Articles | Volume 19, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2063-2019
© Author(s) 2019. 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-19-2063-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
14 Feb 2019
Research article |
| 14 Feb 2019
| 14 Feb 2019
Seasonal and diurnal variability in O3, black carbon, and CO measured at the Rwanda Climate Observatory
H. Langley DeWitt
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Center for Global Change
Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
Jimmy Gasore
Center for Global Change
Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
Climate Secretariat, Ministry of Education, Kigali, Rwanda
Physics Department, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
Maheswar Rupakheti
Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Potsdam, Germany
Katherine E. Potter
Center for Global Change
Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
Ronald G. Prinn
Center for Global Change
Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
Jean de Dieu Ndikubwimana
Climate Secretariat, Ministry of Education, Kigali, Rwanda
Julius Nkusi
Climate Secretariat, Ministry of Education, Kigali, Rwanda
Bonfils Safari
Physics Department, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
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Large-scale biomass burning events seasonally cover sub-Saharan Africa with air particles. In this study, we find that the concentrations of these particles at a remote mountain site in Rwanda may increase by a factor of 10 during such dry biomass burning periods, with strong implications for the regional climate and human health. These results provide quantitative constraints that could contribute to reducing the large uncertainties regarding the environmental impact of these fires.
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Hyeri Park, Jooil Kim, Haklim Choi, Sohyeon Geum, Yeaseul Kim, Rona L. Thompson, Jens Mühle, Peter K. Salameh, Christina M. Harth, Kieran M. Stanley, Simon O'Doherty, Paul J. Fraser, Peter G. Simmonds, Paul B. Krummel, Ray F. Weiss, Ronald G. Prinn, and Sunyoung Park
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Marielle Saunois, Ann R. Stavert, Ben Poulter, Philippe Bousquet, Josep G. Canadell, Robert B. Jackson, Peter A. Raymond, Edward J. Dlugokencky, Sander Houweling, Prabir K. Patra, Philippe Ciais, Vivek K. Arora, David Bastviken, Peter Bergamaschi, Donald R. Blake, Gordon Brailsford, Lori Bruhwiler, Kimberly M. Carlson, Mark Carrol, Simona Castaldi, Naveen Chandra, Cyril Crevoisier, Patrick M. Crill, Kristofer Covey, Charles L. Curry, Giuseppe Etiope, Christian Frankenberg, Nicola Gedney, Michaela I. Hegglin, Lena Höglund-Isaksson, Gustaf Hugelius, Misa Ishizawa, Akihiko Ito, Greet Janssens-Maenhout, Katherine M. Jensen, Fortunat Joos, Thomas Kleinen, Paul B. Krummel, Ray L. Langenfelds, Goulven G. Laruelle, Licheng Liu, Toshinobu Machida, Shamil Maksyutov, Kyle C. McDonald, Joe McNorton, Paul A. Miller, Joe R. Melton, Isamu Morino, Jurek Müller, Fabiola Murguia-Flores, Vaishali Naik, Yosuke Niwa, Sergio Noce, Simon O'Doherty, Robert J. Parker, Changhui Peng, Shushi Peng, Glen P. Peters, Catherine Prigent, Ronald Prinn, Michel Ramonet, Pierre Regnier, William J. Riley, Judith A. Rosentreter, Arjo Segers, Isobel J. Simpson, Hao Shi, Steven J. Smith, L. Paul Steele, Brett F. Thornton, Hanqin Tian, Yasunori Tohjima, Francesco N. Tubiello, Aki Tsuruta, Nicolas Viovy, Apostolos Voulgarakis, Thomas S. Weber, Michiel van Weele, Guido R. van der Werf, Ray F. Weiss, Doug Worthy, Debra Wunch, Yi Yin, Yukio Yoshida, Wenxin Zhang, Zhen Zhang, Yuanhong Zhao, Bo Zheng, Qing Zhu, Qiuan Zhu, and Qianlai Zhuang
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August Andersson, Elena N. Kirillova, Stefano Decesari, Langley DeWitt, Jimmy Gasore, Katherine E. Potter, Ronald G. Prinn, Maheswar Rupakheti, Jean de Dieu Ndikubwimana, Julius Nkusi, and Bonfils Safari
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 4561–4573, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4561-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4561-2020, 2020
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Large-scale biomass burning events seasonally cover sub-Saharan Africa with air particles. In this study, we find that the concentrations of these particles at a remote mountain site in Rwanda may increase by a factor of 10 during such dry biomass burning periods, with strong implications for the regional climate and human health. These results provide quantitative constraints that could contribute to reducing the large uncertainties regarding the environmental impact of these fires.
Md. Robiul Islam, Thilina Jayarathne, Isobel J. Simpson, Benjamin Werden, John Maben, Ashley Gilbert, Puppala S. Praveen, Sagar Adhikari, Arnico K. Panday, Maheswar Rupakheti, Donald R. Blake, Robert J. Yokelson, Peter F. DeCarlo, William C. Keene, and Elizabeth A. Stone
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 2927–2951, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2927-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2927-2020, 2020
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The Kathmandu Valley experiences high levels of air pollution. In this study, atmospheric gases and particulate matter were characterized by online and off-line measurements, with an emphasis on understanding their sources. The major sources of particulate matter and trace gases were identified as garbage burning, biomass burning, and vehicles. The majority of secondary organic aerosol was attributed to anthropogenic precursors, while a minority was attributed to biogenic gases.
Pankaj Sadavarte, Maheswar Rupakheti, Prakash Bhave, Kiran Shakya, and Mark Lawrence
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 12953–12973, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-12953-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-12953-2019, 2019
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Jens Mühle, Cathy M. Trudinger, Luke M. Western, Matthew Rigby, Martin K. Vollmer, Sunyoung Park, Alistair J. Manning, Daniel Say, Anita Ganesan, L. Paul Steele, Diane J. Ivy, Tim Arnold, Shanlan Li, Andreas Stohl, Christina M. Harth, Peter K. Salameh, Archie McCulloch, Simon O'Doherty, Mi-Kyung Park, Chun Ok Jo, Dickon Young, Kieran M. Stanley, Paul B. Krummel, Blagoj Mitrevski, Ove Hermansen, Chris Lunder, Nikolaos Evangeliou, Bo Yao, Jooil Kim, Benjamin Hmiel, Christo Buizert, Vasilii V. Petrenko, Jgor Arduini, Michela Maione, David M. Etheridge, Eleni Michalopoulou, Mike Czerniak, Jeffrey P. Severinghaus, Stefan Reimann, Peter G. Simmonds, Paul J. Fraser, Ronald G. Prinn, and Ray F. Weiss
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 10335–10359, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-10335-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-10335-2019, 2019
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We discuss atmospheric concentrations and emissions of the strong greenhouse gas perfluorocyclobutane. A large fraction of recent emissions stem from China, India, and Russia, probably as a by-product from the production of fluoropolymers and fluorochemicals. Most historic emissions likely stem from developed countries. Total emissions are higher than what is being reported. Clearly, more measurements and better reporting are needed to understand emissions of this and other greenhouse gases.
Min Zhong, Eri Saikawa, Alexander Avramov, Chen Chen, Boya Sun, Wenlu Ye, William C. Keene, Robert J. Yokelson, Thilina Jayarathne, Elizabeth A. Stone, Maheswar Rupakheti, and Arnico K. Panday
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 8209–8228, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-8209-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-8209-2019, 2019
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Air pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues in the Kathmandu Valley, the capital city of Nepal. We estimated emissions from two of the major source types in the valley (vehicles and brick kilns) and found that they have significant impacts on air quality surrounding the valley. Our results highlight the importance of improving local emissions estimates for air quality modeling.
Xin Wan, Shichang Kang, Maheswar Rupakheti, Qianggong Zhang, Lekhendra Tripathee, Junming Guo, Pengfei Chen, Dipesh Rupakheti, Arnico K. Panday, Mark G. Lawrence, Kimitaka Kawamura, and Zhiyuan Cong
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 2725–2747, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2725-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2725-2019, 2019
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Ashish Singh, Khadak S. Mahata, Maheswar Rupakheti, Wolfgang Junkermann, Arnico K. Panday, and Mark G. Lawrence
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 245–258, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-245-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-245-2019, 2019
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Benjamin Brown-Steiner, Noelle E. Selin, Ronald Prinn, Simone Tilmes, Louisa Emmons, Jean-François Lamarque, and Philip Cameron-Smith
Geosci. Model Dev., 11, 4155–4174, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-4155-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-4155-2018, 2018
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We conduct three simulations of atmospheric chemistry using chemical mechanisms of different levels of complexity and compare their results to observations. We explore situations in which the simplified mechanisms match the output of the most complex mechanism, as well as when they diverge. We investigate how concurrent utilization of chemical mechanisms of different complexities can further our atmospheric-chemistry understanding at various scales and give some strategies for future research.
