Articles | Volume 18, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-15403-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-15403-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
26 Oct 2018
Research article |
| 26 Oct 2018
| 26 Oct 2018
Airborne particulate matter monitoring in Kenya using calibrated low-cost sensors
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT Birmingham, UK
Michael Gatari
Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
David Ng'ang'a
Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
Alexander Poynter
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT Birmingham, UK
Rhiannon Blake
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT Birmingham, UK
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Reduced visibility can indicate poor air quality. Using long-term visibility measurements, we explore the combined
influence of aerosol particle and gas characteristics, and meteorology on long-term visibility. The measured
data were fitted to a newly developed light-extinction model to generate predictions of historic aerosol and
gas scattering and absorbing properties. This approach allows for estimation of historic aerosol properties where measurements are not available.
Suad S. Al-Kindi, Francis D. Pope, David C. Beddows, William J. Bloss, and Roy M. Harrison
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 15561–15579, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-15561-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-15561-2016, 2016
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Oleic acid is a chemical substance which is emitted from cooking processes and is present as tiny particles in the atmosphere. The oleic acid in the particles reacts chemically with atmospheric ozone, causing substantial changes to the composition of the particles. This paper uses new techniques to explore these chemical reactions and the effect of humidity upon them. The significance of the results for the atmosphere is considered.
Mingjin Tang, James Keeble, Paul J. Telford, Francis D. Pope, Peter Braesicke, Paul T. Griffiths, N. Luke Abraham, James McGregor, I. Matt Watson, R. Anthony Cox, John A. Pyle, and Markus Kalberer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 15397–15412, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-15397-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-15397-2016, 2016
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We have investigated for the first time the heterogeneous hydrolysis of ClONO2 on TiO2 and SiO2 aerosol particles at room temperature and at different relative humidities (RHs), using an aerosol flow tube. The kinetic data reported in our current and previous studies have been included in the UKCA chemistry–climate model to assess the impact of TiO2 injection on stratospheric chemistry and stratospheric ozone in particular.
H.-J. Tong, B. Ouyang, N. Nikolovski, D. M. Lienhard, F. D. Pope, and M. Kalberer
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 1183–1195, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1183-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1183-2015, 2015
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This paper describes a newly designed cold electrodynamic balance (EDB) which can be used to study the evaporation kinetics and freezing properties of aerosols at temperatures down to -40˚C. The abilities of the new EDB are exemplified through the study of the immersion freezing properties of water droplets containing extracts of water birch pollen (Betula fontinalis occidentalis). Protein-rich pollen extracts are found to be significantly more ice-active than non-proteinaceous extracts.
M. J. Tang, P. J. Telford, F. D. Pope, L. Rkiouak, N. L. Abraham, A. T. Archibald, P. Braesicke, J. A. Pyle, J. McGregor, I. M. Watson, R. A. Cox, and M. Kalberer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 6035–6048, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6035-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-6035-2014, 2014
M. von Hobe, S. Bekki, S. Borrmann, F. Cairo, F. D'Amato, G. Di Donfrancesco, A. Dörnbrack, A. Ebersoldt, M. Ebert, C. Emde, I. Engel, M. Ern, W. Frey, S. Genco, S. Griessbach, J.-U. Grooß, T. Gulde, G. Günther, E. Hösen, L. Hoffmann, V. Homonnai, C. R. Hoyle, I. S. A. Isaksen, D. R. Jackson, I. M. Jánosi, R. L. Jones, K. Kandler, C. Kalicinsky, A. Keil, S. M. Khaykin, F. Khosrawi, R. Kivi, J. Kuttippurath, J. C. Laube, F. Lefèvre, R. Lehmann, S. Ludmann, B. P. Luo, M. Marchand, J. Meyer, V. Mitev, S. Molleker, R. Müller, H. Oelhaf, F. Olschewski, Y. Orsolini, T. Peter, K. Pfeilsticker, C. Piesch, M. C. Pitts, L. R. Poole, F. D. Pope, F. Ravegnani, M. Rex, M. Riese, T. Röckmann, B. Rognerud, A. Roiger, C. Rolf, M. L. Santee, M. Scheibe, C. Schiller, H. Schlager, M. Siciliani de Cumis, N. Sitnikov, O. A. Søvde, R. Spang, N. Spelten, F. Stordal, O. Sumińska-Ebersoldt, A. Ulanovski, J. Ungermann, S. Viciani, C. M. Volk, M. vom Scheidt, P. von der Gathen, K. Walker, T. Wegner, R. Weigel, S. Weinbruch, G. Wetzel, F. G. Wienhold, I. Wohltmann, W. Woiwode, I. A. K. Young, V. Yushkov, B. Zobrist, and F. Stroh
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 9233–9268, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-9233-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-9233-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Aerosols | Research Activity: Field Measurements | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Physics (physical properties and processes)
Vertical structure of a springtime smoky and humid troposphere over the southeast Atlantic from aircraft and reanalysis
Shipborne observations of black carbon aerosols in the western Arctic Ocean during summer and autumn 2016–2020: impact of boreal fires
Attribution of aerosol particle number size distributions to main sources using an 11-year urban dataset
Contribution of fluorescent primary biological aerosol particles to low-level Arctic cloud residuals
Opinion: New directions in atmospheric research offered by research infrastructures combined with open and data-intensive science
Measurement report: A comparison of ground-level ice-nucleating-particle abundance and aerosol properties during autumn at contrasting marine and terrestrial locations
Efficient droplet activation of ambient black carbon particles in a suburban environment
Tropospheric sulfate from Cumbre Vieja (La Palma) observed over Cabo Verde contrasted with background conditions: a lidar case study of aerosol extinction, backscatter, depolarization and lidar ratio profiles at 355, 532 and 1064 nm
The radiative impact of biomass burning aerosols on dust emissions over Namibia and the long-range transport of smoke observed during the Aerosols, Radiation and Clouds in southern Africa (AEROCLO-sA) campaign
Extending the wind profile beyond the surface layer by combining physical and machine learning approaches
