter-spring Published In Atmospheric Environment
2010	Chemistry of hydrogen oxide radicals (HOx) in the Arctic troposphere in spring Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2010	Global estimates of CO sources with high resolution by adjoint inversion of multiple satellite datasets (MOPITT, AIRS, SCIAMACHY, TES) Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2010	Source attribution and interannual variability of Arctic pollution in spring constrained by aircraft (ARCTAS, ARCPAC) and satellite (AIRS) observations of carbon monoxide Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2010	The Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) mission: design, execution, and first results Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2009	Error correlation between CO2 and CO as constraint for CO2 flux inversions using satellite data Published In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
2009	Exploring CO pollution episodes observed at Rishiri Island by chemical weather simulations and AIRS satellite measurements: long-range transport of burning plumes and implications for emissions inventories Published In Tellus B
2009	Exploring CO pollution episodes observed at Rishiri Island by chemical weather simulations and AIRS satellite measurements: long-range transport of burning plumes and implications for emissions inventories Published In Tellus Series B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology
2009	North polar frontal clouds and dust storms on Mars during spring and summer Published In Icarus

Conference Paper

Year	Title
2018	Philippines TCCON project: One-year measurement results and future Published In Optics InfoBase Conference Papers

Presentations

Investigator On

Year	Title
2021 - 2022	Spatio-Temporal Statistical Methods for Producing OCO-2/OCO-3 Level 3 and Level 4 Estimates Awarded by: NASA Funding Scheme: Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES)
2020	Aromatic Chemistry in the Global Atmosphere: Impacts from Urban and Biomass Burning Emissions Awarded by: NASA Funding Scheme: Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES)
2019	2019 ASPIRE nomination "Natural Laboratories" Awarded by: Australian Academy of Science Funding Scheme: APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE)
2016 - 2017	Air pollution at the human-natural interface in Australia: A Window to Future Global Pollution Awarded by: L'Oreal Australia Funding Scheme: Women in Science Fellowships
2016	Tackling Atmospheric Chemistry Grand Challenges in the Southern Hemisphere Awarded by: Australian Research Council (ARC) Funding Scheme: Discovery Projects
2016	Travel to Edinburgh and U.S.A. Awarded by: Ian Potter Foundation Funding Scheme: Travel Grant
2015	Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub Awarded by: National Environmental Science Programme (NESP) Funding Scheme: Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub
2014	Using NASA aircraft observations to improve understanding of biogenic VOC chemistry and aerosols over the eastern US, and to increase the value of related satellite observations Awarded by: NASA Funding Scheme: Grant

Impact Story

Where does Arctic mercury come from?
Summary
In research published in 2012, my colleagues and I used atmospheric observations from sites across the Arctic to test current understanding of Arctic mercury cycling. From this work, I proposed a new hypothesis: that Arctic rivers provide a very large pulse of mercury to the Arctic Ocean in late spring, which is ultimately responsible for a previously unexplained peak in Arctic atmospheric mercury in summer (<a href="https://ro.uow.edu.au/scipapers/4665/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fisher et al., 2012</a>). This work was highlighted in a News and Views piece in Nature Geoscience (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo1508" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sönke and Heimburger, 2012</a>). My follow-up work then identified solar radiation and air temperature as the major meteorological factors driving Arctic mercury variability (<a href="https://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers/1375/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fisher et al., 2013</a>). This body of work kick-started a community effort to better understand the role of rivers in Arctic mercury cycling (e.g., <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es400715r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmerton et al., 2014</a>; <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969715001199?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Søngergaard et al., 2015</a>; <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2015GB005124" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zhang et al., 2015</a>). Most recently, my Arctic mercury hypothesis provided the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-im-sailing-to-the-arctic-in-search-of-missing-mercury-37310" target="_blank" rel="noopener">motivation</a> for an independent research group to undertake five years of measurements in the Eurasian Arctic to observationally quantify (for the first time ever) the role of rivers in Arctic mercury cycling. Their work provided observational evidence that supports our original hypothesis and “confirms a new Arctic mercury cycling paradigm” (<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/115/50/E11586" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sonke et al., 2018</a>).

