Articles | Volume 14, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-1557-2014
© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-1557-2014
© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
12 Feb 2014
Research article |
| 12 Feb 2014
Hygroscopic and chemical characterisation of Po Valley aerosol
J. Bialek
School of Physics and Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
M. Dall Osto
School of Physics and Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
P. Vaattovaara
University of Eastern Finland, Department of Applied Physics, 70210, Kuopio, Finland
S. Decesari
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) of the Italian National Research Council ({CNR}), via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
J. Ovadnevaite
School of Physics and Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
A. Laaksonen
Finnish Meteorological Institute, Erik Palménin aukio 1. 00560 Helsinki, Finland
C. O'Dowd
School of Physics and Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
Related authors
No articles found.
Wenche Aas, Thérèse Salameh, Robert Wegener, Heidi Hellén, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Pontus Roldin, Elisabeth Alonso-Blanco, Andres Alastuey, Crist Amelynck, Jgor Arduini, Benjamin Bergmans, Marie Bertrand, Agnes Borbon, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Laetitia Bouvier, David Butterfield, Iris Buxbaum, Darius Ceburnis, Anja Claude, Augustin Colette, Aurélie Colomb, Sophie Darfeuil, James Dernie, Maximilien Desservettaz, Elías Díaz-Ramiro, Marvin Dufresne, René Dubus, Mario Duval, Marie Dury, Anna Font, Kirsten N. Fossum, Evelyn Freney, Gotzon Gangoiti, Yao Ge, Maria Carmen Gomez, Francisco J. Gómez-Moreno, Marie Gohy, Valérie Gros, Paul Hamer, Bryan Hellack, Hartmut Herrmann, Robert Holla, Adéla Holubová, Niels R. Jensen, Tuija Jokinen, Matthew Jones, Uwe Käfer, Lukas Kesper, Dieter Klemp, Dagmar Kubistin, Angela Marinoni, Martina Mazzini, Vy Ngoc Thuy Dinh, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Tuukka Petäjä, Miguel Portillo-Estrada, Jitka Přívozníková, Jean-Philippe Putaud, Stefan Reimann, Laura Renzi, Veronique Riffault, Stuart Ritchie, Chris Robins, Begoña Artíñano Rodríguez de Torres, Laurent Poulain, Julian Rüdiger, Agnieszka Sanocka, Estibaliz Saez de Camara Oleaga, Niels Schoon, Roger Seco, Ivan Simmons, Leïla Simon, David Simpson, Sverre Solberg, Emmanuel Tison, August Thomasson, Svetlana Tsyro, Marsailidh Twigg, Toni Tykkä, Bert Verreyken, Ågot Watne, Katie Williams, Ana Maria Yáñez-Serrano, Karen Yeung, Ilona Ylivinkka, and Karl Espen Yttri
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 8717–8751, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-8717-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-8717-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
A one-week intensive measurement campaign during the 2022 European heatwave included monitoring of ozone, volatile organic compounds, aerosol chemical composition, and organic tracers to investigate air pollution sources. Results showed that emissions from vegetation and human activities contributed to peaks in ozone and secondary organic aerosol particles. Differences between measurements and model simulations underline the need for better characterization of sources and formation pathways.
Emmanuel Chevassus, Vaios Moschos, Kirsten N. Fossum, Lu Lei, Liz Coleman, Dagmar B. Stengel, Vignesh Prabhu, Wei Xu, Darius Ceburnis, Colin O'Dowd, and Jurgita Ovadnevaite
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2745, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2745, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Short summary
The ocean is a major source of tiny airborne particles that can influence clouds and climate, but their biological controls remain poorly understood. Here, one year of measurements at Mace Head, Ireland, was combined with ocean biology and air transport data. Sea spray particle formation was found to depend on plankton community, small marine animals, and the combined effects of season, wind, waves and temperature. These results call for mesocosm experiments to better represent sea spray.
Stefanos Papagiannis, Manousos I. Manousakas, Dimitrios F. Anagnostopoulos, Michael Pikridas, Rima Baalbaki, Jean Sciare, Niall O'Sullivan, Stig Hellebust, John Wenger, Kirsten N. Fossum, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Anja Tremper, David Green, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, and Evangelia Diapouli
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 3491–3509, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3491-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-3491-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
We compared near real-time and benchtop XRF spectrometers measuring trace elements in airborne particles across three European cities. Results show filter material dictates accuracy: Teflon yielded strong inter-instrument agreement, while quartz caused systematic attenuation errors for light elements. Because empirical corrections left residual biases, using optimal substrates—preferably Teflon—is essential for accurately tracking pollution sources.
Nikhil Korhale, Tabish Ansari, Tim Butler, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Emmanuel Chevassus, Darius Ceburnis, Damien Martin, Colin D. O'Dowd, and Liz Coleman
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 6557–6577, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-6557-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-6557-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the distribution and trends of surface ozone and its precursors over Ireland using advanced modelling to determine the drivers of ozone. Trajectory analysis is used to trace the origins of air masses, revealing the impact of transboundary pollution and atmospheric transport. The rising trend has been observed at urban sites over the past two decades, but without a similar trend at coastal sites. Coastal areas consistently show higher ozone levels than rural and urban areas.
Kasper Juurikkala, Tomi Raatikainen, Martina Krämer, Christina J. Williamson, and Ari Laaksonen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2427, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2427, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Short summary
We use large-eddy simulations constrained by observations to study how mineral dust controls the evolution of cirrus clouds during dust outbreaks. Results show that sustained dusty cirrus forms only under strongly elevated dust concentrations, where ice forms mainly on dust particles. This identifies mineral dust as the key control on cirrus persistence and highlights the need to improve representation of dust-driven ice formation in weather and climate models.
Max Gräfnings, Yuanyuan Luo, Jian Zhao, Claudia L. Cara-Ortega, Kirsten N. Fossum, Frans Graeffe, Lu Lei, Dagmar B. Stengel, Roseline C. Thakur, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Mikael Ehn, and Camilla Gustafsson
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2159, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2159, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
Short summary
Short summary
Biogenic volatile organic compounds emitted by Earth’s ecosystems have profound climate impacts, but emissions from marine benthic sources are poorly quantified. We quantified BVOC emission rates from three macrophytes across two contrasting marine regions and found highly diverse emission profiles with substantial intra‑ and interspecific variability. Our results underscore the need for more high-quality data, so that macrophyte emissions can eventually be integrated into marine BVOC budgets.
Lu Lei, Wei Xu, Chunshui Lin, Kirsten N. Fossum, Darius Ceburnis, John Gallagher, Colin D'Dowd, and Jurgita Ovadnevaite
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1756, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1756, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Short summary
Home heating is a major driver of air pollution across Europe, yet pollution trends and mitigation responses remain limited. PM1 observations from 2016–2023 in a temperate European city influenced by continental pollution reveal changing sources and composition. Major pollution contributors were identified, shaping clear seasonal patterns. Air quality has improved with reduced heating emissions and regional precursors reductions, while secondary organic aerosols show increasing importance.