Amazonian aerosol size distributions in a lognormal phase space: characteristics and trajectories
Measurement report: Hygroscopicity of size-selected aerosol particles in the heavily polluted urban atmosphere of Delhi: impacts of chloride aerosol
An observation-constrained estimation of brown carbon aerosol direct radiative effects
The Puy de Dôme ICe Nucleation Intercomparison Campaign (PICNIC): comparison between online and offline methods in ambient air
Optical properties and simple forcing efficiency of the organic aerosols and black carbon emitted by residential wood burning in rural central Europe
Biological and dust aerosol as sources of ice nucleating particles in the Eastern Mediterranean: source apportionment, atmospheric processing and parameterization
Particle phase state and aerosol liquid water greatly impact secondary aerosol formation: insights into phase transition and its role in haze events
Measurement report: Nocturnal subsidence behind the cold front enhances surface particulate matter in plains regions: observations from the mobile multi-lidar system
Increase in precipitation scavenging contributes to long-term reductions of light-absorbing aerosol in the Arctic
Sea spray emissions from the Baltic Sea: comparison of aerosol eddy covariance fluxes and chamber-simulated sea spray emissions
Higher absorption enhancement of black carbon in summer shown by 2-year measurements at the high-altitude mountain site of Pic du Midi Observatory in the French Pyrenees
Quantifying the dust direct radiative effect in the Southwestern United States: findings from multiyear measurements
Variations of the atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations, sources, and health risk and the direct medical costs of lung cancer around the Bohai Sea against a background of pollution prevention and control in China
Contrail processed aviation soot aerosol are poor ice nucleating particles at cirrus temperatures
Measurement report: Contribution of atmospheric new particle formation to ultrafine particle concentration, cloud condensation nuclei and radiative forcing: Results from five-year observations in Central Europe
Vertically resolved aerosol variability at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory under wet season conditions
Introducing the novel concept of cumulative concentration roses for studying the transport of ultrafine particles from an airport to adjacent residential areas
Significant spatial gradients in new particle formation frequency in Greece during summer
Impact of desert dust on new particle formation events and the cloud condensation nuclei budget in dust-influenced areas
Active thermokarst regions contain rich sources of ice-nucleating particles
Examining the vertical heterogeneity of aerosols over the Southern Great Plains
Drivers controlling black carbon temporal variability in the lower troposphere of the European Arctic
Opinion: The strength of long-term comprehensive observations to meet multiple grand challenges in different environments and in the atmosphere
Measurement report: Size-resolved mass concentration of equivalent black carbon-containing particles larger than 700 nm and their role in radiation
Aerosol absorption using in situ filter-based photometers and ground-based sun photometry in the Po Valley urban atmosphere
Aerosol and dynamical contributions to cloud droplet formation in Arctic low-level clouds
Aircraft ice-nucleating particle and aerosol composition measurements in the western North American Arctic
Mechanisms controlling giant sea salt aerosol size distributions along a tropical orographic coastline
New particle formation leads to enhanced cloud condensation nuclei concentrations on the Antarctic Peninsula
Mixing state and effective density of aerosol particles during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games
Quantified effect of seawater biogeochemistry on the temperature dependence of sea spray aerosol fluxes
Annual cycle of aerosol properties over the central Arctic during MOSAiC 2019–2020 – light-extinction, CCN, and INP levels from the boundary layer to the tropopause
3D assimilation and radiative impact assessment of aerosol black carbon over the Indian region using aircraft, balloon, ground-based, and multi-satellite observations
Evaluation of aerosol- and gas-phase tracers for identification of transported biomass burning emissions in an industrially influenced location in Texas, USA
Physicochemical characterization and source apportionment of Arctic ice-nucleating particles observed in Ny-Ålesund in autumn 2019
Cyclones enhance the transport of sea spray aerosols to the high atmosphere in the Southern Ocean
Impact of 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns on particulate air pollution across Europe
New particle formation in the tropical free troposphere during CAMP2Ex: statistics and impact of emission sources, convective activity, and synoptic conditions
Explaining apparent particle shrinkage related to new particle formation events in western Saudi Arabia does not require evaporation
Investigation of the effects of the Greek extreme wildfires of August 2021 on air quality and spectral solar irradiance
Kristina Pistone, Eric M. Wilcox, Paquita Zuidema, Marco Giordano, James Podolske, Samuel E. LeBlanc, Meloë Kacenelenbogen, Steven G. Howell, and Steffen Freitag
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 7983–8005, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7983-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7983-2024, 2024
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The springtime southeast Atlantic atmosphere contains lots of smoke from continental fires. This smoke travels with water vapor; more smoke means more humidity. We use aircraft observations and models to describe how the values change through the season and over the region. We sort the atmosphere into different types by vertical structure and amount of smoke and humidity. Since our work shows how frequently these components coincide, it helps to better quantify heating effects over this region.
Yange Deng, Hiroshi Tanimoto, Kohei Ikeda, Sohiko Kameyama, Sachiko Okamoto, Jinyoung Jung, Young Jun Yoon, Eun Jin Yang, and Sung-Ho Kang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 6339–6357, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-6339-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-6339-2024, 2024
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Black carbon (BC) aerosols play important roles in Arctic climate change, yet they are not well understood because of limited observational data. We observed BC mass concentrations (mBC) in the western Arctic Ocean during summer and early autumn 2016–2020. The mean mBC in 2019 was much higher than in other years. Biomass burning was likely the dominant BC source. Boreal fire BC transport occurring near the surface and/or in the mid-troposphere contributed to high-BC events in the Arctic Ocean.