Khadak Singh Mahata, Maheswar Rupakheti, Arnico Kumar Panday, Piyush Bhardwaj, Manish Naja, Ashish Singh, Andrea Mues, Paolo Cristofanelli, Deepak Pudasainee, Paolo Bonasoni, and Mark G. Lawrence
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 14113–14132, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14113-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14113-2018, 2018
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This paper presents the first-time simultaneous measurement of CO and O3 at multiple sites in the Kathmandu Valley bottom, its mountain rim and a river outlet, providing their spatial, temporal and seasonal–diurnal variations. Our study reveals that high O3, especially during premonsoon, in observed sites is of high concern for human health and ecosystems in the region. We also estimated CO emission flux to be 2–14 times higher than widely used emission databases (EDGAR HTAP, REAS and INTEX-B).
Piyush Bhardwaj, Manish Naja, Maheswar Rupakheti, Aurelia Lupascu, Andrea Mues, Arnico Kumar Panday, Rajesh Kumar, Khadak Singh Mahata, Shyam Lal, Harish C. Chandola, and Mark G. Lawrence
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 11949–11971, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11949-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11949-2018, 2018
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This study provides information about the regional variabilities in some of the pollutants using observations in Nepal and India. It is shown that agricultural crop residue burning leads to a significant enhancement in ozone and CO over a wider region. Further, the wintertime higher ozone levels are shown to be largely due to local emissions, while regional transport could be important in spring and hence shows the role of regional sources versus local sources in the Kathmandu Valley.
Sunyoung Park, Shanlan Li, Jens Mühle, Simon O'Doherty, Ray F. Weiss, Xuekun Fang, Stefan Reimann, and Ronald G. Prinn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 11729–11738, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11729-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11729-2018, 2018
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Multi-year, real-time atmospheric carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) record obtained at Gosan station (33° N, 126° E) presents evidence of significant unreported emissions of this first-generation ozone-depleting substance. The missing emissions (~ 19 Gg yr−1) for China contribute to approximately 54 % of global emissions and are most likely related to CCl4 escape occurring during the production of chlorinated compounds and their usage as feedstocks and process agents in chemical manufacturing industries.
Benjamin Brown-Steiner, Noelle E. Selin, Ronald G. Prinn, Erwan Monier, Simone Tilmes, Louisa Emmons, and Fernando Garcia-Menendez
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 8373–8388, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-8373-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-8373-2018, 2018
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Detecting signals in observations and simulations of atmospheric chemistry is difficult due to the underlying variability in the chemistry, meteorology, and climatology. Here we examine the scale dependence of ozone variability and explore strategies for reducing or averaging this variability and thereby enhancing ozone signal detection capabilities. We find that 10–15 years of temporal averaging, and some level of spatial averaging, reduces the risk of overconfidence in ozone signals.
Andrea Mues, Axel Lauer, Aurelia Lupascu, Maheswar Rupakheti, Friderike Kuik, and Mark G. Lawrence
Geosci. Model Dev., 11, 2067–2091, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-2067-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-2067-2018, 2018
Ronald G. Prinn, Ray F. Weiss, Jgor Arduini, Tim Arnold, H. Langley DeWitt, Paul J. Fraser, Anita L. Ganesan, Jimmy Gasore, Christina M. Harth, Ove Hermansen, Jooil Kim, Paul B. Krummel, Shanlan Li, Zoë M. Loh, Chris R. Lunder, Michela Maione, Alistair J. Manning, Ben R. Miller, Blagoj Mitrevski, Jens Mühle, Simon O'Doherty, Sunyoung Park, Stefan Reimann, Matt Rigby, Takuya Saito, Peter K. Salameh, Roland Schmidt, Peter G. Simmonds, L. Paul Steele, Martin K. Vollmer, Ray H. Wang, Bo Yao, Yoko Yokouchi, Dickon Young, and Lingxi Zhou
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 10, 985–1018, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-985-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-985-2018, 2018
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We present the data and accomplishments of the multinational global atmospheric measurement program AGAGE (Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment). At high frequency and at multiple sites, AGAGE measures all the important chemicals in the Montreal Protocol for the protection of the ozone layer and the non-carbon-dioxide gases assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. AGAGE uses these data to estimate sources and sinks of all these gases and has operated since 1978.
D. Rupakheti, S. Kang, Z. Cong, M. Rupakheti, L. Tripathee, A. K. Panday, and B. Holben
Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XLII-3, 1493–1497, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-3-1493-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-3-1493-2018, 2018
Peter G. Simmonds, Matthew Rigby, Archie McCulloch, Martin K. Vollmer, Stephan Henne, Jens Mühle, Simon O'Doherty, Alistair J. Manning, Paul B. Krummel, Paul J. Fraser, Dickon Young, Ray F. Weiss, Peter K. Salameh, Christina M. Harth, Stefan Reimann, Cathy M. Trudinger, L. Paul Steele, Ray H. J. Wang, Diane J. Ivy, Ronald G. Prinn, Blagoj Mitrevski, and David M. Etheridge
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 4153–4169, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-4153-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-4153-2018, 2018
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Recent measurements of the potent greenhouse gas HFC-23, a by-product of HCFC-22 production, show a 28 % increase in the atmospheric mole fraction from 2009 to 2016. A minimum in the atmospheric abundance of HFC-23 in 2009 was attributed to abatement of HFC-23 emissions by incineration under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Our results indicate that the recent increase in HFC-23 emissions is driven by failure of mitigation under the CDM to keep pace with increased HCFC-22 production.
Martin K. Vollmer, Dickon Young, Cathy M. Trudinger, Jens Mühle, Stephan Henne, Matthew Rigby, Sunyoung Park, Shanlan Li, Myriam Guillevic, Blagoj Mitrevski, Christina M. Harth, Benjamin R. Miller, Stefan Reimann, Bo Yao, L. Paul Steele, Simon A. Wyss, Chris R. Lunder, Jgor Arduini, Archie McCulloch, Songhao Wu, Tae Siek Rhee, Ray H. J. Wang, Peter K. Salameh, Ove Hermansen, Matthias Hill, Ray L. Langenfelds, Diane Ivy, Simon O'Doherty, Paul B. Krummel, Michela Maione, David M. Etheridge, Lingxi Zhou, Paul J. Fraser, Ronald G. Prinn, Ray F. Weiss, and Peter G. Simmonds
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 979–1002, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-979-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-979-2018, 2018
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We measured the three chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) CFC-13, CFC-114, and CFC-115 in the atmosphere because they are important in stratospheric ozone depletion. These compounds should have decreased in the atmosphere because they are banned by the Montreal Protocol but we find the opposite. Emissions over the last decade have not declined on a global scale. We use inverse modeling and our observations to find that a large part of the emissions originate in the Asian region.
Kelley C. Wells, Dylan B. Millet, Nicolas Bousserez, Daven K. Henze, Timothy J. Griffis, Sreelekha Chaliyakunnel, Edward J. Dlugokencky, Eri Saikawa, Gao Xiang, Ronald G. Prinn, Simon O'Doherty, Dickon Young, Ray F. Weiss, Geoff S. Dutton, James W. Elkins, Paul B. Krummel, Ray Langenfelds, and L. Paul Steele
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 735–756, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-735-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-735-2018, 2018
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This paper uses three different frameworks to derive nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions based on global surface observations. One of these frameworks employs a new approach that allows for fast computation and explores a larger solution space than other methods. Our results point to a few conclusions about the global N2O budget, including a larger contribution from tropical sources, an overestimate of natural soil emissions, and an underestimate of agricultural sources particularly in springtime.
