Hygroscopic aerosols amplify longwave downward radiation in the Arctic

Ji, Denghui; Palm, Mathias; Buschmann, Matthias; Ebell, Kerstin; Maturilli, Marion; Sun, Xiaoyu; Notholt, Justus

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3889-2025

Articles | Volume 25, issue 7

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3889-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3889-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 25, issue 7

Research article

|

07 Apr 2025

Research article |

| 07 Apr 2025

Hygroscopic aerosols amplify longwave downward radiation in the Arctic

Denghui Ji, Mathias Palm, Matthias Buschmann, Kerstin Ebell, Marion Maturilli, Xiaoyu Sun, and Justus Notholt

Data sets

Basic and other measurements of radiation at station Ny-Ålesund (2006-05 et seq) Marion Maturilli https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.914927

Custom collection of classification data from Ny-Ålesund between 10 Jun 2016 and 31 Dec 2022 Kerstin Ebell et al. https://doi.org/10.60656/0f41eadb2ec84e4d

Homogenized radiosonde record at station Ny-Ålesund, Spitsbergen, 2017-2022 Marion Maturilli and Erik Dünschede https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.961203

ERA5 monthly averaged data on pressure levels from 1940 to present Hans Hersbach et al. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.6860a573

MERRA-2 tavgM_2d_aer_Nx: 2d, monthly mean, time-averaged, single-level, assimilation, aerosol diagnostics, version 5.12.4 Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) https://doi.org/10.5067/FH9A0MLJPC7N

Model code and software

RichterIUP/TCWret: Total Cloud Water retrieval (v1.0) Philipp Richter https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3948048

Short summary

Our study explores how certain aerosols, like sea salt, affect infrared heat radiation in the Arctic, potentially speeding up warming. We used advanced technology to measure aerosol composition and found that these particles grow with humidity, significantly increasing their heat-trapping effect in the infrared region, especially in winter. Our findings suggest these aerosols could be a key factor in Arctic warming, emphasizing the importance of understanding aerosols for climate prediction.