Máté Vörösmarty, Philip K. Hopke, and Imre Salma
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 5695–5712, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5695-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5695-2024, 2024
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The World Health Organization identified ultrafine particles, which make up most of the particle number concentrations, as a potential risk factor for humans. The sources of particle numbers are very different from those of the particulate matter mass. We performed source apportionment of size-segregated particle number concentrations over the diameter range of 6–1000 nm in Budapest for 11 full years. Six source types were identified, characterized and quantified.
Gabriel Pereira Freitas, Ben Kopec, Kouji Adachi, Radovan Krejci, Dominic Heslin-Rees, Karl Espen Yttri, Alun Hubbard, Jeffrey M. Welker, and Paul Zieger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 5479–5494, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5479-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5479-2024, 2024
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Bioaerosols can participate in ice formation within clouds. In the Arctic, where global warming manifests most, they may become more important as their sources prevail for longer periods of the year. We have directly measured bioaerosols within clouds for a full year at an Arctic mountain site using a novel combination of cloud particle sampling and single-particle techniques. We show that bioaerosols act as cloud seeds and may influence the presence of ice within clouds.
Andreas Petzold, Ulrich Bundke, Anca Hienola, Paolo Laj, Cathrine Lund Myhre, Alex Vermeulen, Angeliki Adamaki, Werner Kutsch, Valerie Thouret, Damien Boulanger, Markus Fiebig, Markus Stocker, Zhiming Zhao, and Ari Asmi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 5369–5388, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5369-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5369-2024, 2024
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Easy and fast access to long-term and high-quality observational data is recognised as fundamental to environmental research and the development of climate forecasting and assessment services. We discuss the potential new directions in atmospheric sciences offered by the atmosphere-centric European research infrastructures ACTRIS, IAGOS, and ICOS, building on their capabilities for standardised provision of data through open access combined with tools and methods of data-intensive science.
Elise K. Wilbourn, Larissa Lacher, Carlos Guerrero, Hemanth S. K. Vepuri, Kristina Höhler, Jens Nadolny, Aidan D. Pantoya, Ottmar Möhler, and Naruki Hiranuma
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 5433–5456, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5433-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5433-2024, 2024
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Ambient ice particles were measured at terrestrial and temperate marine sites. Ice particles were more abundant in the former site, while the fraction of ice particles relative to total ambient particles, representing atmospheric ice nucleation efficiency, was higher in the latter site. Ice nucleation parameterizations were developed as a function of examined freezing temperatures from two sites for our study periods (autumn).
Ping Tian, Dantong Liu, Kang Hu, Yangzhou Wu, Mengyu Huang, Hui He, Jiujiang Sheng, Chenjie Yu, Dawei Hu, and Deping Ding
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 5149–5164, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5149-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5149-2024, 2024
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The results provide direct evidence of efficient droplet activation of black carbon (BC). The cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation fraction of BC was higher than for all particles, suggesting higher CCN activity of BC, even though its hygroscopicity is lower. Our research reveals that the evolution of BC's hygroscopicity and its CCN activation properties through atmospheric aging can be effectively characterized by the photochemical age.
Henriette Gebauer, Athena Augusta Floutsi, Moritz Haarig, Martin Radenz, Ronny Engelmann, Dietrich Althausen, Annett Skupin, Albert Ansmann, Cordula Zenk, and Holger Baars
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 5047–5067, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5047-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5047-2024, 2024
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Sulfate aerosol from the volcanic eruption at La Palma in 2021 was observed over Cabo Verde. We characterized the aerosol burden based on a case study of lidar and sun photometer observations. We compared the volcanic case to the typical background conditions (reference case) to quantify the volcanic pollution. We show the first ever measurements of the extinction coefficient, lidar ratio and depolarization ratio at 1064 nm for volcanic sulfate.
Cyrille Flamant, Jean-Pierre Chaboureau, Marco Gaetani, Kerstin Schepanski, and Paola Formenti
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 4265–4288, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-4265-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-4265-2024, 2024
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In the austral dry season, the atmospheric composition over southern Africa is dominated by biomass burning aerosols and terrigenous aerosols (so-called mineral dust). This study suggests that the radiative effect of biomass burning aerosols needs to be taken into account to properly forecast dust emissions in Namibia.
Boming Liu, Xin Ma, Jianping Guo, Renqiang Wen, Hui Li, Shikuan Jin, Yingying Ma, Xiaoran Guo, and Wei Gong
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 4047–4063, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-4047-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-4047-2024, 2024
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Accurate wind profile estimation, especially for the lowest few hundred meters of the atmosphere, is of great significance for the weather, climate, and renewable energy sector. We propose a novel method that combines the power-law method with the random forest algorithm to extend wind profiles beyond the surface layer. Compared with the traditional algorithm, this method has better stability and spatial applicability and can be used to obtain the wind profiles on different land cover types.
Gabriela R. Unfer, Luiz A. T. Machado, Paulo Artaxo, Marco A. Franco, Leslie A. Kremper, Mira L. Pöhlker, Ulrich Pöschl, and Christopher Pöhlker
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 3869–3882, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3869-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3869-2024, 2024
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Amazonian aerosols and their interactions with precipitation were studied by understanding them in a 3D space based on three parameters that characterize the concentration and size distribution of aerosols. The results showed characteristic arrangements regarding seasonal and diurnal cycles, as well as when interacting with precipitation. The use of this 3D space appears to be a promising tool for aerosol population analysis and for model validation and parameterization.
Anil Kumar Mandariya, Ajit Ahlawat, Mohammed Haneef, Nisar Ali Baig, Kanan Patel, Joshua Apte, Lea Hildebrandt Ruiz, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Gazala Habib
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 3627–3647, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3627-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3627-2024, 2024
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The current study explores the temporal variation of size-selected particle hygroscopicity in Delhi for the first time. Here, we report that the high volume fraction contribution of ammonium chloride to aerosol governs the high aerosol hygroscopicity and associated liquid water content based on the experimental data. The episodically high ammonium chloride present in Delhi's atmosphere could lead to haze and fog formation under high relative humidity in the region.
Yueyue Cheng, Chao Liu, Jiandong Wang, Jiaping Wang, Zhouyang Zhang, Li Chen, Dafeng Ge, Caijun Zhu, Jinbo Wang, and Aijun Ding
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 3065–3078, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3065-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-3065-2024, 2024
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Brown carbon (BrC), a light-absorbing aerosol, plays a pivotal role in influencing global climate. However, assessing BrC radiative effects remains challenging because the required observational data are hardly accessible. Here we develop a new BrC radiative effect estimation method combining conventional observations and numerical models. Our findings reveal that BrC absorbs up to a third of the sunlight at 370 nm that black carbon does, highlighting its importance in aerosol radiative effects.
Larissa Lacher, Michael P. Adams, Kevin Barry, Barbara Bertozzi, Heinz Bingemer, Cristian Boffo, Yannick Bras, Nicole Büttner, Dimitri Castarede, Daniel J. Cziczo, Paul J. DeMott, Romy Fösig, Megan Goodell, Kristina Höhler, Thomas C. J. Hill, Conrad Jentzsch, Luis A. Ladino, Ezra J. T. Levin, Stephan Mertes, Ottmar Möhler, Kathryn A. Moore, Benjamin J. Murray, Jens Nadolny, Tatjana Pfeuffer, David Picard, Carolina Ramírez-Romero, Mickael Ribeiro, Sarah Richter, Jann Schrod, Karine Sellegri, Frank Stratmann, Benjamin E. Swanson, Erik S. Thomson, Heike Wex, Martin J. Wolf, and Evelyn Freney
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2651–2678, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2651-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2651-2024, 2024
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Aerosol particles that trigger ice formation in clouds are important for the climate system but are very rare in the atmosphere, challenging measurement techniques. Here we compare three cloud chambers and seven methods for collecting aerosol particles on filters for offline analysis at a mountaintop station. A general good agreement of the methods was found when sampling aerosol particles behind a whole air inlet, supporting their use for obtaining data that can be implemented in models.
Andrea Cuesta-Mosquera, Kristina Glojek, Griša Močnik, Luka Drinovec, Asta Gregorič, Martin Rigler, Matej Ogrin, Baseerat Romshoo, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Dominik van Pinxteren, Hartmut Herrmann, Alfred Wiedensohler, Mira Pöhlker, and Thomas Müller
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2583–2605, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2583-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2583-2024, 2024
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This study evaluated the air pollution and climate impacts of residential-wood-burning particle emissions from a rural European site. The authors investigate the optical and physical properties that connect the aerosol emissions with climate by evaluating atmospheric radiative impacts via simple-forcing calculations. The study contributes to reducing the lack of information on the understanding of the optical properties of air pollution from anthropogenic sources.
Kunfeng Gao, Franziska Vogel, Romanos Foskinis, Stergios Vratolis, Maria I. Gini, Konstantinos Granakis, Anne-Claire Billault-Roux, Paraskevi Georgakaki, Olga Zografou, Prodromos Fetfatzis, Alexis Berne, Alexandros Papagiannis, Konstantinos Eleftheridadis, Ottmar Möhler, and Athanasios Nenes
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-511, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-511, 2024
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Ice nucleating particle concentrations (INPs) are required for correct predictions of clouds & precipitation in a changing climate and is poorly constrained in climate models. We unravel airmass & source contributions to INPs in the E.Mediterranean & find that biological particles are important regardless of origin (continental/marine – even during Saharan dust events). The parameterizations developed exhibit superior performance & enable models to consider biological particle effects on INPs.
Xiangxinyue Meng, Zhijun Wu, Jingchuan Chen, Yanting Qiu, Taomou Zong, Mijung Song, Jiyi Lee, and Min Hu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2399–2414, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2399-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2399-2024, 2024
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Our study revealed that particles predominantly exist in a semi-solid or solid state during clean winter days with RH below 30 %. However, a non-liquid to a liquid phase transition occurred when the aerosol liquid water (ALW) mass fraction surpassed 15 % (dry mass) at transition RH thresholds ranging from 40 % to 60 %. We also provide insights into the increasingly important roles of particle phase state variation and ALW in secondary particulate growth during haze formation in Beijing, China.
Yiming Wang, Haolin Wang, Yujie Qin, Xinqi Xu, Guowen He, Nanxi Liu, Shengjie Miao, Xiao Lu, Haichao Wang, and Shaojia Fan
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2267–2285, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2267-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2267-2024, 2024
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We conducted a vertical measurement of winter PM2.5 using a mobile multi-lidar system in four cities. Combined with the surface PM2.5 data, the ERA5 reanalysis data, and GEOS-Chem simulations during Dec 2018–Feb 2019, we found that transport nocturnal PM2.5 enhancement by subsidence (T-NPES) events widely occurred with high frequencies in plains regions in eastern China but happened less often in basin regions like Xi’an and Chengdu. We propose a conceptual model of the T-NPES events.
Dominic Heslin-Rees, Peter Tunved, Johan Ström, Roxana Cremer, Paul Zieger, Ilona Riipinen, Annica M. L. Ekman, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, and Radovan Krejci
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 2059–2075, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2059-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-2059-2024, 2024
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Light-absorbing atmospheric particles (e.g. black carbon – BC) exert a warming effect on the Arctic climate. We show that the amount of particle light absorption decreased from 2002 to 2023. We conclude that in addition to reductions in emissions of BC, wet removal plays a role in the long-term reduction of BC in the Arctic, given the increase in surface precipitation experienced by air masses arriving at the site. The potential impact of biomass burning events is shown to have increased.