Khadak Singh Mahata, Arnico Kumar Panday, Maheswar Rupakheti, Ashish Singh, Manish Naja, and Mark G. Lawrence
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 12573–12596, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-12573-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-12573-2017, 2017
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The paper provides an overview of CH4, CO2, and CO mixing ratios, including diurnal and seasonal variation, and discusses the association of potential sources and meteorology with the observed temporal variation in the Kathmandu Valley. The study will provide an important dataset for a poorly studied region and will be useful for validating estimates from emission inventories, regional models, and satellite observations and assisting in the design of mitigation measures in the region.
Chaeyoon Cho, Sang-Woo Kim, Maheswar Rupakheti, Jin-Soo Park, Arnico Panday, Soon-Chang Yoon, Ji-Hyoung Kim, Hyunjae Kim, Haeun Jeon, Minyoung Sung, Bong Mann Kim, Seungkyu K. Hong, Rokjin J. Park, Dipesh Rupakheti, Khadak Singh Mahata, Puppala Siva Praveen, Mark G. Lawrence, and Brent Holben
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 12617–12632, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-12617-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-12617-2017, 2017
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We investigated the optical and chemical properties and direct radiative effects of aerosols in the Kathmandu Valley. We concluded that the ratio of light-absorbing to scattering aerosols as well as the concentration of light-absorbing aerosols is much higher at Kathmandu than other comparable regions, and it contributes to a great atmospheric absorption efficiency. This study provides unprecedented insights into aerosol optical properties and their radiative forcings in the Kathmandu Valley.
Marielle Saunois, Philippe Bousquet, Ben Poulter, Anna Peregon, Philippe Ciais, Josep G. Canadell, Edward J. Dlugokencky, Giuseppe Etiope, David Bastviken, Sander Houweling, Greet Janssens-Maenhout, Francesco N. Tubiello, Simona Castaldi, Robert B. Jackson, Mihai Alexe, Vivek K. Arora, David J. Beerling, Peter Bergamaschi, Donald R. Blake, Gordon Brailsford, Lori Bruhwiler, Cyril Crevoisier, Patrick Crill, Kristofer Covey, Christian Frankenberg, Nicola Gedney, Lena Höglund-Isaksson, Misa Ishizawa, Akihiko Ito, Fortunat Joos, Heon-Sook Kim, Thomas Kleinen, Paul Krummel, Jean-François Lamarque, Ray Langenfelds, Robin Locatelli, Toshinobu Machida, Shamil Maksyutov, Joe R. Melton, Isamu Morino, Vaishali Naik, Simon O'Doherty, Frans-Jan W. Parmentier, Prabir K. Patra, Changhui Peng, Shushi Peng, Glen P. Peters, Isabelle Pison, Ronald Prinn, Michel Ramonet, William J. Riley, Makoto Saito, Monia Santini, Ronny Schroeder, Isobel J. Simpson, Renato Spahni, Atsushi Takizawa, Brett F. Thornton, Hanqin Tian, Yasunori Tohjima, Nicolas Viovy, Apostolos Voulgarakis, Ray Weiss, David J. Wilton, Andy Wiltshire, Doug Worthy, Debra Wunch, Xiyan Xu, Yukio Yoshida, Bowen Zhang, Zhen Zhang, and Qiuan Zhu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 11135–11161, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11135-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11135-2017, 2017
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Following the Global Methane Budget 2000–2012 published in Saunois et al. (2016), we use the same dataset of bottom-up and top-down approaches to discuss the variations in methane emissions over the period 2000–2012. The changes in emissions are discussed both in terms of trends and quasi-decadal changes. The ensemble gathered here allows us to synthesise the robust changes in terms of regional and sectorial contributions to the increasing methane emissions.
Dipesh Rupakheti, Bhupesh Adhikary, Puppala Siva Praveen, Maheswar Rupakheti, Shichang Kang, Khadak Singh Mahata, Manish Naja, Qianggong Zhang, Arnico Kumar Panday, and Mark G. Lawrence
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 11041–11063, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11041-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-11041-2017, 2017
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For the first time, atmospheric composition was monitored during pre-monsoon season of 2013 at Lumbini (UNESCO world heritage site as birthplace of the Buddha). PM and O3 frequently exceeded WHO guidelines. Pollution concentration, diurnal characteristics and influence of open burning on air quality in Lumbini were investigated. Potential source regions were also identified. Results show that air pollution at this site is of a great concern, requiring prompt attention for mitigation.
Vincent Michoud, Jean Sciare, Stéphane Sauvage, Sébastien Dusanter, Thierry Léonardis, Valérie Gros, Cerise Kalogridis, Nora Zannoni, Anaïs Féron, Jean-Eudes Petit, Vincent Crenn, Dominique Baisnée, Roland Sarda-Estève, Nicolas Bonnaire, Nicolas Marchand, H. Langley DeWitt, Jorge Pey, Aurélie Colomb, François Gheusi, Sonke Szidat, Iasonas Stavroulas, Agnès Borbon, and Nadine Locoge
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 8837–8865, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8837-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8837-2017, 2017
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The ChArMEx SOP2 field campaign took place from 15 July to 5 August 2013 in the western Mediterranean Basin at Ersa, a remote site in Cape Corse. Exhaustive descriptions of the chemical composition of air masses in gas and aerosol phase were performed. An analysis of these measurements was performed using various source-receptor approaches. This led to the identification of several factors linked to primary sources but also to secondary processes of both biogenic and anthropogenic origin.
Xin Wan, Shichang Kang, Quanlian Li, Dipesh Rupakheti, Qianggong Zhang, Junming Guo, Pengfei Chen, Lekhendra Tripathee, Maheswar Rupakheti, Arnico K. Panday, Wu Wang, Kimitaka Kawamura, Shaopeng Gao, Guangming Wu, and Zhiyuan Cong
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 8867–8885, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8867-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8867-2017, 2017
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Biomass burning (BB) tracers in the aerosols in Lumbini, northern IGP, were studied for the first time. The levoglucosan was the predominant tracer and BB significantly contributed to the air quality in Lumbini. Mixed crop residues and hardwood were main burning materials. BB emissions constituted large fraction of OC, especially during the post-monsoon season. The sources of BB aerosols in Lumbini varies seasonally due to the influence of local emissions and long-range transport.
Andrea Mues, Maheswar Rupakheti, Christoph Münkel, Axel Lauer, Heiko Bozem, Peter Hoor, Tim Butler, and Mark G. Lawrence
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 8157–8176, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8157-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8157-2017, 2017
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Ceilometer measurements taken in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, were used to study the temporal and spatial evolution of the mixing layer height in the valley. This provides important information on the vertical structure of the atmosphere and can thus also help to understand the mixing of air pollutants (e.g. black carbon) in the valley. The seasonal and diurnal cycles of the mixing layer were found to be highly dependent on meteorology and mainly anticorrelated to black carbon concentrations.
Chinmoy Sarkar, Vinayak Sinha, Baerbel Sinha, Arnico K. Panday, Maheswar Rupakheti, and Mark G. Lawrence
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 8129–8156, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8129-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-8129-2017, 2017
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This study provides quantitative information regarding the source contributions of the major non-methane volatile organic compound sources in the Kathmandu Valley. Combining high-resolution in situ NMVOC data and model analyses, we show that REAS v2.1 and EDGAR v4.2 emission inventories underestimate the contribution of traffic and do not take the contribution of brick kilns into account. Furthermore, REAS v2.1 overestimates the contribution of residential biofuel use and industries.
Kabindra M. Shakya, Maheswar Rupakheti, Anima Shahi, Rejina Maskey, Bidya Pradhan, Arnico Panday, Siva P. Puppala, Mark Lawrence, and Richard E. Peltier
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 6503–6516, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-6503-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-6503-2017, 2017
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Particulate matter levels were monitored at six major roadway intersections in the Kathmandu Valley during two seasons in 2014. The study documented distinct seasonal (dry season versus wet season) and diel variations in particulate matter levels. This study suggests traffic-related emissions, and soil–dust–construction materials were found to be a major source of particulate matter at these locations.
Malte Meinshausen, Elisabeth Vogel, Alexander Nauels, Katja Lorbacher, Nicolai Meinshausen, David M. Etheridge, Paul J. Fraser, Stephen A. Montzka, Peter J. Rayner, Cathy M. Trudinger, Paul B. Krummel, Urs Beyerle, Josep G. Canadell, John S. Daniel, Ian G. Enting, Rachel M. Law, Chris R. Lunder, Simon O'Doherty, Ron G. Prinn, Stefan Reimann, Mauro Rubino, Guus J. M. Velders, Martin K. Vollmer, Ray H. J. Wang, and Ray Weiss
Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 2057–2116, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-2057-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-2057-2017, 2017
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Climate change is primarily driven by human-induced increases of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations. Based on ongoing community efforts (e.g. AGAGE and NOAA networks, ice cores), this study presents historical concentrations of CO2, CH4, N2O and 40 other GHGs from year 0 to year 2014. The data is recommended as input for climate models for pre-industrial, historical runs under CMIP6. Global means, but also latitudinal by monthly surface concentration fields are provided.