Detail View

Detail View Summary View
Detail of Impact
Mercury is a toxic pollutant. It is a particular problem in the Arctic, where elevated mercury levels have been measured in both marine wildlife and in indigenous populations that rely on marine-based diets. Understanding how mercury gets to the Arctic and into Arctic marine foodwebs is thus important for understanding and reducing mercury exposure. In 2012, <a href="https://ro.uow.edu.au/scipapers/4665/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our paper in Nature Geoscience</a> proposed a new hypothesis for how mercury enters the Arctic Ocean, where it can subsequently be converted to its toxic form (methylmercury) and taken up by marine organisms. Previously, elevated mercury in the Arctic had been assumed to originate from emissions in the more populous mid-latitudes (North America, Europe, and Asia), where coal burning and other activities release large amounts of mercury to the air. The thinking was that these mid-latitude mercury emissions were transported to the Arctic in the atmosphere and from there deposited to the ocean. In our work, we showed that this assumption was inconsistent with observations of mercury in Arctic air. Instead, we found that the observations could be explained if Arctic rivers provided a very large pulse of mercury to the Arctic Ocean in late spring. This new hypothesis implied a fundamental re-thinking of mercury cycling in the Arctic, suggesting that on an annual timescale the Arctic Ocean was actually a source of mercury to the atmosphere, and not the other way around. Our paper had a significant impact on the Arctic mercury research community. One of the major limitations that we highlighted in the paper was a lack of data on mercury in Arctic rivers in spring and summer, which made it difficult to confirm or refute our hypothesis. This provided the motivation for a number of groups to make new mercury measurements in Arctic rivers (e.g., <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es400715r" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmerton et al., 2014</a>; <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969715001199?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Søngergaard et al., 2015</a>; <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/115/50/E11586" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sonke et al., 2018</a>). For example, in their paper Emmerton et al. noted "However, [Fisher et al., 2012] highlighted the lack of contemporary, seasonal sampling of Hg in large Arctic rivers... Between 2007 and 2010, we had the opportunity to address some of these issues affecting Hg concentration and export estimates, including the lack of sampling during ice-breakup." In a 2015 <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-im-sailing-to-the-arctic-in-search-of-missing-mercury-37310" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article in The Conversation</a>, Dr Lars-Eric Heimbürger linked to our paper as a key motivator for making new measurements in Russian rivers, by far the largest and least sampled rivers in the Arctic. "...<a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v5/n7/full/ngeo1508.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">models suggest</a> that atmospheric emissions <a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/v5/n7/full/ngeo1478.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">can’t account</a> for all the mercury. A large source of mercury to the Arctic Ocean is missing. Rivers could provide such a source, especially during spring flood of Siberian rivers... That’s why we are now investigating the mercury discharge, especially during the spring flood, of one of the largest Siberian rivers, the Yenisei." Three years later, the results of that investigation were <a href="http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1811957115" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>. Before this work, there were no measurements at all of mercury in Russian rivers during spring and summer. Now, mercury has been measured from spring to autumn for multiple years in two of the largest rivers in the Arctic (Yenisei and Severnaya Dvina). These comprehensive observations, originally motivated by our hypothesis, have also helped to confirm it: as they state in their paper, the authors "find that the spring flood mercury flux from Eurasian rivers is indeed large, which confirms a new Arctic mercury cycling paradigm."
Field of Research
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Beneficiary Quantification Description
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Evidence Description
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Potential Supervision Topics

I am always looking for motivated students interested in applying their skills to atmospheric chemistry modelling. Previous experience with computer programming is useful but not necessary, and I am open to inquiries from students with a background in chemistry, earth science, environmental science, math, physics, computer science (and possibly others!). Women, minorities, and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

PhD. I am able to accept at most 1 new PhD student each year (as primary supervisor). Prospective students should contact me before applying for admission and funding via the UOW Graduate Research School (due in mid-October). If you are interested in applying, please email me with subject “Prospective PhD Application” and include (1) a cover letter; (2) a short statement of research interests and any prior research experience, including contributions to any presentations or publications; (3) transcripts from undergraduate and (if relevant masters) degrees; (4) contact information for two academic references. For reasons of equity, all applications received by 15 June will be reviewed at the same time (for autumn session start). For mid-year start, please contact me directly to discuss options.

Honours/MRes. I typically supervise 1-2 UOW honours students from Chemistry or Environmental Science per year. If you are a UOW student interested in an honours project in atmospheric chemistry, please email me to arrange a meeting. If you are a non-UOW student interested in pursuing Honours or MRes at UOW, contact me as early as possible so that we can discuss possibilities.

Undergraduate Research. I am always open to inquiries from undergraduates interested in research, either during the session or over the summer. Please email me to discuss possible opportunities. I can typically come up with projects to suit students with different backgrounds and levels of experience. Depending on individual circumstances, students may be able to receive coursework credit or wages for participating in research.

Other opportunities in the Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry can be found at http://smah.uow.edu.au/cac/opportunities/index.html.