Julika Zinke, Ernst Douglas Nilsson, Piotr Markuszewski, Paul Zieger, Eva Monica Mårtensson, Anna Rutgersson, Erik Nilsson, and Matthew Edward Salter
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 1895–1918, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1895-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1895-2024, 2024
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We conducted two research campaigns in the Baltic Sea, during which we combined laboratory sea spray simulation experiments with flux measurements on a nearby island. To combine these two methods, we scaled the laboratory measurements to the flux measurements using three different approaches. As a result, we derived a parameterization that is dependent on wind speed and wave state for particles with diameters 0.015–10 μm. This parameterization is applicable to low-salinity waters.
Sarah Tinorua, Cyrielle Denjean, Pierre Nabat, Thierry Bourrianne, Véronique Pont, François Gheusi, and Emmanuel Leclerc
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 1801–1824, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1801-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1801-2024, 2024
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At a French high-altitude site, where many complex interactions between black carbon (BC), radiation, clouds and snow impact climate, 2 years of refractive BC (rBC) and aerosol optical and microphysical measurements have been made. We observed strong seasonal rBC properties variations, with an enhanced absorption in summer compared to winter. The combination of rBC emission sources, transport pathways, atmospheric dynamics and chemical processes explains the rBC light absorption seasonality.
Alexandra Meiko Kuwano, Amato Evan, Blake Walkowiak, and Robert Frouin
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2024-1, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2024-1, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for ACP
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The dust direct radiative effect is highly uncertain. Here we used new measurements collected over three years and during dust storms at a field site in a desert region in southwestern United States to estimate the regional dust direct radiative effect. We also used novel soil mineralogy retrieved from an airborne spectrometer to estimate this parameter with model output. We find that, in this region, dust has a minimal net cooling effect on this region's climate.
Wenwen Ma, Rong Sun, Xiaoping Wang, Zheng Zong, Shizhen Zhao, Zeyu Sun, Chongguo Tian, Jianhui Tang, Song Cui, Jun Li, and Gan Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 1509–1523, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1509-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1509-2024, 2024
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This is the first report of long-term atmospheric PAH monitoring around the Bohai Sea. The results showed that the concentrations of PAHs in the atmosphere around the Bohai Sea decreased from June 2014 to May 2019, especially the concentrations of highly toxic PAHs. This indicates that the contributions from PAH sources changed to a certain extent in different areas, and it also led to reductions in the related health risk and medical costs following pollution prevention and control.
Baptiste Testa, Lukas Durdina, Jacinta Edebeli, Curdin Spirig, and Zamin A. Kanji
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-151, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-151, 2024
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Aviation soot residuals released from contrail can become compacted upon sublimation of the ice crystals, generating new voids in the aggregates, where ice nucleation can occur. Here we show that contrail processed soot are highly compact but that they remain unable to form ice at relative humidity different from that required for the formation of background cirrus from the more ubiquitous aqueous solution droplets, suggesting that they will not perturb cirrus cloud formation via ice nucleation.
Jia Sun, Markus Hermann, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Wolfram Birmili, Yifan Yang, Thomas Tuch, Harald Flentje, Björn Briel, Ludwig Ries, Cedric Couret, Michael Elsasser, Ralf Sohmer, Klaus Wirtz, Frank Meinhardt, Maik Schütze, Olaf Bath, Bryan Hellack, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Markku Kulmala, Nan Ma, and Alfred Wiedensohler
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2359, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2359, 2024
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We investigated the characteristics of new particle formation (NPF) for various environments from urban background to high Alpine, and the impacts of NPF on cloud condensation nuclei and aerosol radiative forcing. The NPF features differ between site categories, implying the crucial role of local environments such as degree of emissions and meteorological conditions. The results also underscore the importance of the local environments when assessing the impact of NPF on climate in models.
Marco A. Franco, Rafael Valiati, Bruna A. Holanda, Bruno B. Meller, Leslie A. Kremper, Luciana V. Rizzo, Samara Carbone, Fernando G. Morais, Janaína P. Nascimento, Meinrat O. Andreae, Micael A. Cecchini, Luiz A. T. Machado, Milena Ponczek, Ulrich Pöschl, David Walter, Christopher Pöhlker, and Paulo Artaxo
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2607, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2607, 2024
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The Amazon wet season atmosphere was studied at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory site, revealing vertical variations (between 60 and 325 m height) in natural aerosols. Daytime mixing contrasted with nighttime stratification, with distinct rain-induced changes in aerosol populations. Notably, optical properties recovery at higher levels was faster, while near-canopy aerosols showed higher scattering efficiency. These findings enhance our understanding of aerosol impacts on climate dynamics.
Julius Seidler, Markus N. Friedrich, Christoph K. Thomas, and Anke C. Nölscher
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 137–153, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-137-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-137-2024, 2024
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Here, we study the transport of ultrafine particles (UFPs) from an airport to two new adjacent measuring sites for 1 year. The number of UFPs in the air and the diurnal variation are typical urban. Winds from the airport show increased number concentrations. Additionally, considering wind frequencies, we estimate that, from all UFPs measured at the two sites, 10 %–14 % originate from the airport and/or other UFP sources from between the airport and site.