Guillaume Chamba, Karine Sellegri, Valérie Gros, Clémence Rose, Leah Williams, Elisa Berdalet, Dolors Vaqué, Magda Vila, Queralt Güell-Bujons, Elisabet-Laia Sà, Yaiza M. Castillo, Arianna Rocchi, Aurélie Colomb, Jean-Marc Pichon, Mickaël Ribeiro, Charel Wohl, Manuel Dall'Osto, and Rafel Simó
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1720, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1720, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Oceans are a natural source of sulfur compounds that can influence climate by forming aerosol particles. During an oceanographic expedition around the Antarctic Peninsula, we measured the emissions of two of these compounds (DMS and methanethiol), their links to seawater microorganisms and particle formation in large enclosures exposed to natural or reduced UV radiation. Our results suggest that UV reduces these emissions and the formation of nanoparticles.
Charel Wohl, Leah R. Williams, Elisabeth Deschaseaux, Lauriane L. J. Quéléver, David C. S. Beddows, Harald Stark, Veronika Pospisilova, Felipe Lopez-Hilfiker, Guillaume Chamba, Karine Sellegri, Elisabet L. Sà, Queralt Güell-Bujons, Magda Vila, Yaiza M. Castillo, Arianna Rocchi, Ana Sotomayor, Dolors Vaqué, Manuel Dall’Osto, Elisa Berdalet, and Rafel Simó
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1472, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1472, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Methanethiol and dimethyl sulfide are precursors to aerosols, which cool the climate. Here we present measurements of these compounds in surface seawater and ambient air around the Antarctic Peninsula and the Weddell Sea, highlighting that a large fraction of volatile sulfur emissions from the ocean is biogenic methanethiol. This dataset presents some of the factors driving the variability of these compounds.
Jingye Ren, Wei Xu, Ru-Jin Huang, Fang Zhang, Ying Wang, Lu Chen, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Darius Ceburnis, Colin O'Dowd, and Yele Sun
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 2985–3000, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2985-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-2985-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Impact of mixing state on cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) was incorporated in limited modeling with simplified assumption. This study derived a mixing state index from hygroscopicity and systematically investigated the covariation between the mixing state and CCN activity in inland and coastal air. We propose a practical approach for estimating critical diameter from mixing state index, applicable when the aerosol particles are not highly aged.
Hao Ding, Almuth Neuberger, Rahul Ranjan, Fredrik Mattsson, Liine Heikkinen, Karam Mansour, Stefano Decesari, Claudia Mohr, Alejandro Baró Pérez, Nazario Mastroianni, Paul Zieger, Ilona Riipinen, and Annica M. L. Ekman
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6435, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-6435, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Fog poses numerous risks to society, yet it remains challenging to forecast. We use detailed numerical simulations based on fog observations in the Po Valley, Italy, to demonstrate that high concentrations of aerosol particles, as in polluted air, lead to an increase in droplet number, prolonged fog duration, and reduced visibility. The simulations also show the importance of accurately representing haze particles and the shape of the droplet size distribution for improved fog prediction.
Antonio Donateo, Gianluca Pappaccogli, Federico Scoto, Maurizio Busetto, Francesca L. Lovisco, Natalie Brett, Douglas Keller, Brice Barret, Elsa Dieudonné, Roman Pohorsky, Andrea Baccarini, Slimane Bekki, Jean-Christophe Raut, Julia Schmale, Kathy S. Law, Steve R. Arnold, Javier G. Fochesatto, William R. Simpson, and Stefano Decesari
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 18129–18156, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-18129-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-18129-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
A study in Fairbanks, Alaska, measured winter aerosol fluxes on snow. Both emission and deposition occurred, with larger particles settling faster. Weather influenced dispersion and deposition, while wind-driven turbulence enhanced deposition despite stable conditions. Results show aerosol accumulation in snow impacts pollution and snowmelt. Findings help improve aerosol models and pollution studies in cold cities.
Aino Ovaska, Elio Rauth, Daniel Holmberg, Paulo Artaxo, John Backman, Benjamin Bergmans, Don Collins, Marco Aurélio Franco, Shahzad Gani, Roy M. Harrison, Rakesh K. Hooda, Tareq Hussein, Antti-Pekka Hyvärinen, Kerneels Jaars, Adam Kristensson, Markku Kulmala, Lauri Laakso, Ari Laaksonen, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, Colin O'Dowd, Jakub Ondracek, Tuukka Petäjä, Kristina Plauškaitė, Mira Pöhlker, Ximeng Qi, Peter Tunved, Ville Vakkari, Alfred Wiedensohler, Kai Puolamäki, Tuomo Nieminen, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Victoria A. Sinclair, and Pauli Paasonen
Aerosol Research, 3, 589–618, https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-3-589-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-3-589-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We trained machine learning models to estimate the number of aerosol particles large enough to form clouds and generated daily estimates for the entire globe. The models performed well in many continental regions but struggled in remote and marine areas. Still, this approach offers a way to quantify these particles in areas that lack direct measurements, helping us understand their influence on clouds and climate on a global scale.
Matteo Rinaldi, Alessia Nicosia, Marco Paglione, Karam Mansour, Stefano Decesari, Mauro Mazzola, Gianni Santachiara, and Franco Belosi
Aerosol Research, 3, 535–556, https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-3-535-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-3-535-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents atmospheric ice-nucleating particle (INP) data from the Gruvebadet observatory in Ny-Ålesund. A moderate summertime increase in INP levels is observed at -15 °C but not at other temperatures (-18 and -22 °C). Conversely, a marked seasonal evolution was observed for the contribution of super-micrometer INPs, which is at its maximum throughout summer up to early autumn. We show that marine biogenic INPs may be relevant in the Arctic during seasons of reduced sea ice coverage.
Almuth Neuberger, Rahul Ranjan, Hao Ding, Fredrik Mattsson, Lea Haberstock, Darrel Baumgardner, Stefano Decesari, Annica M. L. Ekman, Dagen D. Hughes, Claudia Mohr, Marco Paglione, Ilona Riipinen, Matteo Rinaldi, and Paul Zieger
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5419, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5419, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We studied how particles from air pollution that absorb water but do not yet form fog droplets influence fog and visibility in northern Italy’s Po Valley. Using detailed field observations and computer modeling, we found that these “hydrated” particles can explain many low-visibility events. Recognizing their role helps improve forecasts of fog, air quality, and climate effects in polluted regions.