Teaching Activities

EESC331 Changing Global Environments Developer, Instructor 2018 -
EESC102 Earth's Interconnected Spheres Developer, Coordinator, and Instructor 2016 -

Advisees

Graduate Advising Relationship

Degree	Research Title	Advisee
Master of Philosophy -SMAH	Improving Our Understanding of Atmospheric Mercury and Bromine Over the Southern Ocean and Antarctic Sea-Ice Region
Doctor of Philosophy	Improving our knowledge of biogenic volatile organic compounds concentration and emission in the Sydney Basin Region	Ramirez Gamboa, Jhonathan
Doctor of Philosophy	Investigating the controls on the extent of tidewater glaciers using climate reanalysis	Koenigseder, Sandra
Master of Research -SMAH	Intercontinental Air Pollution Transport: A Southern Hemisphere Perspective	Sheridan, Lily
Doctor of Philosophy	Contaminated Networks: Mercury Contamination, Supply and Informal Entrepreneurial Gold Mining Networks in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa	Kpokro, DOMINIQUE KPOKRO

Reviewer Of

National Environment Research Council (UK) (Research Proposal) 2020 -
Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR, France) (Research Proposal)
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Journal)
Atmospheric Environment (Journal)
Australian Research Council (Research Proposal)
Geoscientific Model Development (Journal)
Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (Journal)
National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships (Research Proposal)
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (Research Proposal)

Organizer Of Event

2021 International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant 2020 - 2021

Professional Service Activities

National Computational Infrastructure National Computational Merit Allocation Committee 2018 -
Univerity of Wollongong High Performance Computing Steering Committee Chair 2018 -
GEOS-Chem Steering Committee Co-Chair for Mercury & POPs Working Group 2015 -
Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science Associate Editor 2017 - 2018
University of Wollongong Science & Gender Equity Self-Assessment Team Member 2016 - 2018
Univerity of Wollongong High Performance Computing Steering Committee Member 2015 - 2017

Outreach And Community Service Activities

Centre of Atmospheric Chemistry Communications Liaison 2015 -
Warrawong High School Coordinator for HSC Chemistry student visits to UOW 2014 -
Illawarra Coal Regional Science Fair Judge 2012 -
Climate Change Q&A, Wollongong Global Climate Change Week Panellist 2016

Education And Training

Ph.D. in Earth & Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Earth & Planetary Sciences, Thesis: Atmospheric pollution in the Arctic: sources, transport, and chemical processing 2011
Sc.M. in Engineering Sciences, Harvard University, Earth & Planetary Sciences 2009
B.S. in Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology, Geological & Planetary Sciences, with honors 2005

Awards And Honors

Australian 3rd place, APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE), conferred by Australian Academy of Science, 2019
L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science, conferred by L'Oreal Australia, 2016
Vice Chancellor's Research Excellence Award for Emerging Researchers, conferred by University of Wollongong, 2016

Keywords

atmospheric chemistry
atmospheric composition
chemical transport modelling
mercury biogeochemistry
tropospheric chemistry

Full Name

Jenny A. Fisher

Mailing Address

University of Wollongong

Northfields Avenue

Wollongong

NSW

2500

Australia

Geographic Location

University of Wollongong

Located In Facility

Buiding 41, Room G19

Orcid Id

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2921-1691 (confirmed)

Web Of Science Researcher Id

J-3979-2012

Scopus Id

35368622800

Overview

Overview

Top Publications

Research Areas

Research Overview

Available as Research Supervisor

Affiliation

Available for Collaborative Projects

Member Of

Publications

Selected Publications

Journal Article

Conference Paper

Presentations

Invited Talk

Presentation

Funding

Investigator On

Impact

Impact Story

Where does Arctic mercury come from?

Supervision

Available as Research Supervisor

Potential Supervision Topics

Teaching Activities

Advisees

Graduate Advising Relationship

Service

Reviewer Of

Organizer Of Event

Professional Service Activities

Outreach And Community Service Activities

Background

Education And Training

Awards And Honors

Keywords

Contact

Full Name

Mailing Address

Geographic Location

Located In Facility

Identity

Orcid Id

Web Of Science Researcher Id

Scopus Id

Overview

Top Publications

Research Areas

Research Overview

Affiliation

Member Of

Publications

Selected Publications

Journal Article

Conference Paper

Presentations

Invited Talk

Presentation

Funding

Investigator On

Impact

Impact Story

Where does Arctic mercury come from?

Supervision

Potential Supervision Topics

Teaching Activities

Advisees

Graduate Advising Relationship

Service

Reviewer Of

Organizer Of Event

Professional Service Activities

Outreach And Community Service Activities

Background

Education And Training

Awards And Honors

Keywords

Contact

Full Name

Mailing Address