Andreas Aktypis, Christos Kaltsonoudis, David Patoulias, Panayiotis Kalkavouras, Angeliki Matrali, Christina N. Vasilakopoulou, Evangelia Kostenidou, Kalliopi Florou, Nikos Kalivitis, Aikaterini Bougiatioti, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Stergios Vratolis, Maria I. Gini, Athanasios Kouras, Constantini Samara, Mihalis Lazaridis, Sofia-Eirini Chatoutsidou, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, and Spyros N. Pandis
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 65–84, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-65-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-65-2024, 2024
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Extensive continuous particle number size distribution measurements took place during two summers (2020 and 2021) at 11 sites in Greece for the investigation of the frequency and the spatial extent of new particle formation. The frequency during summer varied from close to zero in southwestern Greece to more than 60 % in the northern, central, and eastern regions. The spatial variability can be explained by the proximity of the sites to coal-fired power plants and agricultural areas.
Juan Andrés Casquero-Vera, Daniel Pérez-Ramírez, Hassan Lyamani, Fernando Rejano, Andrea Casans, Gloria Titos, Francisco José Olmo, Lubna Dada, Simo Hakala, Tareq Hussein, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Pauli Paasonen, Antti Hyvärinen, Noemí Pérez, Xavier Querol, Sergio Rodríguez, Nikos Kalivitis, Yenny González, Mansour A. Alghamdi, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Andrés Alastuey, Tuukka Petäjä, and Lucas Alados-Arboledas
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 15795–15814, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15795-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15795-2023, 2023
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Here we present the first study of the effect of mineral dust on the inhibition/promotion of new particle formation (NPF) events in different dust-influenced areas. Unexpectedly, we show that the occurrence of NPF events is highly frequent during mineral dust outbreaks, occurring even during extreme dust outbreaks. We also show that the occurrence of NPF events during mineral dust outbreaks significantly affects the potential cloud condensation nuclei budget.
Kevin R. Barry, Thomas C. J. Hill, Marina Nieto-Caballero, Thomas A. Douglas, Sonia M. Kreidenweis, Paul J. DeMott, and Jessie M. Creamean
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 15783–15793, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15783-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15783-2023, 2023
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Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) are important for the climate due to their influence on cloud properties. To understand potential land-based sources of them in the Arctic, we carried out a survey near the northernmost point of Alaska, a landscape connected to the permafrost (thermokarst). Permafrost contained high concentrations of INPs, with the largest values near the coast. The thermokarst lakes were found to emit INPs, and the water contained elevated concentrations.
Yang Wang, Chanakya Bagya Ramesh, Scott E. Giangrande, Jerome Fast, Xianda Gong, Jiaoshi Zhang, Ahmet Tolga Odabasi, Marcus Vinicius Batista Oliveira, Alyssa Matthews, Fan Mei, John E. Shilling, Jason Tomlinson, Die Wang, and Jian Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 15671–15691, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15671-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15671-2023, 2023
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We report the vertical profiles of aerosol properties over the Southern Great Plains (SGP), a region influenced by shallow convective clouds, land–atmosphere interactions, boundary layer turbulence, and the aerosol life cycle. We examined the processes that drive the aerosol population and distribution in the lower troposphere over the SGP. This study helps improve our understanding of aerosol–cloud interactions and the model representation of aerosol processes.
Stefania Gilardoni, Dominic Heslin-Rees, Mauro Mazzola, Vito Vitale, Michael Sprenger, and Radovan Krejci
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 15589–15607, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15589-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15589-2023, 2023
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Models still fail in reproducing black carbon (BC) temporal variability in the Arctic. Analysis of equivalent BC concentrations in the European Arctic shows that BC seasonal variability is modulated by the efficiency of removal by precipitation during transport towards high latitudes. Short-term variability is controlled by synoptic-scale circulation patterns. The advection of warm air from lower latitudes is an effective pollution transport pathway during summer.
Markku Kulmala, Anna Lintunen, Hanna Lappalainen, Annele Virtanen, Chao Yan, Ekaterina Ezhova, Tuomo Nieminen, Ilona Riipinen, Risto Makkonen, Johanna Tamminen, Anu-Maija Sundström, Antti Arola, Armin Hansel, Kari Lehtinen, Timo Vesala, Tuukka Petäjä, Jaana Bäck, Tom Kokkonen, and Veli-Matti Kerminen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14949–14971, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14949-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14949-2023, 2023
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To be able to meet global grand challenges, we need comprehensive open data with proper metadata. In this opinion paper, we describe the SMEAR (Station for Measuring Earth surface – Atmosphere Relations) concept and include several examples (cases), such as new particle formation and growth, feedback loops and the effect of COVID-19, and what has been learned from these investigations. The future needs and the potential of comprehensive observations of the environment are summarized.
Weilun Zhao, Ying Li, Gang Zhao, Song Guo, Nan Ma, Shuya Hu, and Chunsheng Zhao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14889–14902, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14889-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14889-2023, 2023
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Studies have concentrated on particles containing black carbon (BC) smaller than 700 nm because of technical limitations. In this study, BC-containing particles larger than 700 nm (BC>700) were measured, highlighting their importance to total BC mass and absorption. The contribution of BC>700 to the BC direct radiative effect was estimated, highlighting the necessity to consider the whole size range of BC-containing particles in the model estimation of BC radiative effects.
Alessandro Bigi, Giorgio Veratti, Elisabeth Andrews, Martine Collaud Coen, Lorenzo Guerrieri, Vera Bernardoni, Dario Massabò, Luca Ferrero, Sergio Teggi, and Grazia Ghermandi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14841–14869, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14841-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14841-2023, 2023
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Atmospheric particles include compounds that play a key role in the greenhouse effect and air toxicity. Concurrent observations of these compounds by multiple instruments are presented, following deployment within an urban environment in the Po Valley, one of Europe's pollution hotspots. The study compares these data, highlighting the impact of ground emissions, mainly vehicular traffic and biomass burning, on the absorption of sun radiation and, ultimately, on climate change and air quality.