Baihua Chen, Lu Lei, Emmanuel Chevassus, Wei Xu, Ling Zhen, Haobin Zhong, Lin Wang, Chunshui Lin, Ru-Jin Huang, Darius Ceburnis, Colin O'Dowd, and Jurgita Ovadnevaite
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 14205–14219, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14205-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14205-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study uses machine learning to separate marine primary organic aerosol (POA) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from 1 decade of high-resolution data. POA averages 51 % of marine organic aerosols annually, peaking at 63 % in summer. A support vector regression model, validated via fuzzy clustering and Monte Carlo simulations, identifies seasonal patterns of POA linked to biological activity. We found diverse impacts of marine POA and SOA on the aerosol hygroscopicity and mixing state.
Kasper Juurikkala, Christina J. Williamson, Karl D. Froyd, Jonathan Dean-Day, and Ari Laaksonen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 13995–14013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13995-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13995-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study uses Large Eddy Simulations (LES) to investigate synoptic cirrus clouds from NASA’s Mid-latitude Airborne Cirrus Properties Experiment (MACPEX) campaign. Results show that prior heterogeneous ice nucleation depletes ice nuclei, creating conditions for subsequent homogeneous freezing. The findings highlight limitations of ice residual analysis in capturing cirrus evolution and provide insights into aerosol-cloud interactions critical to atmospheric and climate processes.
Marco Paglione, Yufang Hao, Stefano Decesari, Mara Russo, Karam Mansour, Mauro Mazzola, Diego Fellin, Andrea Mazzanti, Emilio Tagliavini, Manousos Ioannis Manousakas, Evangelia Diapouli, Elena Barbaro, Matteo Feltracco, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, and Matteo Rinaldi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 12853–12874, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12853-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12853-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
A year-long set of submicron aerosol samples (PM1) from Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, was analyzed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-NMR) and high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometry (HR-TOF-AMS) to characterize the organic fraction. Positive matrix factorization identified five organic aerosol sources. Winter–spring was dominated by Eurasian pollution and summer by marine biogenic aerosols, with occasional wildfire events.
Ari Laaksonen, Golnaz Roudsari, Ana A. Piedehierro, and André Welti
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 11317–11332, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11317-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11317-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The mechanisms of ice nucleation at temperatures below 235 K have remained unclear for the past century. We suggest that ice nucleation is caused by the freezing of water adsorbed on aerosol surfaces. To test this hypothesis, we derived theoretical equations to predict the exact atmospheric conditions under which ice nucleation occurs. Our predictions agree well with experiments. The new theory thus provides a basis for an improved description of ice nucleation in the atmosphere.
Fredrik Mattsson, Almuth Neuberger, Liine Heikkinen, Yvette Gramlich, Marco Paglione, Matteo Rinaldi, Stefano Decesari, Paul Zieger, Ilona Riipinen, and Claudia Mohr
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7973–7989, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7973-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7973-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigated aerosol–cloud interactions, focusing on organic nitrogen (ON) formation in the aqueous phase. Measurements were conducted in wintertime in the Po Valley, Italy, using aerosol mass spectrometry. The fog was enriched in more hygroscopic inorganic compounds and ON, containing, e.g., imidazoles. The formation of imidazole by aerosol–fog interactions could be confirmed for the first time in atmospheric observations. Findings highlight the role of fog in nitrogen aerosol formation.
Arianna Rocchi, Mark F. Fitzsimons, Preston Akenga, Ana Sotomayor, Elisabet L. Sà, Queralt Güell-Bujons, Magda Vila, Yaiza M. Castillo, Manuel Dall'Osto, Dolors Vaqué, Charel Wohl, Rafel Simó, and Elisa Berdalet
Biogeosciences, 22, 3429–3448, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3429-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-3429-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
During the PolarChange expedition, volatile alkylamines, important players in nitrogen cycling and cloud formation, were measured in Antarctic waters using a high-sensitivity method. Trimethylamine was the dominant alkylamine in marine particles, associated with nanophytoplankton. Dissolved dimethylamine likely originated from trimethylamine degradation, while diethylamine sources remain unclear. These findings confirm the biological origin of alkylamines in polar marine microbial food webs.
Antonio Donateo, Daniela Famulari, Donato Giovannelli, Arturo Mariani, Mauro Mazzola, Stefano Decesari, and Gianluca Pappaccogli
Biogeosciences, 22, 2889–2908, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2889-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2889-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study focuses on measurements of CO2 and CH4 turbulent fluxes in tundra ecosystems in the Svalbard islands over a 2-year period. Our results reveal dynamic interactions between climatic conditions and ecosystem activities such as photosynthesis and microbial activity. In summer, photosynthesis and microbial activity increase, leading to net carbon uptake and methane consumption. Wind influences soil drying and CH4 emissions. Thermal anomalies can reduce annual carbon uptake.
Emmanuel Chevassus, Kirsten N. Fossum, Darius Ceburnis, Lu Lei, Chunshui Lin, Wei Xu, Colin O'Dowd, and Jurgita Ovadnevaite
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4107–4129, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4107-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4107-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents the first source apportionment of organic aerosol at Mace Head via high-resolution mass spectrometry. Introducing transfer entropy as a novel method reveals that aged organic aerosol originates from both open-ocean ozonolysis and local peat-burning oxidation. Methanesulfonic acid and organic sea spray both mirror phytoplankton activity, with the former closely tied to coccolithophore blooms and the latter linked to diatoms, chlorophytes, and cyanobacteria.
Roman Pohorsky, Andrea Baccarini, Natalie Brett, Brice Barret, Slimane Bekki, Gianluca Pappaccogli, Elsa Dieudonné, Brice Temime-Roussel, Barbara D'Anna, Meeta Cesler-Maloney, Antonio Donateo, Stefano Decesari, Kathy S. Law, William R. Simpson, Javier Fochesatto, Steve R. Arnold, and Julia Schmale
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3687–3715, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3687-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3687-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents an analysis of vertical measurements of pollution in an Alaskan city during winter. It investigates the relationship between the atmospheric structure and the layering of aerosols and trace gases. Results indicate an overall very shallow surface mixing layer. The height of this layer is strongly influenced by a local shallow wind. The study also provides information on the pollution chemical composition at different altitudes, including pollution signatures from power plants.
Brice Barret, Patrice Medina, Natalie Brett, Roman Pohorsky, Kathy S. Law, Slimane Bekki, Gilberto J. Fochesatto, Julia Schmale, Steve R. Arnold, Andrea Baccarini, Maurizio Busetto, Meeta Cesler-Maloney, Barbara D'Anna, Stefano Decesari, Jingqiu Mao, Gianluca Pappaccogli, Joel Savarino, Federico Scoto, and William R. Simpson
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1163–1184, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1163-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1163-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Fairbanks area experiences severe pollution episodes in winter because of enhanced emissions of pollutants trapped near the surface by strong temperature inversions. Low-cost sensors were deployed on board a car and a tethered balloon to measure the concentrations of gaseous pollutants (CO, O3, and NOx) in Fairbanks during winter 2022. Data calibration with reference measurements and machine learning methods enabled us to document pollution at the surface and power plant plumes aloft.
