Rhian Anya Salmon

OH and halogen atom influence on the variability of non-methane hydrocarbons in the Antarctic Boundary Layer

Ozone measurements from Measurements of OZone and wAter vapour by aIrbus in-service airCraft (MOZAIC) have been assimilated into the global chemical transport model ofMétéo France known as Mod`ele de Chimie Atmosphérique `a Grande Echelle (MOCAGE). The assimilation makes improvements to the free model simulations of ozone in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, which are generally overestimated in the tropical region and underestimated in mid-latitudes. The tropical–subtropical gradient of ozone is also improved following assimilation and comparison with vertical profiles from ozonesondes suggests that the assimilation leads to a better representation of the vertical gradient around the tropopause.We use the assimilated fields to calculate a value for the flux of ozone across the tropopause. The net flux of ozone from stratosphere to troposphere is found to be 451 Tg yr-1 before assimilation and 383 Tg yr-1 after assimilation. The downward flux of ozone in the mid-latitudes exhibits an annual cycle with maximum flux occurring in early spring and minimum flux in autumn.

The reflexive scientist: an approach to transforming public engagement

Calls for greater public engagement with science (PES) are widespread, but there appears to be little agreement on the meaning and purpose of engagement across the various actors calling for it. This reflects a persistent gulf between PES scholars and scientists communicating with the public. We argue that direct engagement between PES scholars and scientist-communicators could, by facilitating greater reflexivity, lead to a step-change in the calibre and clarity of activities that are designed to support enhanced public engagement with science and technology. In this paper, we, as authors beginning from different perspectives, explore the potential of, and barriers to, a conversation between critical social scientists and members of the science community about public engagement. We demonstrate how and why the PES literature does not “speak for itself” to scientists but provides a starting point for conversation rather than a substitute for it. We then explore what reflexivity might mean for PES and argue for three important foci: political-economic context or politics of the field; institutional context; and personal assumptions. We then discuss barriers to, as well as strategies for, fostering such reflexivity, concluding that new models of authorship and publication are needed if this promise is to be fulfilled.

A future for public engagement with science in New Zealand

The New Zealand government has recently announced initiatives and aspirations for greater public engagement in science. In this paper, we explore how these initiatives and aspirations might be implemented and achieved in practice. We propose a vision for the future in which scientists, science communicators and science policy are informed by theory, and theoreticians are informed by science communication practice. In addition, we propose tangible mechanisms to catalyse opportunities for new, accessible and important national conversations related to science and technology in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Developing a pan-university professional learning community

Abstract Professional learning communities (PLCs) support students’ learning in pre-tertiary education, but have not been sufficiently explored at the tertiary level. Drawing on the literature on PLCs across broader educational contexts, we explore the development of a PLC within our University using analysis of survey responses and through document analyses. Key themes from our data collectively reveal the core features of our evolving PLC – Building community; Ground-up design; Creating a safe space – and demonstrate both the broader impacts of the community and the on-going challenges faced as we seek to develop a sustainable PLC. Recommendations for academic developers interested in the development of PLCs within their contexts are offered.

From Ice to Space

The atmosphere over Antarctica is pristine, dry and isolated. This is because it is very far from all sources of manmade emissions, is extremely cold and completely surrounded by the enormous Southern Ocean. It is, however, home to unusual chemical and physical processes that have a global significance. In this chapter, we start by considering some fundamental concepts used to describe the Earth’s atmosphere. We then focus on measurements of past and present carbon dioxide concentrations from Antarctica, the stratospheric ozone hole, and atmospheric chemistry occurring near ground level. Finally, we consider some connections between these apparently distinct phenomena in order to illustrate the critical role the Antarctic atmosphere plays in connecting global land, ice and oceans, as well as different geographical areas of the Earth.