Peter G. Simmonds, Matthew Rigby, Archie McCulloch, Simon O'Doherty, Dickon Young, Jens Mühle, Paul B. Krummel, Paul Steele, Paul J. Fraser, Alistair J. Manning, Ray F. Weiss, Peter K. Salameh, Chris M. Harth, Ray H. J. Wang, and Ronald G. Prinn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 4641–4655, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4641-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4641-2017, 2017
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This paper reports how long-term atmospheric measurements demonstrate that the Montreal Protocol has been effective in controlling production and consumption of the hydrochlorofluorocarbons, a group of industrial chemicals that have detrimental effects on the ozone layer and also contribute to global warming as greenhouse gases and their hydrofluorocarbon substitutes which are also potent greenhouse gases but do not materially affect the ozone layer.
Martyn P. Chipperfield, Qing Liang, Matthew Rigby, Ryan Hossaini, Stephen A. Montzka, Sandip Dhomse, Wuhu Feng, Ronald G. Prinn, Ray F. Weiss, Christina M. Harth, Peter K. Salameh, Jens Mühle, Simon O'Doherty, Dickon Young, Peter G. Simmonds, Paul B. Krummel, Paul J. Fraser, L. Paul Steele, James D. Happell, Robert C. Rhew, James Butler, Shari A. Yvon-Lewis, Bradley Hall, David Nance, Fred Moore, Ben R. Miller, James W. Elkins, Jeremy J. Harrison, Chris D. Boone, Elliot L. Atlas, and Emmanuel Mahieu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 15741–15754, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-15741-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-15741-2016, 2016
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Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a compound which, when released into the atmosphere, can cause depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer. Its emissions are controlled under the Montreal Protocol, and its atmospheric abundance is slowly decreasing. However, this decrease is not as fast as expected based on estimates of its emissions and its atmospheric lifetime. We have used an atmospheric model to look at the uncertainties in the CCl4 lifetime and to examine the impact on its atmospheric decay.
Marielle Saunois, Philippe Bousquet, Ben Poulter, Anna Peregon, Philippe Ciais, Josep G. Canadell, Edward J. Dlugokencky, Giuseppe Etiope, David Bastviken, Sander Houweling, Greet Janssens-Maenhout, Francesco N. Tubiello, Simona Castaldi, Robert B. Jackson, Mihai Alexe, Vivek K. Arora, David J. Beerling, Peter Bergamaschi, Donald R. Blake, Gordon Brailsford, Victor Brovkin, Lori Bruhwiler, Cyril Crevoisier, Patrick Crill, Kristofer Covey, Charles Curry, Christian Frankenberg, Nicola Gedney, Lena Höglund-Isaksson, Misa Ishizawa, Akihiko Ito, Fortunat Joos, Heon-Sook Kim, Thomas Kleinen, Paul Krummel, Jean-François Lamarque, Ray Langenfelds, Robin Locatelli, Toshinobu Machida, Shamil Maksyutov, Kyle C. McDonald, Julia Marshall, Joe R. Melton, Isamu Morino, Vaishali Naik, Simon O'Doherty, Frans-Jan W. Parmentier, Prabir K. Patra, Changhui Peng, Shushi Peng, Glen P. Peters, Isabelle Pison, Catherine Prigent, Ronald Prinn, Michel Ramonet, William J. Riley, Makoto Saito, Monia Santini, Ronny Schroeder, Isobel J. Simpson, Renato Spahni, Paul Steele, Atsushi Takizawa, Brett F. Thornton, Hanqin Tian, Yasunori Tohjima, Nicolas Viovy, Apostolos Voulgarakis, Michiel van Weele, Guido R. van der Werf, Ray Weiss, Christine Wiedinmyer, David J. Wilton, Andy Wiltshire, Doug Worthy, Debra Wunch, Xiyan Xu, Yukio Yoshida, Bowen Zhang, Zhen Zhang, and Qiuan Zhu
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 8, 697–751, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-697-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-8-697-2016, 2016
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An accurate assessment of the methane budget is important to understand the atmospheric methane concentrations and trends and to provide realistic pathways for climate change mitigation. The various and diffuse sources of methane as well and its oxidation by a very short lifetime radical challenge this assessment. We quantify the methane sources and sinks as well as their uncertainties based on both bottom-up and top-down approaches provided by a broad international scientific community.
Joe McNorton, Martyn P. Chipperfield, Manuel Gloor, Chris Wilson, Wuhu Feng, Garry D. Hayman, Matt Rigby, Paul B. Krummel, Simon O'Doherty, Ronald G. Prinn, Ray F. Weiss, Dickon Young, Ed Dlugokencky, and Steve A. Montzka
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 7943–7956, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7943-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7943-2016, 2016
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Methane (CH4) is an important greenhouse gas. The growth of atmospheric CH4 stalled from 1999 to 2006, with current explanations focussed mainly on changing surface fluxes. We combine models with observations and meteorological data to assess the atmospheric contribution to CH4 changes. We find that variations in mean atmospheric hydroxyl concentration can explain part of the stall in growth. Our study highlights the role of multi-annual variability in atmospheric chemistry in global CH4 trends.
Chinmoy Sarkar, Vinayak Sinha, Vinod Kumar, Maheswar Rupakheti, Arnico Panday, Khadak S. Mahata, Dipesh Rupakheti, Bhogendra Kathayat, and Mark G. Lawrence
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 3979–4003, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3979-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3979-2016, 2016
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First deployment of PTR-TOF-MS in South Asia. High acetaldehyde and biogenic isoprene concentrations detected even in winter in the Kathmandu Valley. Isocyanic acid, formamide, acetamide, naphthalene and nitromethane were detected for the first time in South Asian air. Oxygenated VOCs and isoprene-dominated OH reactivity and ozone production potentials (> 68 % OPP). Regulation of emissions from biomass co-fired brick kilns' by cleaner technology would improve air quality of the valley.
M. Chirkov, G. P. Stiller, A. Laeng, S. Kellmann, T. von Clarmann, C. D. Boone, J. W. Elkins, A. Engel, N. Glatthor, U. Grabowski, C. M. Harth, M. Kiefer, F. Kolonjari, P. B. Krummel, A. Linden, C. R. Lunder, B. R. Miller, S. A. Montzka, J. Mühle, S. O'Doherty, J. Orphal, R. G. Prinn, G. Toon, M. K. Vollmer, K. A. Walker, R. F. Weiss, A. Wiegele, and D. Young
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 3345–3368, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3345-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3345-2016, 2016
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HCFC-22 global distributions from MIPAS measurements for 2005 to 2012 are presented. Tropospheric trends are in good agreement with ground-based observations. A layer of enhanced HCFC-22 in the upper tropospheric tropics and northern subtropics is identified to come from Asian sources uplifted in the Asian monsoon. Stratospheric distributions provide show seasonal, semi-annual, and QBO-related variations. Hemispheric asymmetries of trends hint towards a change in the stratospheric circulation.
Xuekun Fang, Min Shao, Andreas Stohl, Qiang Zhang, Junyu Zheng, Hai Guo, Chen Wang, Ming Wang, Jiamin Ou, Rona L. Thompson, and Ronald G. Prinn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 3369–3382, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3369-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-3369-2016, 2016
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This is the first study reporting top-down estimates of benzene and toluene emissions in southern China using atmospheric measurement data from a rural site in the area, an atmospheric transport model and an inverse modeling method. This study shows in detail the temporal and spatial differences between the inversion estimate and four different bottom-up emission inventories (RCP, REAS, MEIC; Yin et al., 2015). We propose that more observations are urgently needed in future.