Natalie Brett, Kathy S. Law, Steve R. Arnold, Javier G. Fochesatto, Jean-Christophe Raut, Tatsuo Onishi, Robert Gilliam, Kathleen Fahey, Deanna Huff, George Pouliot, Brice Barret, Elsa Dieudonné, Roman Pohorsky, Julia Schmale, Andrea Baccarini, Slimane Bekki, Gianluca Pappaccogli, Federico Scoto, Stefano Decesari, Antonio Donateo, Meeta Cesler-Maloney, William Simpson, Patrice Medina, Barbara D'Anna, Brice Temime-Roussel, Joel Savarino, Sarah Albertin, Jingqiu Mao, Becky Alexander, Allison Moon, Peter F. DeCarlo, Vanessa Selimovic, Robert Yokelson, and Ellis S. Robinson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1063–1104, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1063-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1063-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Processes influencing dispersion of local anthropogenic pollution in Arctic wintertime are investigated with Lagrangian dispersion modelling. Simulated power plant plume rise that considers temperature inversion layers improves results compared to observations (interior Alaska). Modelled surface concentrations are improved by representation of vertical mixing and emission estimates. Large increases in diesel vehicle emissions at temperatures reaching −35°C are required to reproduce observed NOx.
James Brean, David C. S. Beddows, Eija Asmi, Aki Virkkula, Lauriane L. J. Quéléver, Mikko Sipilä, Floortje Van Den Heuvel, Thomas Lachlan-Cope, Anna Jones, Markus Frey, Angelo Lupi, Jiyeon Park, Young Jun Yoon, Rolf Weller, Giselle L. Marincovich, Gabriela C. Mulena, Roy M. Harrison, and Manuel Dall'Osto
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 1145–1162, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1145-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-1145-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Our results emphasise how understanding the geographical variation in surface types across the Antarctic is key to understanding secondary aerosol sources.
Ari Laaksonen
Aerosol Research, 2, 343–351, https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-2-343-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-2-343-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Insoluble aerosol particles such as minerals and black carbon can trigger freezing inside clouds, which leads to rain formation. However, both particle types are relatively poor nuclei for cloud droplets. In this work, theoretical calculations are presented about the ability of surface-tension-reducing compounds to promote cloud drop formation around insoluble aerosols. The calculations indicate that such surfactants can be efficient in “smuggling” insoluble particles into cloud droplets.
Andreas Aktypis, Dontavious J. Sippial, Christina N. Vasilakopoulou, Angeliki Matrali, Christos Kaltsonoudis, Andrea Simonati, Marco Paglione, Matteo Rinaldi, Stefano Decesari, and Spyros N. Pandis
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13769–13791, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13769-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13769-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
A dual-chamber system was deployed in two different environments (Po Valley, Italy, and Pertouli forest, Greece) to study the potential of ambient air directly injected into the chambers, to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA). In the Po Valley, the system reacts rapidly, forming large amounts of SOA, while in Pertouli the SOA formation chemistry appears to have been practically terminated before the beginning of most experiments, so there is little additional SOA formation potential left.
Kirsten N. Fossum, Chunshui Lin, Niall O'Sullivan, Lu Lei, Stig Hellebust, Darius Ceburnis, Aqeel Afzal, Anja Tremper, David Green, Srishti Jain, Steigvilė Byčenkienė, Colin O'Dowd, John Wenger, and Jurgita Ovadnevaite
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10815–10831, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10815-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10815-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The chemical composition and sources of submicron aerosol in the Dublin Port area were investigated over a month-long campaign. Two distinct types of ship emissions were identified and characterised: sulfate-rich plumes from the use of heavy fuel oil with scrubbers and organic-rich plumes from the use of low-sulfur fuels. The latter were more frequent, emitting double the particle number and having a typical V / Ni ratio for ship emission.
Jing Duan, Ru-Jin Huang, Ying Wang, Wei Xu, Haobin Zhong, Chunshui Lin, Wei Huang, Yifang Gu, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Darius Ceburnis, and Colin O'Dowd
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 7687–7698, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7687-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7687-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The chemical composition of atmospheric particles has shown significant changes in recent years. We investigated the potential effects of changes in inorganics on aerosol water uptake and, thus, secondary organic aerosol formation in wintertime haze based on the size-resolved measurements of non-refractory fine particulate matter (NR-PM2.5) in Xi’an, northwestern China. We highlight the key role of aerosol water as a medium to link inorganics and organics in their multiphase processes.
Karam Mansour, Stefano Decesari, Darius Ceburnis, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Lynn M. Russell, Marco Paglione, Laurent Poulain, Shan Huang, Colin O'Dowd, and Matteo Rinaldi
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 2717–2740, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2717-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2717-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We propose and evaluate machine learning predictive algorithms to model freshly formed biogenic methanesulfonic acid and sulfate concentrations. The long-term constructed dataset covers the North Atlantic at an unprecedented resolution. The improved parameterization of biogenic sulfur aerosols at regional scales is essential for determining their radiative forcing, which could help further understand marine-aerosol–cloud interactions and reduce uncertainties in climate models
Marco Paglione, David C. S. Beddows, Anna Jones, Thomas Lachlan-Cope, Matteo Rinaldi, Stefano Decesari, Francesco Manarini, Mara Russo, Karam Mansour, Roy M. Harrison, Andrea Mazzanti, Emilio Tagliavini, and Manuel Dall'Osto
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 6305–6322, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-6305-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-6305-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Applying factor analysis techniques to H-NMR spectra, we present the organic aerosol (OA) source apportionment of PM1 samples collected in parallel at two Antarctic stations, namely Signy and Halley, allowing investigation of aerosol–climate interactions in an unperturbed atmosphere. Our results show remarkable differences between pelagic (open-ocean) and sympagic (sea-ice-influenced) air masses and indicate that various sources and processes are controlling Antarctic aerosols.
Jing Cai, Juha Sulo, Yifang Gu, Sebastian Holm, Runlong Cai, Steven Thomas, Almuth Neuberger, Fredrik Mattsson, Marco Paglione, Stefano Decesari, Matteo Rinaldi, Rujing Yin, Diego Aliaga, Wei Huang, Yuanyuan Li, Yvette Gramlich, Giancarlo Ciarelli, Lauriane Quéléver, Nina Sarnela, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Nora Zannoni, Cheng Wu, Wei Nie, Juha Kangasluoma, Claudia Mohr, Markku Kulmala, Qiaozhi Zha, Dominik Stolzenburg, and Federico Bianchi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2423–2441, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2423-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2423-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
By combining field measurements, simulations and recent chamber experiments, we investigate new particle formation (NPF) and growth in the Po Valley, where both haze and frequent NPF occur. Our results show that sulfuric acid, ammonia and amines are the dominant NPF precursors there. A high NPF rate and a lower condensation sink lead to a greater survival probability for newly formed particles, highlighting the importance of gas-to-particle conversion for aerosol concentrations.
