Sophie Weller

Biography

I am a first year PhD student working within the Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories (WACL) at the University of York. I previously completed my BSc in Chemistry, the Atmosphere and the Environment here at York, before completing an MSc in Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate in the department of Meteorology at the University of Reading. My MSc dissertation concerned improving biogenic emission factors of isoprene in the United Kingdom Earth System Model (UKESM) by exploring model runs with emphasis on different plant functional types.

Qualifications

• BSc Chemistry, the Atmosphere and Environment;
• MSc Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate

Research interests

Atmospheric Chemistry, Weather and Climate, Climate Modelling

Project title

Understanding Volatile Organic Compounds in the tropical Atlantic Ocean

Supervisors

• Professor James Lee
• Dr Jim Hopkins
• Dr Steve Andrews

Funding

YES-DTN

Project outline

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play a fundamental role in atmospheric processes, particularly as precursors to ozone and secondary organic aerosols. The main source of oxidation for VOCs is the hydroxyl radical (OH), which affects the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. This project will use data from a new state of the art gas chromatography - mass spectrometer (GC-MS) to improve understanding of the sources, distribution and effects of VOCs. This data will also be used as part of the TropOx project to strengthen the understanding of the tropical tropospheric oxidation capacity.