Margaret A. TOLBERT Professor Office: CIRES 166 Office Phone: 303 492 3179 Lab: CIRES 137, 138 Lab Phone: 303 492 1199 Fax:303 492 1149 Group Website: Tolbert Group Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ph.D.: California Institute of Technology, 1986
Postdoctoral Fellow: Stanford Research Institute, 1986-87
Awards:

• CU Distinguished Professor, 2010
  Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science and Technology, 2009
  Hazel Barnes Prize, 2007
• Guggenheim Fellowship, 2005
• National Academy of Sciences Member, 2004
• NASA Group Achievement Award, Crystal-Face Science Team, 2003
• NASA Group Achievement Award, SOLVE Experiment, 2001
• BFA Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarly and Creative Work, 2001
• Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar, 1994
• Fellow, American Geophysical Union, 1993
• Fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences James B. Maccelwane Medal, 1993
• National Science Foundation Young Investigator, 1992
• AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Award, 1987
• Curriculum Vitae [ PDF ]

Research

My interests are in the area of heterogeneous atmospheric chemistry, focusing on the chemical, physical and optical properties of atmospheric particulate.  In addition to fundamental studies of particles, we are also exploring how atmospheric particulate impacts current problems such as stratospheric ozone depletion, global climate change, urban smog and visibility degradation.

In addition to studies of atmospheric aerosols on current-day Earth, we are also probing the particles that might have been present at the earliest times in Earth’s history.  We are interested in how those particles might have impacted the climate of early Earth and the development of life on Earth.  As a parallel to early Earth, we are also studying aerosols and clouds on other planetary bodies such as Mars, Venus and Titan.

Our work is primarily laboratory based, but involves collaborations with theory teams and those involved in observations and fieldwork.  Primary support for our work comes from the National Science Foundation and NASA.

Selected Publications

Schill, G.P., and M.A. Tolbert (2012), “Depositional ice nucleation on monocarboxylic acids: Effect of the O:C ratio,” Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 116, 6817-6822. 
doi:10.1021/jp301772q

Connelly, B.M., D.O. De Haan, and M.A. Tolbert (2012), “Heterogeneous glyoxal oxidation: A potential source of secondary organic aerosol,” Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 116, 6180-6187.                                                                                           doi:10.1021/jp211502e

Zarzana, K.J., D.O. De Haan, M.A. Freedman, C.A. Hasenkopf, M.A. Tolbert (2012), “Optical properties of the products of alpha-dicarbonyl and amine reactions in simulated cloud droplets,” Environmental Science and Technology, 46, 4845-4851.               doi:10.1021/es2040152

Trainer, M.G., J.L. Jimenez, Y.L. Yung, O.B. Toon, and M.A. Tolbert (2012), Nitrogen incorporation in CH₄-N₂ photochemical aerosol produced by far ultraviolet irradiation, Astrobiology, 12, 315-326.                                                   doi:10.1089/ast.2011.0754

Baustian, K.J., D.J. Cziczo, M.E. Wise, K.A. Pratt, G. Kulkarni, A.G. Hallar, and M.A. Tolbert (2012), Importance of aerosol composition, mixing state, and morphology for heterogeneous ice nucleation: A combined field and laboratory approach, Journal of Geophysical Research- Atmospheres, 117, D06217.                                                           doi:0.1029/2011JD016784

Wise, M.E., K.J. Baustian, T. Koop, M.A. Freedman, E.J. Jensen, and M.A. Tolbert (2012), Depositional ice nucleation onto crystalline hydrated NaCl particles: A new mechanism for ice formation in the troposphere, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 12, 1121-1134. 
doi:10.5194/acp-12-1121-2012

Gough, R.V., V.F. Chevrier, K.J. Baustian, M.E. Wise, and M.A. Tolbert (2011), Laboratory studies of perchlorate phase transitions: Support for metastable aqueous perchlorate solutions on Mars, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 312, 371-377.              doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2011.10.026

Hasenkopf, C.A., M.A. Freedman, M.R. Beaver, O.B. Toon, and M.A. Tolbert (2011), Potential climatic impact of organic haze on the early Earth, Astrobiology, 11, 135-149.
doi:10.1089/ast.2010.0541

Gough, R.V., J.J. Turley, G.R. Ferrell, K.E. Cordova, S.E. Wood, D.O. De Haan, C.P. McKay, O.B. Toon, and M.A. Tolbert (2011), Can rapid loss and high variability of Martian methane be explained by surface H₂O₂?, Planetary and Space Science, 59, 238-246. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2010.09.018