Jiyeon Park, Hyojin Kang, Yeontae Gim, Eunho Jang, Ki-Tae Park, Sangjong Park, Chang Hoon Jung, Darius Ceburnis, Colin O'Dowd, and Young Jun Yoon
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13625–13646, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13625-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13625-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We measured the number size distribution of 2.5–300 nm particles and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentrations at King Sejong Station on the Antarctic Peninsula continuously from 1 January to 31 December 2018. During the pristine and clean periods, 97 new particle formation (NPF) events were detected. For 83 of these, CCN concentrations increased by 2 %–268 % (median 44 %) following 1 to 36 h (median 8 h) after NPF events.
Mária Lbadaoui-Darvas, Ari Laaksonen, and Athanasios Nenes
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10057–10074, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10057-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10057-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Heterogeneous ice nucleation is the main ice formation mechanism in clouds. The mechanism of different freezing modes is to date unknown, which results in large model biases. Experiments do not allow for direct observation of ice nucleation at its native resolution. This work uses first principles molecular simulations to determine the mechanism of the least-understood ice nucleation mode and link it to adsorption through a novel modeling framework that unites ice and droplet formation.
Antonio Donateo, Gianluca Pappaccogli, Daniela Famulari, Mauro Mazzola, Federico Scoto, and Stefano Decesari
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 7425–7445, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7425-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7425-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This work aims to measure the turbulent fluxes and the dry deposition velocity for size-segregated particles (from ultrafine to quasi-coarse range) at an Arctic site (Svalbard). Aiming to characterize the effect of surface properties on dry deposition, continuous observations were performed from the coldest months (on snow surface) to the snow melting period and throughout the summer (snow-free surface). A data fit of the deposition velocity as a function of particle diameters will be provided.
James Brean, David C. S. Beddows, Roy M. Harrison, Congbo Song, Peter Tunved, Johan Ström, Radovan Krejci, Eyal Freud, Andreas Massling, Henrik Skov, Eija Asmi, Angelo Lupi, and Manuel Dall'Osto
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 2183–2198, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2183-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2183-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Our results emphasize how understanding the geographical variation in surface types across the Arctic is key to understanding secondary aerosol sources. We provide a harmonised analysis of new particle formation across the Arctic.
Matthew Boyer, Diego Aliaga, Jakob Boyd Pernov, Hélène Angot, Lauriane L. J. Quéléver, Lubna Dada, Benjamin Heutte, Manuel Dall'Osto, David C. S. Beddows, Zoé Brasseur, Ivo Beck, Silvia Bucci, Marina Duetsch, Andreas Stohl, Tiia Laurila, Eija Asmi, Andreas Massling, Daniel Charles Thomas, Jakob Klenø Nøjgaard, Tak Chan, Sangeeta Sharma, Peter Tunved, Radovan Krejci, Hans Christen Hansson, Federico Bianchi, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Alfred Wiedensohler, Kay Weinhold, Markku Kulmala, Tuukka Petäjä, Mikko Sipilä, Julia Schmale, and Tuija Jokinen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 389–415, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-389-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-389-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The Arctic is a unique environment that is warming faster than other locations on Earth. We evaluate measurements of aerosol particles, which can influence climate, over the central Arctic Ocean for a full year and compare the data to land-based measurement stations across the Arctic. Our measurements show that the central Arctic has similarities to but also distinct differences from the stations further south. We note that this may change as the Arctic warms and sea ice continues to decline.
Ville Leinonen, Harri Kokkola, Taina Yli-Juuti, Tero Mielonen, Thomas Kühn, Tuomo Nieminen, Simo Heikkinen, Tuuli Miinalainen, Tommi Bergman, Ken Carslaw, Stefano Decesari, Markus Fiebig, Tareq Hussein, Niku Kivekäs, Radovan Krejci, Markku Kulmala, Ari Leskinen, Andreas Massling, Nikos Mihalopoulos, Jane P. Mulcahy, Steffen M. Noe, Twan van Noije, Fiona M. O'Connor, Colin O'Dowd, Dirk Olivie, Jakob B. Pernov, Tuukka Petäjä, Øyvind Seland, Michael Schulz, Catherine E. Scott, Henrik Skov, Erik Swietlicki, Thomas Tuch, Alfred Wiedensohler, Annele Virtanen, and Santtu Mikkonen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 12873–12905, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12873-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12873-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We provide the first extensive comparison of detailed aerosol size distribution trends between in situ observations from Europe and five different earth system models. We investigated aerosol modes (nucleation, Aitken, and accumulation) separately and were able to show the differences between measured and modeled trends and especially their seasonal patterns. The differences in model results are likely due to complex effects of several processes instead of certain specific model features.
Marta Via, Gang Chen, Francesco Canonaco, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Benjamin Chazeau, Hasna Chebaicheb, Jianhui Jiang, Hannes Keernik, Chunshui Lin, Nicolas Marchand, Cristina Marin, Colin O'Dowd, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Jean-Eudes Petit, Michael Pikridas, Véronique Riffault, Jean Sciare, Jay G. Slowik, Leïla Simon, Jeni Vasilescu, Yunjiang Zhang, Olivier Favez, André S. H. Prévôt, Andrés Alastuey, and María Cruz Minguillón
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 5479–5495, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5479-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5479-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This work presents the differences resulting from two techniques (rolling and seasonal) of the positive matrix factorisation model that can be run for organic aerosol source apportionment. The current state of the art suggests that the rolling technique is more accurate, but no proof of its effectiveness has been provided yet. This paper tackles this issue in the context of a synthetic dataset and a multi-site real-world comparison.
Jing Duan, Ru-Jin Huang, Yifang Gu, Chunshui Lin, Haobin Zhong, Wei Xu, Quan Liu, Yan You, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Darius Ceburnis, Thorsten Hoffmann, and Colin O'Dowd
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 10139–10153, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10139-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-10139-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Biomass-burning-influenced oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA-BB), formed from the photochemical oxidation and aging of biomass burning OA (BBOA), was resolved in urban Xi’an. The aqueous-phase processed oxygenated OA (aq-OOA) concentration was more dependent on secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA) content and aerosol liquid water content (ALWC). The increased aq-OOA contribution during SIA-enhanced periods likely reflects OA evolution due to the addition of alcohol or peroxide groups
Haobin Zhong, Ru-Jin Huang, Chunshui Lin, Wei Xu, Jing Duan, Yifang Gu, Wei Huang, Haiyan Ni, Chongshu Zhu, Yan You, Yunfei Wu, Renjian Zhang, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Darius Ceburnis, and Colin D. O'Dowd
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 9513–9524, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-9513-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-9513-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
To investigate the physico-chemical properties of aerosol transported from major pollution regions in China, observations were conducted ~200 m above the ground at the junction location of the two key pollution areas. We found that the formation efficiency, oxidation state and production rate of secondary aerosol were different in the transport sectors from different pollution regions, and they were largely enhanced by the regional long-distance transport.
