Articles | Volume 23, issue 23
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14949-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14949-2023
Opinion
 | Highlight paper
 | 
05 Dec 2023
Opinion | Highlight paper |  | 05 Dec 2023

Opinion: The strength of long-term comprehensive observations to meet multiple grand challenges in different environments and in the atmosphere

Markku Kulmala, Anna Lintunen, Hanna Lappalainen, Annele Virtanen, Chao Yan, Ekaterina Ezhova, Tuomo Nieminen, Ilona Riipinen, Risto Makkonen, Johanna Tamminen, Anu-Maija Sundström, Antti Arola, Armin Hansel, Kari Lehtinen, Timo Vesala, Tuukka Petäjä, Jaana Bäck, Tom Kokkonen, and Veli-Matti Kerminen

Related authors

Opinion: Influence of mean free path of air on atmospheric particle growth
Runlong Cai and Markku Kulmala
Aerosol Research Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-2025-8,https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-2025-8, 2025
Preprint under review for AR
Short summary
Insights into new particle formation in Siberian boreal forest from nanoparticle ranking analysis
Anastasia Lampilahti, Olga Garmash, Diego Aliaga, Mikhail Arshinov, Denis Davydov, Boris Belan, Janne Lampilahti, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Tuukka Petäjä, Markku Kulmala, and Ekaterina Ezhova
Aerosol Research Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-2025-5,https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-2025-5, 2025
Preprint under review for AR
Short summary
Differential characterization of air ions in boreal forest of Finland and megacity of eastern China
Tinghan Zhang, Ximeng Qi, Janne Lampilahti, Liangduo Chen, Xuguang Chi, Wei Nie, Xin Huang, Zehao Zou, Wei Du, Tom Kokkonen, Tuukka Petäjä, Katrianne Lehtipalo, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Aijun Ding, and Markku Kulmala
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3370,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3370, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Parameterization of particle formation rates in distinct atmospheric environments
Xinyang Li, Tuomo Nieminen, Rima Baalbaki, Putian Zhou, Pauli Paasonen, Risto Makkonen, Martha Arbayani Zaidan, Nina Sarnela, Chao Yan, Tujia Jokinen, Imre Salma, Máté Vörösmarty, Tuukka Petäjä, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Markku Kulmala, and Lubna Dada
Aerosol Research Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-2025-3,https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-2025-3, 2025
Preprint under review for AR
Short summary
Direct calibration using atmospheric particles and performance evaluation of Particle Size Magnifier (PSM) 2.0 for sub-10 nm particle measurements
Yiliang Liu, Arttu Yli-Kujala, Fabian Schmidt-Ott, Sebastian Holm, Lauri Ahonen, Tommy Chan, Joonas Enroth, Joonas Vanhanen, Runlong Cai, Tuukka Petäjä, Markku Kulmala, Yang Chen, and Juha Kangasluoma
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 431–442, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-431-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-431-2025, 2025
Short summary

Related subject area

Subject: Aerosols | Research Activity: Field Measurements | Altitude Range: Troposphere | Science Focus: Physics (physical properties and processes)
Measurement report: An investigation of the spatiotemporal variability in aerosols in the mountainous terrain of the upper Colorado River basin using SAIL-Net
Leah D. Gibson, Ezra J. T. Levin, Ethan Emerson, Nick Good, Anna Hodshire, Gavin McMeeking, Kate Patterson, Bryan Rainwater, Tom Ramin, and Ben Swanson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2745–2762, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2745-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2745-2025, 2025
Short summary
Contributions of the synoptic meteorology to the seasonal cloud condensation nuclei cycle over the Southern Ocean
Tahereh Alinejadtabrizi, Yi Huang, Francisco Lang, Steven Siems, Michael Manton, Luis Ackermann, Melita Keywood, Ruhi Humphries, Paul Krummel, Alastair Williams, and Greg Ayers
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2631–2648, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2631-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2631-2025, 2025
Short summary
Measurement report: Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity in the South China Sea from shipborne observations during the summer and winter of 2021 – seasonal variation and anthropogenic influence
Hengjia Ou, Mingfu Cai, Yongyun Zhang, Xue Ni, Baoling Liang, Qibin Sun, Shixin Mai, Cuizhi Sun, Shengzhen Zhou, Haichao Wang, Jiaren Sun, and Jun Zhao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2495–2513, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2495-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2495-2025, 2025
Short summary
Measurement report: A comparative analysis of an intensive incursion of fluorescing African dust particles over Puerto Rico and another over Spain
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
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 843–865, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-843-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-843-2025, 2025
Short summary
Measurement report: Analysis of aerosol optical depth variation at Zhongshan Station in Antarctica
Lijing Chen, Lei Zhang, Yong She, Zhaoliang Zeng, Yu Zheng, Biao Tian, Wenqian Zhang, Zhaohui Liu, Huizheng Che, and Minghu Ding
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 727–739, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-727-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-727-2025, 2025
Short summary

Cited articles

Aalto, J., Kolari, P., Hari, P., Kerminen, V.-M., Schiestl-Aalto, P., Aaltonen, H., Levula, J., Siivola, E., Kulmala, M., and Bäck, J.: New foliage growth is a significant, unaccounted source for volatiles in boreal evergreen forests, Biogeosciences, 11, 1331–1344, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-1331-2014, 2014. 
Adam, D.: True COVID death toll could be more than double official count, Nature, 605, 206–206, https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-01245-6, 2022. 
Ahola, J., Raatikainen, T., Alper, M. E., Keskinen, J.-P., Kokkola, H., Kukkurainen, A., Lipponen, A., Liu, J., Nordling, K., Partanen, A.-I., Romakkaniemi, S., Räisänen, P., Tonttila, J., and Korhonen, H.: Technical note: Parameterising cloud base updraft velocity of marine stratocumuli, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 4523–4537, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4523-2022, 2022. 
Download
Executive editor
For well over a century, many advances in tropospheric chemistry and physics have been driven by in situ observations, with measurements tending to be either specific measurements over multi-year periods, often as part of a network, or short term ‘intensive’ observations over of a more limited duration, typically 1-2 months. But in recent decades, many major developments in atmospheric science have been fueled through long-term comprehensive observations, and the Finnish SMEAR project is a major pioneering example of this. As part of the 20th anniversary Special Issue of Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, this opinion piece reflects on the manifold and sustained contributions this has made to atmospheric science.
Short summary
To be able to meet global grand challenges, we need comprehensive open data with proper metadata. In this opinion paper, we describe the SMEAR (Station for Measuring Earth surface – Atmosphere Relations) concept and include several examples (cases), such as new particle formation and growth, feedback loops and the effect of COVID-19, and what has been learned from these investigations. The future needs and the potential of comprehensive observations of the environment are summarized.
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint