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

A 21-year global dataset of particle number concentrations for aerosol-cloud interaction studies
Aino Ovaska, Daniel Holmberg, Elio Rauth, Mansour Alghamdi, Paulo Artaxo, Eija Asmi, John Backman, Benjamin Bergmans, Matthew Boyer, Liezl Bredenkamp, Maurizio Busetto, Delano Campos De Oliveira, Juan Andrés Casquero-Vera, Darius Ceburnis, Tak Chan, Tommy Chan, Sebastien Conil, Daniele Contini, Suzanne Crumeyrolle, Valentin Duflot, Kostas Eleftheriadis, Johan Esveld, Ekaterina Ezhova, Markus Fiebig, Shahzad Gani, Olga Garmash, Francisco Gómez-Moreno, Roy M. Harrison, Andras Hoffer, Rakesh Hooda, Antti Hyvärinen, Tareq Hussein, Jorma Joutsensaari, Nikos Kalivitis, Heinz Kaminski, Jutta Kesti, Radovan Krejci, Adam Kristensson, Chongai Kuang, Markku Kulmala, Lauri Laakso, Ari Leskinen, Heikki Lihavainen, Andreas Massling, Maik Merkel, Steffen Noe, Jakub Ondracek, Noemí Perez, Jean-Eudes Petit, Tuukka Petäjä, Michael Pikridas, Christopher Pöhlker, Mira Pöhlker, Jean-Philippe Putaud, Ximeng Qi, Cristina Reche, Sergio Rodríguez, Petr Roztocil, Jean Sciare, Karine Sellegri, Dongjie Shang, Ashish Singh, Mikko Sipilä, Henrik Skov, Mar Sorribas, Tamanna Subba, Junying Sun, Peter Tunved, Ville Vakkari, Pieter G. Van Zyl, Aki Virkkula, Jens Voigtländer, Kay Weinhold, Alfred Wiedensohler, Hee-Jung Yoo, Putian Zhou, Kai Puolamäki, Tuomo Nieminen, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Victoria A. Sinclair, and Pauli Paasonen
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-415,https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-415, 2026
Preprint under review for ESSD
Short summary
Multi-year characterization of low volatility vapors in a boreal forest
Chengfeng Liu, Otso Peräkylä, Lauri Ahonen, Ilona Ylivinkka, Petri Keronen, Douglas R. Worsnop, Tuukka Petäjä, Markku Kulmala, Mikael Ehn, and Nina Sarnela
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2773,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2773, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Exploring ice nucleation particle concentrations in a boreal environment: limits of machine-learning-assisted variable screening
Yusheng Wu, Zoé Brasseur, Dimitri Castarède, Paavo Heikkilä, Jorma Keskinen, Ottmar Möhler, Markku Kulmala, Tuukka Petäjä, Erik S. Thomson, and Jonathan Duplissy
Aerosol Research, 4, 293–309, https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-4-293-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-4-293-2026, 2026
Short summary
Aerosol Size Distribution and New Particle Formation in High Mountain Environments: A Comparative Study at Monte Cimone and Jungfraujoch GAW Stations
Martina Mazzini, Diego Aliaga, Janne Lamphilati, Martin Gysel-Beer, Benjamin Tobias Brem, Robin Lewis Modini, Dominic Heslin-Rees, Tareq Hussein, Marco Zanatta, Paolo Cristofanelli, Federico Bianchi, Markku Kulmala, and Angela Marinoni
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 8893–8912, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-8893-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-8893-2026, 2026
Short summary
Frequent new particle formation events in the Indo-Gangetic Plain occur under reduced condensation sink but are obscured by air mass heterogeneity
Gaurav K. Srivastav, Aasif A. Wagay, Janne Lampilahti, Jaswant Rathore, Ravi K. Kunchala, Dilip Ganguly, Markku Kulmala, Tuukka Petäjä, Pauli Paasonen, Roseline C. Thakur, and Shahzad Gani
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2212,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-2212, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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
Editorial statement
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