Julia Schmale, Sangeeta Sharma, Stefano Decesari, Jakob Pernov, Andreas Massling, Hans-Christen Hansson, Knut von Salzen, Henrik Skov, Elisabeth Andrews, Patricia K. Quinn, Lucia M. Upchurch, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Rita Traversi, Stefania Gilardoni, Mauro Mazzola, James Laing, and Philip Hopke
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 3067–3096, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-3067-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-3067-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Long-term data sets of Arctic aerosol properties from 10 stations across the Arctic provide evidence that anthropogenic influence on the Arctic atmospheric chemical composition has declined in winter, a season which is typically dominated by mid-latitude emissions. The number of significant trends in summer is smaller than in winter, and overall the pattern is ambiguous with some significant positive and negative trends. This reflects the mixed influence of natural and anthropogenic emissions.
Kimmo Korhonen, Thomas Bjerring Kristensen, John Falk, Vilhelm B. Malmborg, Axel Eriksson, Louise Gren, Maja Novakovic, Sam Shamun, Panu Karjalainen, Lassi Markkula, Joakim Pagels, Birgitta Svenningsson, Martin Tunér, Mika Komppula, Ari Laaksonen, and Annele Virtanen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 1615–1631, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-1615-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-1615-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated the ice-nucleating abilities of particulate emissions from a modern diesel engine using the portable ice-nuclei counter SPIN, a continuous-flow diffusion chamber instrument. Three different fuels were studied without blending, including fossil diesel and two renewable fuels, testing different emission aftertreatment systems and photochemical aging. We found that the diesel emissions were inefficient ice nuclei, and aging had no or little effect on their ice-nucleating abilities.
Peifeng Su, Jorma Joutsensaari, Lubna Dada, Martha Arbayani Zaidan, Tuomo Nieminen, Xinyang Li, Yusheng Wu, Stefano Decesari, Sasu Tarkoma, Tuukka Petäjä, Markku Kulmala, and Petri Pellikka
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 1293–1309, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-1293-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-1293-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We regarded the banana shapes in the surface plots as a special kind of object (similar to cats) and applied an instance segmentation technique to automatically identify the new particle formation (NPF) events (especially the strongest ones), in addition to their growth rates, start times, and end times. The automatic method generalized well on datasets collected in different sites, which is useful for long-term data series analysis and obtaining statistical properties of NPF events.
Chunshui Lin, Darius Ceburnis, Anna Trubetskaya, Wei Xu, William Smith, Stig Hellebust, John Wenger, Colin O'Dowd, and Jurgita Ovadnevaite
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6905–6916, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6905-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6905-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Source apportionment of solid-fuel-burning emissions can be complicated by the use of different fuels, stoves, and burning conditions. Here, the organic aerosol mass spectra produced from burning a range of solid fuels in several stoves were compared. This study accounts for the source variability and provides better constraints on the primary factor contributions to the ambient organic aerosol estimations, holding significant implications for public health and policymakers.
Gloria Titos, María A. Burgos, Paul Zieger, Lucas Alados-Arboledas, Urs Baltensperger, Anne Jefferson, James Sherman, Ernest Weingartner, Bas Henzing, Krista Luoma, Colin O'Dowd, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Elisabeth Andrews
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 13031–13050, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13031-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13031-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This paper investigates the impact of water uptake on aerosol optical properties, in particular the aerosol light-scattering coefficient. Although in situ measurements are performed at low relative humidity (typically at
RH < 40 %), to address the climatic impact of aerosol particles it is necessary to take into account the effect that water uptake may have on the aerosol optical properties.
Janne Lampilahti, Hanna E. Manninen, Tuomo Nieminen, Sander Mirme, Mikael Ehn, Iida Pullinen, Katri Leino, Siegfried Schobesberger, Juha Kangasluoma, Jenni Kontkanen, Emma Järvinen, Riikka Väänänen, Taina Yli-Juuti, Radovan Krejci, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Janne Levula, Aadu Mirme, Stefano Decesari, Ralf Tillmann, Douglas R. Worsnop, Franz Rohrer, Astrid Kiendler-Scharr, Tuukka Petäjä, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Thomas F. Mentel, and Markku Kulmala
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 12649–12663, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12649-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12649-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We studied aerosol particle formation and growth in different parts of the planetary boundary layer at two different locations (Po Valley, Italy, and Hyytiälä, Finland). The observations consist of airborne measurements on board an instrumented Zeppelin and a small airplane combined with comprehensive ground-based measurements.
Dimitrios Bousiotis, Francis D. Pope, David C. S. Beddows, Manuel Dall'Osto, Andreas Massling, Jakob Klenø Nøjgaard, Claus Nordstrøm, Jarkko V. Niemi, Harri Portin, Tuukka Petäjä, Noemi Perez, Andrés Alastuey, Xavier Querol, Giorgos Kouvarakis, Nikos Mihalopoulos, Stergios Vratolis, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Alfred Wiedensohler, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Thomas Tuch, and Roy M. Harrison
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 11905–11925, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11905-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11905-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Formation of new particles is a key process in the atmosphere. New particle formation events arising from nucleation of gaseous precursors have been analysed in extensive datasets from 13 sites in five European countries in terms of frequency, nucleation rate, and particle growth rate, with several common features and many differences identified. Although nucleation frequencies are lower at roadside sites, nucleation rates and particle growth rates are typically higher.
Congbo Song, Manuel Dall'Osto, Angelo Lupi, Mauro Mazzola, Rita Traversi, Silvia Becagli, Stefania Gilardoni, Stergios Vratolis, Karl Espen Yttri, David C. S. Beddows, Julia Schmale, James Brean, Agung Ghani Kramawijaya, Roy M. Harrison, and Zongbo Shi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 11317–11335, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11317-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11317-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We present a cluster analysis of relatively long-term (2015–2019) aerosol aerodynamic volume size distributions up to 20 μm in the Arctic for the first time. The study found that anthropogenic and natural aerosols comprised 27 % and 73 % of the occurrence of the coarse-mode aerosols, respectively. Our study shows that about two-thirds of the coarse-mode aerosols are related to two sea-spray-related aerosol clusters, indicating that sea spray aerosol may more complex in the Arctic environment.
Ana A. Piedehierro, André Welti, Angela Buchholz, Kimmo Korhonen, Iida Pullinen, Ilkka Summanen, Annele Virtanen, and Ari Laaksonen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 11069–11078, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11069-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-11069-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Ice crystals in cirrus clouds contain particles that start ice formation. We study whether particles forming above boreal forests can help in the making of cirrus clouds and if the water content in the particles affects this property. In the laboratory, we made boreal-forest-like particles and cooled and humidified them to measure whether an ice crystal develops. We found that only when dry can these particles form an ice crystal but no better than solution droplets.