Ghislain Motos, Gabriel Freitas, Paraskevi Georgakaki, Jörg Wieder, Guangyu Li, Wenche Aas, Chris Lunder, Radovan Krejci, Julie Thérèse Pasquier, Jan Henneberger, Robert Oscar David, Christoph Ritter, Claudia Mohr, Paul Zieger, and Athanasios Nenes
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13941–13956, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13941-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13941-2023, 2023
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Low-altitude clouds play a key role in regulating the climate of the Arctic, a region that suffers from climate change more than any other on the planet. We gathered meteorological and aerosol physical and chemical data over a year and utilized them for a parameterization that help us unravel the factors driving and limiting the efficiency of cloud droplet formation. We then linked this information to the sources of aerosol found during each season and to processes of cloud glaciation.
Alberto Sanchez-Marroquin, Sarah L. Barr, Ian T. Burke, James B. McQuaid, and Benjamin J. Murray
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13819–13834, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13819-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13819-2023, 2023
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The sources and concentrations of ice-nucleating particles (INPs) in the Arctic are still poorly understood. Here we report aircraft-based INP concentrations and aerosol composition in the western North American Arctic. The concentrations of INPs and all aerosol particles were low. The aerosol samples contained mostly sea salt and dust particles. Dust particles were more relevant for the INP concentrations than sea salt. However, dust alone cannot account for all of the measured INPs.
Katherine L. Ackerman, Alison D. Nugent, and Chung Taing
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13735–13753, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13735-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13735-2023, 2023
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Sea salt aerosol is an important marine aerosol that may be produced in greater quantities in coastal regions than over the open ocean. This study observed these particles along the windward coastline of O'ahu, Hawai'i, to understand how wind and waves influence their production and dispersal. Overall, wave heights were the strongest variable correlated with changes in aerosol concentrations, while wind speeds played an important role in their horizontal dispersal and vertical mixing.
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
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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.
Aodong Du, Jiaxing Sun, Hang Liu, Weiqi Xu, Wei Zhou, Yuting Zhang, Lei Li, Xubing Du, Yan Li, Xiaole Pan, Zifa Wang, and Yele Sun
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13597–13611, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13597-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13597-2023, 2023
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We characterized the impacts of emission controls on particle mixing state and density during the Beijing Olympic Winter Games using a SPAMS in tandem with a DMA and an AAC. OC and sulfate-containing particles increased, while those from primary emissions decreased. The effective particle densities increased and varied largely for different particles, highlighting the impacts of aging and formation processes on the changes of particle density and mixing state.
Karine Sellegri, Theresa Barthelmeß, Jonathan Trueblood, Antonia Cristi, Evelyn Freney, Clémence Rose, Neill Barr, Mike Harvey, Karl Safi, Stacy Deppeler, Karen Thompson, Wayne Dillon, Anja Engel, and Cliff Law
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 12949–12964, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12949-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12949-2023, 2023
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The amount of sea spray emitted to the atmosphere depends on the ocean temperature, but this dependency is not well understood, especially when ocean biology is involved. In this study, we show that sea spray emissions are increased by up to a factor of 4 at low seawater temperatures compared to moderate temperatures, and we quantify the temperature dependence as a function of the ocean biogeochemistry.
Albert Ansmann, Kevin Ohneiser, Ronny Engelmann, Martin Radenz, Hannes Griesche, Julian Hofer, Dietrich Althausen, Jessie M. Creamean, Matthew C. Boyer, Daniel A. Knopf, Sandro Dahlke, Marion Maturilli, Henriette Gebauer, Johannes Bühl, Cristofer Jimenez, Patric Seifert, and Ulla Wandinger
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 12821–12849, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12821-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12821-2023, 2023
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The 1-year MOSAiC (2019–2020) expedition with the German ice breaker Polarstern was the largest polar field campaign ever conducted. The Polarstern, with our lidar aboard, drifted with the pack ice north of 85° N for more than 7 months (October 2019 to mid-May 2020). We measured the full annual cycle of aerosol conditions in terms of aerosol optical and cloud-process-relevant properties. We observed a strong contrast between polluted winter and clean summer aerosol conditions.
Nair Krishnan Kala, Narayana Sarma Anand, Mohanan R. Manoj, Srinivasan Prasanth, Harshavardhana S. Pathak, Thara Prabhakaran, Pramod D. Safai, Krishnaswamy K. Moorthy, and Sreedharan K. Satheesh
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 12801–12819, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12801-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12801-2023, 2023
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We present a 3D data set of aerosol black carbon over the Indian mainland by assimilating data from surface, aircraft, and balloon measurements, along with multi-satellite observations. Radiative transfer computations using height-resolved aerosol absorption show higher warming in the free troposphere and will have large implications for atmospheric stability. This data set will help reduce the uncertainty in aerosol radiative effects in climate model simulations over the Indian region.
Sujan Shrestha, Shan Zhou, Manisha Mehra, Meghan Guagenti, Subin Yoon, Sergio L. Alvarez, Fangzhou Guo, Chun-Ying Chao, James H. Flynn III, Yuxuan Wang, Robert J. Griffin, Sascha Usenko, and Rebecca J. Sheesley
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10845–10867, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10845-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10845-2023, 2023
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We evaluated different methods for assessing the influence of long-range transport of biomass burning (BB) plumes at a coastal site in Texas, USA. We show that the aerosol composition and optical properties exhibited good agreement, while CO and acetonitrile trends were less specific for assessing BB source influence. Our results demonstrate that the network of aerosol optical measurements can be useful for identifying the influence of aged BB plumes in anthropogenically influenced areas.
Guangyu Li, Elise K. Wilbourn, Zezhen Cheng, Jörg Wieder, Allison Fagerson, Jan Henneberger, Ghislain Motos, Rita Traversi, Sarah D. Brooks, Mauro Mazzola, Swarup China, Athanasios Nenes, Ulrike Lohmann, Naruki Hiranuma, and Zamin A. Kanji
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10489–10516, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10489-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10489-2023, 2023
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In this work, we present results from an Arctic field campaign (NASCENT) in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, on the abundance, variability, physicochemical properties, and potential sources of ice-nucleating particles (INPs) relevant for mixed-phase cloud formation. This work improves the data coverage of Arctic INPs and aerosol properties, allowing for the validation of models predicting cloud microphysical and radiative properties of mixed-phase clouds in the rapidly warming Arctic.
Jun Shi, Jinpei Yan, Shanshan Wang, Shuhui Zhao, Miming Zhang, Suqing Xu, Qi Lin, Hang Yang, and Siying Dai
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10349–10359, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10349-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10349-2023, 2023
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An underway aerosol-monitoring system was used to determine the Na+ concentration during different cyclone periods in the Southern Ocean in order to assess the potential effects of cyclones on sea spray aerosol (SSA) emissions. It was estimated that more than 23 % of SSAs were transported upwards during cyclone periods. Vertically transported SSAs can be regarded as an important source of CCN and hence have an effect on climate in the middle and high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere.
Jean-Philippe Putaud, Enrico Pisoni, Alexander Mangold, Christoph Hueglin, Jean Sciare, Michael Pikridas, Chrysanthos Savvides, Jakub Ondracek, Saliou Mbengue, Alfred Wiedensohler, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, Laurent Poulain, Dominik van Pinxteren, Hartmut Herrmann, Andreas Massling, Claus Nordstroem, Andrés Alastuey, Cristina Reche, Noemí Pérez, Sonia Castillo, Mar Sorribas, Jose Antonio Adame, Tuukka Petaja, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Jarkko Niemi, Véronique Riffault, Joel F. de Brito, Augustin Colette, Olivier Favez, Jean-Eudes Petit, Valérie Gros, Maria I. Gini, Stergios Vratolis, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Evangelia Diapouli, Hugo Denier van der Gon, Karl Espen Yttri, and Wenche Aas
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10145–10161, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10145-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10145-2023, 2023
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Many European people are still exposed to levels of air pollution that can affect their health. COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 were used to assess the impact of the reduction in human mobility on air pollution across Europe by comparing measurement data with values that would be expected if no lockdown had occurred. We show that lockdown measures did not lead to consistent decreases in the concentrations of fine particulate matter suspended in the air, and we investigate why.
Qian Xiao, Jiaoshi Zhang, Yang Wang, Luke D. Ziemba, Ewan Crosbie, Edward L. Winstead, Claire E. Robinson, Joshua P. DiGangi, Glenn S. Diskin, Jeffrey S. Reid, K. Sebastian Schmidt, Armin Sorooshian, Miguel Ricardo A. Hilario, Sarah Woods, Paul Lawson, Snorre A. Stamnes, and Jian Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 9853–9871, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9853-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9853-2023, 2023
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Using recent airborne measurements, we show that the influences of anthropogenic emissions, transport, convective clouds, and meteorology lead to new particle formation (NPF) under a variety of conditions and at different altitudes in tropical marine environments. NPF is enhanced by fresh urban emissions in convective outflow but is suppressed in air masses influenced by aged urban emissions where reactive precursors are mostly consumed while particle surface area remains relatively high.
Simo Hakala, Ville Vakkari, Heikki Lihavainen, Antti-Pekka Hyvärinen, Kimmo Neitola, Jenni Kontkanen, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Markku Kulmala, Tuukka Petäjä, Tareq Hussein, Mamdouh I. Khoder, Mansour A. Alghamdi, and Pauli Paasonen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 9287–9321, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9287-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9287-2023, 2023
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Things are not always as they first seem in ambient aerosol measurements. Observations of decreasing particle sizes are often interpreted as resulting from particle evaporation. We show that such observations can counterintuitively be explained by particles that are constantly growing in size. This requires one to account for the previous movements of the observed air. Our explanation implies a larger number of larger particles, meaning more significant effects of aerosols on climate and health.
Akriti Masoom, Ilias Fountoulakis, Stelios Kazadzis, Ioannis-Panagiotis Raptis, Anna Kampouri, Basil E. Psiloglou, Dimitra Kouklaki, Kyriakoula Papachristopoulou, Eleni Marinou, Stavros Solomos, Anna Gialitaki, Dimitra Founda, Vasileios Salamalikis, Dimitris Kaskaoutis, Natalia Kouremeti, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, Vassilis Amiridis, Andreas Kazantzidis, Alexandros Papayannis, Christos S. Zerefos, and Kostas Eleftheratos
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 8487–8514, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-8487-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-8487-2023, 2023
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We analyse the spatial and temporal aerosol spectral optical properties during the extreme wildfires of August 2021 in Greece and assess their effects on air quality and solar radiation quantities related to health, agriculture, and energy. Different aerosol conditions are identified (pure smoke, pure dust, dust–smoke together); the largest impact on solar radiation quantities is found for cases with mixed dust–smoke aerosols. Such situations are expected to occur more frequently in the future.
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Short summary
Low- and middle-income countries face an increasing threat from poor air quality, stemming from rapid urbanization, population growth, and rises in fuel and motorization use. This paper presents high temporal resolution particulate matter (PM) data, using low-cost sensors, for the exemplar city of Nairobi, Kenya, where PM levels are found to be much greater than WHO recommendations. The study shows that calibrated low-cost sensors can be successfully used to measure PM in cities like Nairobi.
Low- and middle-income countries face an increasing threat from poor air quality, stemming from...
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