Peng Fei Chen, Chao Liu Li, Shi Chang Kang, Maheswar Rupakheti, Arnico K. Panday, Fang Ping Yan, Quan Lian Li, Qiang Gong Zhang, Jun Ming Guo, Dipesh Rupakheti, and Wei Luo
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2016-71, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2016-71, 2016
Revised manuscript not accepted
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PAHs were measured at six sites along two south-north transects across the central Himalayas. The annual average PAHs and their dry deposition fluxes decreased noticeably from the south to north sides, however, a similar compostion pattern was found at three remote sites, suggesting the northern slope of the Himalayas may be affected by anthropogenic emissions form Indo-Gangetic Plain. PAHs showed a clear seasonal variation at Nepal and they were mainly form biomass and fossil combustion .
L. Brégonzio-Rozier, C. Giorio, F. Siekmann, E. Pangui, S. B. Morales, B. Temime-Roussel, A. Gratien, V. Michoud, M. Cazaunau, H. L. DeWitt, A. Tapparo, A. Monod, and J.-F. Doussin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 1747–1760, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1747-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1747-2016, 2016
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The impact of cloud events on isoprene secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation has been studied from an isoprene/ NOx/light system in an atmospheric simulation chamber. aqSOA formation can be linked to water soluble volatile organic compounds' dissolution in the aqueous phase and to further aqueous phase reactions. Cloud-induced SOA formation is experimentally demonstrated in this study, thus highlighting the importance of aqueous multiphase systems in atmospheric SOA formation estimations.
E. W. Butt, A. Rap, A. Schmidt, C. E. Scott, K. J. Pringle, C. L. Reddington, N. A. D. Richards, M. T. Woodhouse, J. Ramirez-Villegas, H. Yang, V. Vakkari, E. A. Stone, M. Rupakheti, P. S. Praveen, P. G. van Zyl, J. P. Beukes, M. Josipovic, E. J. S. Mitchell, S. M. Sallu, P. M. Forster, and D. V. Spracklen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 873–905, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-873-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-873-2016, 2016
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We estimate the impact of residential emissions (cooking and heating) on atmospheric aerosol, human health, and climate. We find large contributions to annual mean ambient PM2.5 in residential sources regions resulting in significant but uncertain global premature mortality when key uncertainties in emission flux are considered. We show that residential emissions exert an uncertain global radiative effect and suggest more work is needed to characterise residential emissions climate importance.
P. G. Simmonds, M. Rigby, A. J. Manning, M. F. Lunt, S. O'Doherty, A. McCulloch, P. J. Fraser, S. Henne, M. K. Vollmer, J. Mühle, R. F. Weiss, P. K. Salameh, D. Young, S. Reimann, A. Wenger, T. Arnold, C. M. Harth, P. B. Krummel, L. P. Steele, B. L. Dunse, B. R. Miller, C. R. Lunder, O. Hermansen, N. Schmidbauer, T. Saito, Y. Yokouchi, S. Park, S. Li, B. Yao, L. X. Zhou, J. Arduini, M. Maione, R. H. J. Wang, D. Ivy, and R. G. Prinn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 365–382, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-365-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-365-2016, 2016
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We report regional and global emissions estimates of HFC-152a using high frequency measurements from 11 observing sites and archived air samples dating back to 1978 together with atmospheric transport models. The "bottom-up" emissions of HFC-152a reported to the UNFCCC appear to significantly underestimate those reported here from observations. This discrepancy we suggest arises from largely underestimated USA and undeclared Asian emissions.
D. Putero, P. Cristofanelli, A. Marinoni, B. Adhikary, R. Duchi, S. D. Shrestha, G. P. Verza, T. C. Landi, F. Calzolari, M. Busetto, G. Agrillo, F. Biancofiore, P. Di Carlo, A. K. Panday, M. Rupakheti, and P. Bonasoni
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 13957–13971, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13957-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-13957-2015, 2015
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The aim of this paper is to present a full-year analysis of simultaneous measurements of ozone, black carbon, and aerosol number concentration at Paknajol, in the Kathmandu Valley, one of the global “hot spots” in terms of air pollution. Results indicate persisting poor air quality conditions throughout the measurement period, and suggest that the pollutants' variability is mainly driven by local pollution source activity, local- and large-scale dynamics, photochemistry, and vegetation fires.
K. C. Wells, D. B. Millet, N. Bousserez, D. K. Henze, S. Chaliyakunnel, T. J. Griffis, Y. Luan, E. J. Dlugokencky, R. G. Prinn, S. O'Doherty, R. F. Weiss, G. S. Dutton, J. W. Elkins, P. B. Krummel, R. Langenfelds, L. P. Steele, E. A. Kort, S. C. Wofsy, and T. Umezawa
Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 3179–3198, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-3179-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-3179-2015, 2015
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This paper introduces a new inversion framework for N2O using GEOS-Chem and its adjoint, which we employed in a series of observing system simulation experiments to evaluate the source and sink constraints provided by surface and aircraft-based N2O measurements. We also applied a new approach for estimating a posteriori uncertainty for high-dimensional inversions, and used it to quantify the spatial and temporal resolution of N2O emission constraints achieved with the current observing network.
Z. L. Lüthi, B. Škerlak, S.-W. Kim, A. Lauer, A. Mues, M. Rupakheti, and S. Kang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 6007–6021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6007-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6007-2015, 2015
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The Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau region (HTP) is regularly exposed to polluted air masses that might influence glaciers as well as climate on regional to global scales. We found that atmospheric brown clouds from South Asia reach the HTP by crossing the Himalayas not only through the major north--south river valleys but rather over large areas by being lifted and advected at mid-troposheric levels. The transport is enabled by a combination of synoptic and local meteorological settings.
L. Drinovec, G. Močnik, P. Zotter, A. S. H. Prévôt, C. Ruckstuhl, E. Coz, M. Rupakheti, J. Sciare, T. Müller, A. Wiedensohler, and A. D. A. Hansen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 1965–1979, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1965-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1965-2015, 2015
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We present a new real-time algorithm for compensation of the filter-loading effect in filter photometers, based on a two parallel spot measurement of optical absorption. This algorithm has been incorporated into the new Aethalometer AE33. Intercomparison studies show excellent reproducibility of the AE33 measurements and very good agreement with post-processed data obtained using earlier aethalometer models and other filter-based absorption photometers.