Cited articles
Allan, J. D., Williams, P. I., Morgan, W. T., Martin, C. L., Flynn, M. J., Lee, J., Nemitz, E., Phillips, G. J., Gallagher, M. W., and Coe, H.: Contributions from transport, solid fuel burning and cooking to primary organic aerosols in two UK cities, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 647–668, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-647-2010, 2010.
Ansari, A. S. and Pandis, S. N.: Prediction of multicomponent inorganic atmospheric aerosol behavior, Atmos. Environ., 33, 745–757, 1999.
Anttila, T., Vaattovaara, P., Komppula, M., Hyvärinen, A.-P., Lihavainen, H., Kerminen, V.-M., and Laaksonen, A.: Size-dependent activation of aerosols into cloud droplets at a subarctic background site during the second Pallas Cloud Experiment (2nd PaCE): method development and data evaluation, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 4841–4854, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-4841-2009, 2009.
Atkinson, R., Calvert, J. G., Kerr, J. A., Madronich, S., Moortgat, G. K., Wallington, T. J., and Yarwood. G.: The mechanism of Atmospheric Oxidation of the Alkenes, Oxford Univ. Press., Oxford, UK, 172–335, 2000.
Baltensperger, U., Kalberer, M., Dommen, J., Paulsen, D., Alfarra, M. R., Coe, H., Fisseha, R., Gascho, A., Gysel, M., Nyeki, S., Sax, M., Steinbacher, M., Prévôt, A. S. H., Sjøgren, S., Weingartner, E., and Zenobi, R.: Secondary organic aerosols from anthropogenic and biogenic precursors. Faraday Discuss., 130, 265–278, 2005.
Boy, M., Petäjä, T., Dal Maso, M., Rannik, Ü., Rinne, J., Aalto, P., Laaksonen, A., Vaattovaara, P., Joutsensaari, J., Hoffmann, T., Warnke, J., Apostolaki, M., Stephanou, E. G., Tsapakis, M., Kouvarakis, A., Pio, C., Carvalho, A., Römpp, A., Moortgat, G., Spirig, C., Guenther, A., Greenberg, J., Ciccioli, P., Kulmala, M.: Overview of the field measurement campaign in Hyytiälä, August 2001 in the framework of the EU project OSOA, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 4, 657–678, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-4-657-2004, 2004.
Canagaratna, M. R., Jayne, J. T., Ghertner, D. A., Herndon, S., Shi, Q., Jimenez, J. L., Silva, P. J., Williams, P., Lanni, T., Drewnick, F., Demerjian, K. L., Kolb, C. E., and Worsnop, D. R.: Chemical and microphysical characterization of aerosols via Aerosol Mass Spectrometry, Mass Spectrom. Rev., 26, 185–222, 2007.
Dall'Osto, M., Beddows, D.C.S., Pey, J., Rodriguez, S., Alastuey, A., Harrison, Roy M., and Querol, X.: Urban aerosol size distributions over the Mediterranean city of Barcelona, NE Spain, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 10693–10707, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-10693-2012, 2012.
Dennis, W. L.: The growth of hygroscopic drops in a humid air stream. Discussions of the Faraday Society, 30, 78–85, 1960.
Duplissy, J., DeCarlo, P. F., Dommen, J., Alfarra, M. R., Metzger, A., Barmpadimos, I., Prevot, A. S. H., Weingartner, E., Tritscher, T., Gysel, M., Aiken, A. C., Jimenez, J. L., Canagaratna, M. R., Worsnop, D. R., Collins, D. R., Tomlinson, J., and Baltensperger, U.: Relating hygroscopicity and composition of organic aerosol particulate matter, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 11, 1155–1165, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-11-1155-2011, 2011.
Gasparini, R., Li, R., and Collins, D. R.: Integration of size distributions and size-resolved hygroscopicity measured during the Houston Supersite for compositional categorization of the aerosol, Atmos. Environ., 38, 3285–3303, 2004.
Gysel, M., McFiggans, G. B., and Coe, H.: Inversion of tandem differential mobility analyser (TDMA) measurements, J. Aerosol Sci., 40, 134–151, 2009.
Gysel, M., Weingartner, E., Nyeki, S., Paulsen, D., Baltensperger, U., Galambos, I., and Kiss, G.: Hygroscopic properties of water-soluble matter and humic-like organics in atmospheric fine aerosol, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 4, 35–50, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-4-35-2004, 2004.
Hegg, D., Larson, T., and Po-Fat, Y.: A theoretical study of the effect of relative humidity on light scattering by tropospheric aerosols, J. Geophys. Res., 98, 18435–18439, 1993.
Jayne, T. J., leard, C. D., zhang, X., Davidovits, P., Smith, A. K., Kolb, E. C., and Worsnop, R. D.: Development of an aerosol mass spectrometer for size and composition analysis of submicron particles, Taylor and Francis, Colchester, Royaume-Uni, 50–70, 2000.
Jimenez, J .L., Jayne, J. T., Shi, Q., Kolb, C. E., Worsnop, D. R., Yourshaw, I., Seinfeld, J. H., Flagan, R. C., Zhang, X., Smith, K. A., Morris, J. W., and Davidovits, P.: Ambient aerosol sampling using the Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer, J. Geophys. Res. D Atmos., 108, SOS 13-1–SOS 13-13, 2003.
Jones, H. M., Crosier, J., Russell, A., Flynn, M. J., Irwin, M., Choularton, T. W., Coe, H., and McFiggans, G.: In situ aerosol measurements taken during the 2007 COPS field campaign at the Hornisgrinde ground site, Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 137, 252–266, 2011.
Joutsensaari, J., Vaattovaara, P., Vesterinen, M., Hämeri, K., and Laaksonen, A.: A novel tandem differential mobility analyzer with organic vapor treatment of aerosol particles, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 1, 51–60, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-1-51-2001, 2001.
Jurányi, Z., Gysel, M., Weingartner, E., Decarlo, P. F., Kammermann, L., Baltensperger, U.: Measured and modelled cloud condensation nuclei number concentration at the high alpine site Jungfraujoch, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 7891–7906, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-7891-2010, 2010.
Kittelson, D. B.: Engines and nanoparticles: A review, J. Aerosol Sci., 29, 575-588, 1998.
Knutson, E. O. and Whitby, K. T.: Aerosol classification by electric mobility: apparatus, theory, and applications, J. Aerosol Sci., 6, 443–451, 1975.
Kupiainen, K. and Klimont, Z.: Primary emissions of fine carbonaceous particles in Europe, Atmos. Environ., 41, 2156–2170, 2007.
Lanz, V.A., Alfarra, M. R., Baltensperger, U., Buchmann, B., Hueglin, C., Prévôt, A. S. H.: Source apportionment of submicron organic aerosols at an urban site by factor analytical modelling of aerosol mass spectra, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 7, 1503–1522, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-7-1503-2007, 2007.
