Implications of reduced-complexity aerosol thermodynamics on organic aerosol mass concentration and composition over North America

Serrano Damha, Camilo; Gorkowski, Kyle; Zuend, Andreas

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5773-2025

Articles | Volume 25, issue 11

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5773-2025

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

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5773-2025

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

Articles | Volume 25, issue 11

Research article

| Highlight paper

|

12 Jun 2025

Research article | Highlight paper |

| 12 Jun 2025

Implications of reduced-complexity aerosol thermodynamics on organic aerosol mass concentration and composition over North America

Camilo Serrano Damha, Kyle Gorkowski, and Andreas Zuend

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5773-2025-supplement

Data sets

GEOS-Chem organic aerosol mass concentrations output data, Zenodo Camilo Serrano Damha https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13352426

MERRA-2 const_2d_asm_Nx: 2d, constants V5.12.4 (M2C0NXASM) Global Modeling and Assimilation Office https://doi.org/10.5067/ME5QX6Q5IGGU

MERRA-2 inst3_3d_asm_Nv: 3d, 3-Hourly, Instantaneous, Model-Level, Assimilation, Assimilated Meteorological Fields V5.12.4 (M2I3NVASM) Global Modeling and Assimilation Office https://doi.org/10.5067/WWQSXQ8IVFW8

MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_flx_Nx: 2d, 1-Hourly, Time-Averaged, Single-Level, Assimilation, Surface Flux Diagnostics V5.12.4 (M2T1NXFLX) Global Modeling and Assimilation Office https://doi.org/10.5067/7MCPBJ41Y0K6

MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_lnd_Nx: 2d, 1-Hourly, Time-Averaged, Single-Level, Assimilation, Land Surface Diagnostics V5.12.4 (M2T1NXLND) Global Modeling and Assimilation Office https://doi.org/10.5067/RKPHT8KC1Y1T

MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_rad_Nx: 2d, 1-Hourly, Time-Averaged, Single-Level, Assimilation, Radiation Diagnostics V5.12.4 (M2T1NXRAD) Global Modeling and Assimilation Office https://doi.org/10.5067/Q9QMY5PBNV1T

MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_slv_Nx:2d, 1-Hourly, Time-Averaged, Single-Level, Assimilation, Single-Level Diagnostics V5.12.4 (M2T1NXSLV) Global Modeling and Assimilation Office https://doi.org/10.5067/VJAFPLI1CSIV

MERRA-2 tavg3_3d_asm_Nv: 3d, 3-Hourly, Time-Averaged, Model-Level, Assimilation, Assimilated Meteorological Fields V5.12.4 (M2T3NVASM) Global Modeling and Assimilation Office https://doi.org/10.5067/SUOQESM06LPK

MERRA-2 tavg3_3d_cld_Nv: 3d, 3-Hourly, Time-Averaged, Model-Level, Assimilation, Cloud Diagnostics V5.12.4 (M2T3NVCLD) Global Modeling and Assimilation Office https://doi.org/10.5067/F9353J0FAHIH

MERRA-2 tavg3_3d_mst_Ne: 3d, 3-Hourly, Time-Averaged, Model-Level Edge, Assimilation, Moist Processes Diagnostics V5.12.4 (M2T3NEMST) Global Modeling and Assimilation Office https://doi.org/10.5067/JRUZ3SJ3ZJ72

MERRA-2 tavg3_3d_mst_Nv: 3d, 3-Hourly, Time-Averaged, Model-Level, Assimilation, Moist Processes Diagnostics V5.12.4 (M2T3NVMST) Global Modeling and Assimilation Office https://doi.org/10.5067/ZXTJ28TQR1TR

Model code and software

CamiloSerranoDamha/BAT-VBS: Original (v1.0.0) release of BAT-VBS C. Serrano Damha et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8270272

Binary Activity Thermodynamics volatility basis set (BAT-VBS) model (modern Fortran) - Public model code repository C. Serrano Damha https://github.com/CamiloSerranoDamha/BAT-VBS

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Executive editor

It is widely accepted that secondary organic aerosols formed from the atmospheric processing of biogenic and anthropogenic VOCs represent a major component of particulate matter globally, affecting air quality, meteorology and climate, but predictive skill in atmospheric models remains poor. It has previously been theorised that water vapour may assist organic molecules forming particulates by condensing together, but until now this process has not generally been implemented in models. This paper demonstrates that by including this process using a new efficient parameterisation in the popular GEOS-CHEM global chemistry model, the effects on predicted aerosol formation can be substantial, so this effect warrants consideration going forward.