E. Saikawa, R. G. Prinn, E. Dlugokencky, K. Ishijima, G. S. Dutton, B. D. Hall, R. Langenfelds, Y. Tohjima, T. Machida, M. Manizza, M. Rigby, S. O'Doherty, P. K. Patra, C. M. Harth, R. F. Weiss, P. B. Krummel, M. van der Schoot, P. J. Fraser, L. P. Steele, S. Aoki, T. Nakazawa, and J. W. Elkins
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 4617–4641, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-4617-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-4617-2014, 2014
R. L. Thompson, F. Chevallier, A. M. Crotwell, G. Dutton, R. L. Langenfelds, R. G. Prinn, R. F. Weiss, Y. Tohjima, T. Nakazawa, P. B. Krummel, L. P. Steele, P. Fraser, S. O'Doherty, K. Ishijima, and S. Aoki
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 1801–1817, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-1801-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-1801-2014, 2014
A. L. Ganesan, A. Chatterjee, R. G. Prinn, C. M. Harth, P. K. Salameh, A. J. Manning, B. D. Hall, J. Mühle, L. K. Meredith, R. F. Weiss, S. O'Doherty, and D. Young
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 10633–10644, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-10633-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-10633-2013, 2013
R. Locatelli, P. Bousquet, F. Chevallier, A. Fortems-Cheney, S. Szopa, M. Saunois, A. Agusti-Panareda, D. Bergmann, H. Bian, P. Cameron-Smith, M. P. Chipperfield, E. Gloor, S. Houweling, S. R. Kawa, M. Krol, P. K. Patra, R. G. Prinn, M. Rigby, R. Saito, and C. Wilson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 9917–9937, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-9917-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-9917-2013, 2013
A. Fraser, P. I. Palmer, L. Feng, H. Boesch, A. Cogan, R. Parker, E. J. Dlugokencky, P. J. Fraser, P. B. Krummel, R. L. Langenfelds, S. O'Doherty, R. G. Prinn, L. P. Steele, M. van der Schoot, and R. F. Weiss
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 5697–5713, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-5697-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-5697-2013, 2013
D. A. Belikov, S. Maksyutov, M. Krol, A. Fraser, M. Rigby, H. Bian, A. Agusti-Panareda, D. Bergmann, P. Bousquet, P. Cameron-Smith, M. P. Chipperfield, A. Fortems-Cheiney, E. Gloor, K. Haynes, P. Hess, S. Houweling, S. R. Kawa, R. M. Law, Z. Loh, L. Meng, P. I. Palmer, P. K. Patra, R. G. Prinn, R. Saito, and C. Wilson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 1093–1114, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-1093-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-1093-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Aerosols | Research Activity: Field Measurements | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Physics (physical properties and processes)
High ice-nucleating particle concentrations associated with Arctic haze in springtime cold-air outbreaks
CCN estimations at a high-altitude remote site: role of organic aerosol variability and hygroscopicity
Aerosol hygroscopicity over the southeast Atlantic Ocean during the biomass burning season – Part 1: From the perspective of scattering enhancement
Spatial, temporal, and meteorological impact of the 26 February 2023 dust storm: increase in particulate matter concentrations across New Mexico and West Texas
Large spatiotemporal variability in aerosol properties over central Argentina during the CACTI field campaign
Quantification and characterization of primary biological aerosol particles and microbes aerosolized from Baltic seawater
Brownness of organics in anthropogenic biomass burning aerosols over South Asia
Source apportionment of particle number size distribution at the street canyon and urban background sites
Long-range transport of coarse mineral dust: an evaluation of the Met Office Unified Model against aircraft observations
Extreme Saharan dust events expand northward over the Atlantic and Europe, prompting record-breaking PM10 and PM2.5 episodes
Atmospheric black carbon in the metropolitan area of La Paz and El Alto, Bolivia: concentration levels and emission sources
Changing optical properties of black carbon and brown carbon aerosols during long-range transport from the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the equatorial Indian Ocean
Aerosol size distribution properties associated with cold-air outbreaks in the Norwegian Arctic
Ice-nucleating particles active below −24 °C in a Finnish boreal forest and their relationship to bioaerosols
Measurements of particle emissions of an A350-941 burning 100 % sustainable aviation fuels in cruise
Vertical distribution of ice nucleating particles over the boreal forest of Hyytiälä, Finland
Multi-year gradient measurements of sea spray fluxes over the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean
External particle mixing influences hygroscopicity in a sub-urban area
Measurement report: In situ vertical profiles of below-cloud aerosol over the central Greenland Ice Sheet
Occurrence, abundance, and formation of atmospheric tarballs from a wide range of wildfires in the western US
Measurement report: Contribution of atmospheric new particle formation to ultrafine particle concentration, cloud condensation nuclei, and radiative forcing – results from 5-year observations in central Europe
Simulated contrail-processed aviation soot aerosols are poor ice-nucleating particles at cirrus temperatures
Biological and dust aerosols as sources of ice-nucleating particles in the eastern Mediterranean: source apportionment, atmospheric processing and parameterization
Quantifying the dust direct radiative effect in the southwestern United States: findings from multiyear measurements
How horizontal transport and turbulent mixing impact aerosol particle and precursor concentrations at a background site in the UAE
Markedly different impacts of primary emissions and secondary aerosol formation on aerosol mixing states revealed by simultaneous measurements of CCNC, H(/V)TDMA, and SP2
Aerosol spectral optical properties in the Paris urban area, and its peri−urban and forested surroundings during summer 2022 from ACROSS surface observations
Vertically resolved aerosol variability at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory under wet-season conditions
Contributions of the synoptic meteorology to the seasonal CCN cycle over the Southern Ocean
Measurement report: Analysis of aerosol optical depth variation at Zhongshan Station in Antarctica
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
Particle phase state and aerosol liquid water greatly impact secondary aerosol formation: insights into phase transition and its role in haze events
Measurement Report: Comparative Analysis of Fluorescing African Dust Particles in Spain and Puerto Rico
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
Erin N. Raif, Sarah L. Barr, Mark D. Tarn, James B. McQuaid, Martin I. Daily, Steven J. Abel, Paul A. Barrett, Keith N. Bower, Paul R. Field, Kenneth S. Carslaw, and Benjamin J. Murray
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 14045–14072, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-14045-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-14045-2024, 2024
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Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) allow ice to form in clouds at temperatures warmer than −35°C. We measured INP concentrations over the Norwegian and Barents seas in weather events where cold air is ejected from the Arctic. These concentrations were among the highest measured in the Arctic. It is likely that the INPs were transported to the Arctic from distant regions. These results show it is important to consider hemispheric-scale INP processes to understand INP concentrations in the Arctic.
Fernando Rejano, Andrea Casans, Marta Via, Juan Andrés Casquero-Vera, Sonia Castillo, Hassan Lyamani, Alberto Cazorla, Elisabeth Andrews, Daniel Pérez-Ramírez, Andrés Alastuey, Francisco Javier Gómez-Moreno, Lucas Alados-Arboledas, Francisco José Olmo, and Gloria Titos
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13865–13888, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13865-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13865-2024, 2024
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This study provides valuable insights to improve cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) estimations at a high-altitude remote site which is influenced by nearby urban pollution. Understanding the factors that affect CCN estimations is essential to improve the CCN data coverage worldwide and assess aerosol–cloud interactions on a global scale. This is crucial for improving climate models, since aerosol–cloud interactions are the most important source of uncertainty in climate projections.
Lu Zhang, Michal Segal-Rozenhaimer, Haochi Che, Caroline Dang, Junying Sun, Ye Kuang, Paola Formenti, and Steven G. Howell
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13849–13864, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13849-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13849-2024, 2024
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Using airborne measurements over the southeast Atlantic Ocean, we examined how much moisture aerosols take up during Africa’s biomass burning season. Our study revealed the important role of organic aerosols and introduced a predictive model for moisture uptake, accounting for organics, sulfate, and black carbon, summarizing results from various campaigns. These findings improve our understanding of aerosol–moisture interactions and their radiative effects in this climatically critical region.
Mary C. Robinson, Kaitlin Schueth, and Karin Ardon-Dryer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13733–13750, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13733-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13733-2024, 2024
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On 26 February 2023, New Mexico and West Texas were impacted by a severe dust storm. To analyze this storm, 28 meteorological stations and 19 PM2.5 and PM10 stations were used. Dust particles were in the air for 16 h, and dust storm conditions lasted for up to 120 min. Hourly PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were up to 518 and 9983 µg m−3, respectively. For Lubbock, Texas, the maximum PM2.5 concentrations were the highest ever recorded.
Jerome D. Fast, Adam C. Varble, Fan Mei, Mikhail Pekour, Jason Tomlinson, Alla Zelenyuk, Art J. Sedlacek III, Maria Zawadowicz, and Louisa Emmons
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13477–13502, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13477-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13477-2024, 2024
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Aerosol property measurements recently collected on the ground and by a research aircraft in central Argentina during the Cloud, Aerosol, and Complex Terrain Interactions (CACTI) campaign exhibit large spatial and temporal variability. These measurements coupled with coincident meteorological information provide a valuable data set needed to evaluate and improve model predictions of aerosols in a traditionally data-sparse region of South America.
Julika Zinke, Gabriel Pereira Freitas, Rachel Ann Foster, Paul Zieger, Ernst Douglas Nilsson, Piotr Markuszewski, and Matthew Edward Salter
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13413–13428, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13413-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13413-2024, 2024
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Bioaerosols, which can influence climate and human health, were studied in the Baltic Sea. In May and August 2021, we used a sea spray simulation chamber during two ship-based campaigns to collect and measure these aerosols. We found that microbes were enriched in air compared to seawater. Bacterial diversity was analysed using DNA sequencing. Our methods provided consistent estimates of microbial emission fluxes, aligning with previous studies.
Chimurkar Navinya, Taveen Singh Kapoor, Gupta Anurag, Chandra Venkataraman, Harish C. Phuleria, and Rajan K. Chakrabarty
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13285–13297, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13285-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13285-2024, 2024
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Brown carbon (BrC) aerosols show an order-of-magnitude variation in their light absorption strength. Our understanding of BrC from real-world biomass burning remains limited, complicating the determination of its radiative impact. Our study reports absorption properties of BrC emitted from four major biomass burning sources using field measurements in India. It develops an absorption parameterization for BrC and examines the spatial variability in BrC's absorption strength across India.
Sami D. Harni, Minna Aurela, Sanna Saarikoski, Jarkko V. Niemi, Harri Portin, Hanna Manninen, Ville Leinonen, Pasi Aalto, Phil K. Hopke, Tuukka Petäjä, Topi Rönkkö, and Hilkka Timonen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12143–12160, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12143-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12143-2024, 2024
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In this study, particle number size distribution data were used in a novel way in positive matrix factorization analysis to find aerosol source profiles in the area. Measurements were made in Helsinki at a street canyon and urban background sites between February 2015 and June 2019. Five different aerosol sources were identified. These sources underline the significance of traffic-related emissions in urban environments despite recent improvements in emission reduction technologies.
Natalie G. Ratcliffe, Claire L. Ryder, Nicolas Bellouin, Stephanie Woodward, Anthony Jones, Ben Johnson, Lisa-Maria Wieland, Maximilian Dollner, Josef Gasteiger, and Bernadett Weinzierl
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12161–12181, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12161-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12161-2024, 2024
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Large mineral dust particles are more abundant in the atmosphere than expected and have different impacts on the environment than small particles, which are better represented in climate models. We use aircraft measurements to assess a climate model representation of large-dust transport. We find that the model underestimates the amount of large dust at all stages of transport and that fast removal of the large particles increases this underestimation with distance from the Sahara.
Sergio Rodríguez and Jessica López-Darias
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12031–12053, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12031-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12031-2024, 2024
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Extreme Saharan dust events expanded northward to the Atlantic and Europe, prompting record-breaking PM10 and PM2.5 events. These episodes are caused by low-to-high dipole meteorology during hemispheric anomalies characterized by subtropical anticyclones shifting to higher latitudes, anomalous low pressures beyond the tropics and amplified Rossby waves. Extreme dust events occur in a paradoxical context of a multidecadal decrease in dust emissions, a topic that requires further investigation.
Valeria Mardoñez-Balderrama, Griša Močnik, Marco Pandolfi, Robin L. Modini, Fernando Velarde, Laura Renzi, Angela Marinoni, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Isabel Moreno R., Diego Aliaga, Federico Bianchi, Claudia Mohr, Martin Gysel-Beer, Patrick Ginot, Radovan Krejci, Alfred Wiedensohler, Gaëlle Uzu, Marcos Andrade, and Paolo Laj
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12055–12077, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12055-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12055-2024, 2024
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Levels of black carbon (BC) are scarcely reported in the Southern Hemisphere, especially in high-altitude conditions. This study provides insight into the concentration level, variability, and optical properties of BC in La Paz and El Alto and at the Chacaltaya Global Atmosphere Watch Station. Two methods of source apportionment of absorption were tested and compared showing traffic as the main contributor to absorption in the urban area, in addition to biomass and open waste burning.
Krishnakant Budhavant, Mohanan Remani Manoj, Hari Ram Chandrika Rajendran Nair, Samuel Mwaniki Gaita, Henry Holmstrand, Abdus Salam, Ahmed Muslim, Sreedharan Krishnakumari Satheesh, and Örjan Gustafsson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 11911–11925, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11911-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11911-2024, 2024
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The South Asian Pollution Experiment 2018 used access to three strategically located receptor observatories. Observational constraints revealed opposing trends in the mass absorption cross sections of black carbon (BC MAC) and brown carbon (BrC MAC) during long-range transport. Models estimating the climate effects of BC aerosols may have underestimated the ambient BC MAC over distant receptor areas, leading to discrepancies in aerosol absorption predicted by observation-constrained models.
Abigail S. Williams, Jeramy L. Dedrick, Lynn M. Russell, Florian Tornow, Israel Silber, Ann M. Fridlind, Benjamin Swanson, Paul J. DeMott, Paul Zieger, and Radovan Krejci
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 11791–11805, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11791-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11791-2024, 2024
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The measured aerosol size distribution modes reveal distinct properties characteristic of cold-air outbreaks in the Norwegian Arctic. We find higher sea spray number concentrations, smaller Hoppel minima, lower effective supersaturations, and accumulation-mode particle scavenging during cold-air outbreaks. These results advance our understanding of cold-air outbreak aerosol–cloud interactions in order to improve their accurate representation in models.
Franziska Vogel, Michael P. Adams, Larissa Lacher, Polly B. Foster, Grace C. E. Porter, Barbara Bertozzi, Kristina Höhler, Julia Schneider, Tobias Schorr, Nsikanabasi S. Umo, Jens Nadolny, Zoé Brasseur, Paavo Heikkilä, Erik S. Thomson, Nicole Büttner, Martin I. Daily, Romy Fösig, Alexander D. Harrison, Jorma Keskinen, Ulrike Proske, Jonathan Duplissy, Markku Kulmala, Tuukka Petäjä, Ottmar Möhler, and Benjamin J. Murray
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 11737–11757, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11737-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11737-2024, 2024
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Primary ice formation in clouds strongly influences their properties; hence, it is important to understand the sources of ice-nucleating particles (INPs) and their variability. We present 2 months of INP measurements in a Finnish boreal forest using a new semi-autonomous INP counting device based on gas expansion. These results show strong variability in INP concentrations, and we present a case that the INPs we observe are, at least some of the time, of biological origin.
Rebecca Dischl, Daniel Sauer, Christiane Voigt, Theresa Harlaß, Felicitas Sakellariou, Raphael Märkl, Ulrich Schumann, Monika Scheibe, Stefan Kaufmann, Anke Roiger, Andreas Dörnbrack, Charles Renard, Maxime Gauthier, Peter Swann, Paul Madden, Darren Luff, Mark Johnson, Denise Ahrens, Reetu Sallinen, Tobias Schripp, Georg Eckel, Uwe Bauder, and Patrick Le Clercq
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 11255–11273, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11255-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11255-2024, 2024
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In-flight measurements of aircraft emissions burning 100 % sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) show reduced particle number concentrations up to 41 % compared to conventional jet fuel. Particle emissions are dependent on engine power setting, flight altitude, and fuel composition. Engine models show a good correlation with measurement results. Future increased prevalence of SAF can positively influence the climate impact of aviation.
Zoé Brasseur, Julia Schneider, Janne Lampilahti, Ville Vakkari, Victoria A. Sinclair, Christina J. Williamson, Carlton Xavier, Dmitri Moisseev, Markus Hartmann, Pyry Poutanen, Markus Lampimäki, Markku Kulmala, Tuukka Petäjä, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Erik S. Thomson, Kristina Höhler, Ottmar Möhler, and Jonathan Duplissy
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 11305–11332, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11305-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11305-2024, 2024
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Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) strongly influence the formation of clouds by initiating the formation of ice crystals. However, very little is known about the vertical distribution of INPs in the atmosphere. Here, we present aircraft measurements of INP concentrations above the Finnish boreal forest. Results show that near-surface INPs are efficiently transported and mixed within the boundary layer and occasionally reach the free troposphere.
Piotr Markuszewski, E. Douglas Nilsson, Julika Zinke, E. Monica Mårtensson, Matthew Salter, Przemysław Makuch, Małgorzata Kitowska, Iwona Niedźwiecka-Wróbel, Violetta Drozdowska, Dominik Lis, Tomasz Petelski, Luca Ferrero, and Jacek Piskozub
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 11227–11253, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11227-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11227-2024, 2024
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Our research provides new insights into the study of sea spray aerosol (SSA) emissions in the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic. We observed that SSA flux is suppressed during increased marine biological activity in the Baltic Sea. At the same time, the influence of wave age showed higher SSA emissions in the Baltic Sea for younger waves compared to the Atlantic Ocean. These insights underscore the complex interplay between biological activity and physical dynamics in regulating SSA emissions.
Shravan Deshmukh, Laurent Poulain, Birgit Wehner, Silvia Henning, Jean-Eudes Petit, Pauline Fombelle, Olivier Favez, Hartmut Herrmann, and Mira Pöhlker
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3027, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3027, 2024
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Aerosol hygroscopicity has been investigated at the sub-urban site in Paris; analysis shows the sub-saturated regime's measured hygroscopicity and the chemically derived hygroscopic growth, shedding light on the large effect of external particle mixing and its influence on predicting hygroscopicity.
Heather Guy, Andrew S. Martin, Erik Olson, Ian M. Brooks, and Ryan R. Neely III
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 11103–11114, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11103-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11103-2024, 2024
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Aerosol particles impact cloud properties which influence Greenland Ice Sheet melt. Understanding the aerosol population that interacts with clouds is important for constraining future melt. Measurements of aerosols at cloud height over Greenland are rare, and surface measurements are often used to investigate cloud–aerosol interactions. We use a tethered balloon to measure aerosols up to cloud base and show that surface measurements are often not equivalent to those just below the cloud.
Kouji Adachi, Jack E. Dibb, Joseph M. Katich, Joshua P. Schwarz, Hongyu Guo, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Jose L. Jimenez, Jeff Peischl, Christopher D. Holmes, and James Crawford
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10985–11004, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10985-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10985-2024, 2024
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We examined aerosol particles from wildfires and identified tarballs (TBs) from the Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) campaign. This study reveals the compositions, abundance, sizes, and mixing states of TBs and shows that TBs formed as the smoke aged for up to 5 h. This study provides measurements of TBs from various biomass-burning events and ages, enhancing our knowledge of TB emissions and our understanding of their climate impact.
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
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10667–10687, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10667-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10667-2024, 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. NPF features differ between site categories, implying the crucial role of local environmental factors such as the degree of emissions and meteorological conditions. The results also underscore the importance of local environments when assessing the impact of NPF on climate in models.
Baptiste Testa, Lukas Durdina, Jacinta Edebeli, Curdin Spirig, and Zamin A. Kanji
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 10409–10424, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10409-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-10409-2024, 2024
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Aviation soot residuals released from contrails 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 is highly compact but that it remains unable to form ice at a relative humidity different from that required for the formation of background cirrus from the more ubiquitous aqueous solution droplets, suggesting that it will not perturb cirrus cloud formation via ice nucleation.
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 Papayannis, Konstantinos Eleftheridadis, Ottmar Möhler, and Athanasios Nenes
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 9939–9974, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9939-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9939-2024, 2024
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Ice nucleating particle (INP) concentrations are required for correct predictions of clouds and precipitation in a changing climate, but they are poorly constrained in climate models. We unravel source contributions to INPs in the eastern Mediterranean and find that biological particles are important, regardless of their origin. The parameterizations developed exhibit superior performance and enable models to consider biological-particle effects on INPs.
Alexandra Kuwano, Amato T. Evan, Blake Walkowiak, and Robert Frouin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 9843–9868, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9843-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9843-2024, 2024
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The dust direct radiative effect is highly uncertain. Here we used new measurements collected over 3 years and during dust storms at a field site in a desert region in the 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.
Jutta Kesti, Ewan J. O'Connor, Anne Hirsikko, John Backman, Maria Filioglou, Anu-Maija Sundström, Juha Tonttila, Heikki Lihavainen, Hannele Korhonen, and Eija Asmi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 9369–9386, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9369-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9369-2024, 2024
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The study combines aerosol particle measurements at the surface and vertical profiling of the atmosphere with a scanning Doppler lidar to investigate how particle transportation together with boundary layer evolution can affect particle and SO2 concentrations at the surface in the Arabian Peninsula region. The instrumentation enabled us to see elevated nucleation mode particle and SO2 concentrations at the surface when air masses transported from polluted areas are mixed in the boundary layer.
Jiangchuan Tao, Biao Luo, Weiqi Xu, Gang Zhao, Hanbin Xu, Biao Xue, Miaomiao Zhai, Wanyun Xu, Huarong Zhao, Sanxue Ren, Guangsheng Zhou, Li Liu, Ye Kuang, and Yele Sun
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 9131–9154, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9131-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9131-2024, 2024
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Using simultaneous measurements of DMA–CCNC, H(/V)TDMA, and DMA–SP2, impacts of primary emissions and secondary aerosol formations on changes in aerosol physicochemical properties were comprehensively investigated. It was found that intercomparisons among aerosol mixing-state parameters derived from different techniques can help us gain more insight into aerosol physical properties which, in turn, will aid the investigation of emission characteristics and secondary aerosol formation pathways.
Ludovico Di Antonio, Claudia Di Biagio, Paola Formenti, Aline Gratien, Vincent Michoud, Christopher Cantrell, Astrid Bauville, Antonin Bergé, Mathieu Cazaunau, Servanne Chevaillier, Manuela Cirtog, Patrice Coll, Barbara D'Anna, Joel F. de Brito, David O. De Haan, Juliette R. Dignum, Shravan Deshmukh, Olivier Favez, Pierre-Marie Flaud, Cecile Gaimoz, Lelia N. Hawkins, Julien Kammer, Brigitte Language, Franck Maisonneuve, Griša Močnik, Emilie Perraudin, Jean-Eudes Petit, Prodip Acharja, Laurent Poulain, Pauline Pouyes, Eva Drew Pronovost, Véronique Riffault, Kanuri I. Roundtree, Marwa Shahin, Guillaume Siour, Eric Villenave, Pascal Zapf, Gilles Foret, Jean-François Doussin, and Matthias Beekmann
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2299, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2299, 2024
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The spectral complex refractive index (CRI) and single scattering albedo were retrieved from submicron aerosol measurements at three sites within the greater Paris area during the ACROSS field campaign (June–July 2022). Measurements revealed the urban emission impact on the surrounding areas. The CRI full period averages at 520 nm were 1.41–0.037i (urban), 1.52–0.038i (peri-urban), 1.50−0.025i (rural). Organic aerosols dominated the aerosol mass and contributed up to 22% of absorption at 370 nm.
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
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 8751–8770, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8751-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8751-2024, 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) in natural aerosols. Daytime mixing contrasted with nighttime stratification, with distinct rain-induced changes in aerosol populations. Notably, optical property 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.
Tahereh Alinejadtabrizi, Yi Huang, Francisco Lang, Steven Siems, Michael Manton, Luis Ackermann, Melita Keywood, Ruhi Humphries, Paul Krummel, Alastair Williams, and Greg Ayers
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2397, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2397, 2024
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Our research explores how weather patterns affect cloud-forming particles (CCN) over the Southern Ocean, crucial for more accurately simulate the Earth's climate. We discovered that winter and summer weather systems significantly influence CCN levels. By analysing air mass trajectories and precipitation, we identified a seasonal cycle in CCN driven by synoptic meteorology. This work enhances climate predictions by improving our understanding of cloud-aerosol interactions in this remote region.
Lijing Chen, Lei Zhang, Yong She, Zhaoliang Zeng, Yu Zheng, Biao Tian, Wenqian Zhang, Zhaohui Liu, and Minghu Ding
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-798, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-798, 2024
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AOD at Zhongshan Station varies seasonally, with lower values in summer and higher values in winter. Winter and spring AOD increases due to reduced fine mode particles, while summer and autumn increases are linked to particle growth. Duirnal AOD variation correlates positively with temperature but negatively with wind speed and humidity. Backward trajectory shows aerosols on high (low) AOD days primarily originate from the ocean (interior Antarctica).
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.
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.
Bighnaraj Sarangi, Darrel Baumgardner, Ana Isabel Calvo, Benjamin Bolaños-Rosero, Roberto Fraile, Alberto Rodríguez-Fernández, Delia Fernández-González, Carlos Blanco-Alegre, Cátia Gonçalves, Estela D. Vicente, and Olga L. Mayol Bracero
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-446, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-446, 2024
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Measurements of fluorescing aerosol particle properties have been made during two major African dust events, one over the island of Puerto Rico and the other over the city of León, Spain The measurements were with two Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Spectrometers. A significant change in the background aerosol properties, at both locations, is observed when the dust is in the respective regions.
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.
Cited articles
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Archibald, S., Nickless, A., Govender, N., Scholes, R. J., and Lehsten, V.: Climate
and the inter-annual variability of fire in southern Africa: a meta-analysis
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Baier, B. C., Brune, W. H., Lefer, B. L., Miller, D. O., and Martins, D. K.:
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Baumgardner, D., Raga, G., Peralta, O., Rosas, I., Castro, T., Kuhlbusch,
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Harrison, R. M., Beddows, D. C. S., Hu, L., and Yin, J.: Comparison of
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Short summary
Air quality in rapidly developing East Africa is a growing but understudied concern. We analyzed long-term black carbon, carbon monoxide, and ozone measurements from the remote Rwanda Climate Observatory and found that seasonal regional biomass burning raised black carbon levels to above-urban concentrations 6 months out of the year. Additional local pollution could exacerbate this issue. More regional monitoring needs to be done to understand and reduce air pollution in this region.
Air quality in rapidly developing East Africa is a growing but understudied concern. We analyzed...
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