Lee, E., Chan, C. K., Paatero, P.: Application of positive matrix factorization in source apportionment of particulate pollutants in Hong Kong, Atmos. Environ., 33, 3201–3212, 1999.
Liu, B. Y. H., Pui, D. Y. H., and Whitby, K. T.: The aerosol mobility chromatograph: a new detector for sulfuric acid aerosols. Atmos. Environ., 12, 99–104, 1978.
Massoli, P., Lambe, A. T., Ahern, A. T., Williams, L. R., Ehn, M., Mikkilä, J., Canagaratna, M. R., Brune, W. H., Onasch, T. B., Jayne, J. T., Petäjä, T., Kulmala, M., Laaksonen, A., Kolb, C. E., Davidovits, P., and Worsnop, D. R.: Relationship between aerosol oxidation level and hygroscopic properties of laboratory generated secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L24801, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GL045258, 2011.
McFiggans, G., Artaxo, P., Baltensperger, U., Coe, H., Facchini, M. C., Feingold, G., Fuzzi, S., Gysel, M., Laaksonen, A., Lohmann, U., Mentel, T. F., Murphy, D. M., O'Dowd, C. D., Snider, J. R., and Weingartner, E.: The effect of physical and chemical aerosol properties on warm cloud droplet activation, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 6, 2593–2649, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-6-2593-2006, 2006.
McInnes, L., Bergin, M., Ogren, J., and Schwartz, S.: Apportionment of light scattering and hygroscopic growth to aerosol composition. Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 513–516, 1998.
Meyer, N. K., Duplissy, J., Gysel, M., Metzger, A., Dommen, J., Weingartner, E., Alfarra, M. R., Prevot, A. S. H., Fletcher, C., Good, N., McFiggans, G., Jonsson, Å. M., Hallquist, M., Baltensperger, U., and Ristovski, Z. D.: Analysis of the hygroscopic and volatile properties of ammonium sulphate seeded and unseeded SOA particles, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 721–732, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-721-2009, 2009.
Middlebrook, A. M., Bahreini, R., Jimenez, J. L., and Canagaratna, M. R.: Evaluation of Composition-Dependent Collection Efficiencies for the Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer using Field Data, Aerosol Sci. Technol., 46, 258–271, https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2011.620041, 2012.
Mochida, M. and Kawamura, K.: Hygroscopic properties of levoglucosan and related organic compounds characteristic to biomass burning aerosol particles, J. Geophys. Res. D Atmos., 109, 1–8, 2004.
Mochida, M., Miyakawa, T., Takegawa, N., Morino, Y., Kawamura, K., and Kondo, Y.: Significant alteration in the hygroscopic properties of urban aerosol particles by the secondary formation of organics, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L02804, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL031310, 2008.
Ng, N. L., Kroll, J. H., Keywood, M. D., Bahreini, R., Varutbangkul, V., Flagan, R. C., Seinfeld, J. H., Lee, A., and Goldstein, A. H.: Contribution of first- versus second-generation products to secondary organic aerosols formed in the oxidation of biogenic hydrocarbons, Environ. Sci. Technol., 40, 2283–2297, 2006.
Paatero, P. and Tapper, U.: Positive matrix factorization: a non-negative factor model with optimal utilization of error estimates of data values, Environmetrics, 5, 111–126, 1994.
Raatikainen, T., Vaattovaara, P., Tiitta, P., Miettinen, P., Rautiainen, J., Ehn, M., Kulmala, M., Laaksonen, A., and Worsnop, D. R.: Physicochemical properties and origin of organic groups detected in boreal forest using an aerosol mass spectrometer, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 2063–2077, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-2063-2010, 2010.
Rogge, W. F., Hildemann, L. M., Mazurek, M. A., Cass, G. R., and Simoneit, B. R. T.: Sources of fine organic aerosol. 2. Noncatalyst and catalyst-equipped automobiles and heavy-duty diesel trucks, Environ. Sci. Technol., 27, 636–651, 1993.
Saxena, P., Hildemann, L. M., McMurry, P. H., and Seinfeld, J. H.: Organics alter hygroscopic behavior of atmospheric particles, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 18755–18770, 1995.
Schauer, J. J., Rogge, W. F., Hildemann, L. M., Mazurek, M. A., Cass, G. R., and Simoneit, B. R. T.: Source apportionment of airborne particulate matter using organic compounds as tracers, Atmos. Environ., 30, 3837–3855, 1996.
Svenningsson, B., Hansson, H. C., Wiedensohler, A., Noone, K., Ogren, J., Hallberg, A., and Colvile, R.: Hygroscopic growth of aerosol particles and its influence on nucleation scavenging in cloud: Experimental results from Kleiner Feldberg, J. Atmos. Chem., 19, 129–152, 1994.
Swietlicki, E., Hansson, H. C., Hämeri, K., Svenningsson, B., Massling, A., McFiggans, G., McMurry, P. H., Petäjä, T., Tunved, P., Gysel, M., Topping, D., Weingartner, E., Baltensperger, U., Rissler, J., Wiedensohler, A., and Kulmala, M.: Hygroscopic properties of submicrometer atmospheric aerosol particles measured with H-TDMA instruments in various environments – A review, Tellus B: Chem. Phys. Meteorol., 60, 432–469, 2008.
Tiitta, P., Miettinen, P., Vaattovaara, P., Joutsensaari, J., Petäjä, T., Virtanen, A., Raatikainen, T., Aalto, P., Portin, H., Romakkaniemi, S., Kokkola, H., Lehtinen, K. E. J., Kulmala, M., and Laaksonen, A.: Roadside aerosol study using hygroscopic, organic and volatility TDMAs: Characterization and mixing state, Atmos. Environ., 44, 976–986, 2010.
Ulbrich, I. M., Canagaratna, M. R., Zhang, Q., Worsnop, D. R., and Jimenez, J. L.: Interpretation of organic components from Positive Matrix Factorization of aerosol mass spectrometric data, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 2891–2918, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-2891-2009, 2009.
Vaattovaara, P., Räsänen, M., Kühn, T., Joutsensaari, and J., Laaksonen, A.: A method for detecting the presence of organic fraction in nucleation mode sized particles, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 5, 3277-3287, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-5-3277-2005, 2005.
Varutbangkul, V., Brechtel, F. J., Bahreini, R., Ng, N. L., Keywood, M. D., Kroll, J. H., Flagan, R. C., Seinfeld, J. H., Lee, A., and Goldstein, A. H.: Hygroscopicity of secondary organic aerosols formed by oxidation of cycloalkenes, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and related compounds, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 6, 2367–2388, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-6-2367-2006, 2006.
Zhang, Q., Worsnop, D. R., Canagaratna, M. R., and Jimenez, J. L.: Hydrocarbon-like and oxygenated organic aerosols in Pittsburgh: insights into sources and processes of organic aerosols, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 5, 3289–3311, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-5-3289-2005, 2005.
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint