Articles | Volume 26, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-6489-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-26-6489-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Measurement report
| 
13 May 2026
Measurement report |
| 13 May 2026
| 13 May 2026
Measurement report: Chemical characterization of cloud water at Monte Cimone (Italy) – impact of air mass origin and assessment of atmospheric processes
Pauline Nibert
Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique, UMR 6016, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, 63000, France
Yi Wu
Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique, UMR 6016, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, 63000, France
Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Clermont-Ferrand, 63000, France
Muriel Joly
Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Clermont-Ferrand, 63000, France
Pierre Amato
Laboratoire Microorganismes : Génome et Environnement, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Aubière, 63178, France
Paolo Cristofanelli
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy, Bologna, 40129, Italy
Francescopiero Calzolari
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy, Bologna, 40129, Italy
Jean-Luc Piro
Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans, UMR 6524, CNRS, IRD, OPGC, Université Clermont Auvergne, Aubière, 63178, France
Davide Putero
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy, Turin, 10133, Italy
Simonetta Montaguti
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy, Bologna, 40129, Italy
Laura Renzi
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy, Bologna, 40129, Italy
Franziska Vogel
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy, Bologna, 40129, Italy
Marco Rapuano
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy, Bologna, 40129, Italy
Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Odontoiatry, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
Marcello Brigante
Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Clermont-Ferrand, 63000, France
Christophe Verhaege
Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique, UMR 6016, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, 63000, France
Institut Universitaire de Technologie Clermont Auvergne-site de Montluçon, Université Clermont Auvergne, 03100 Montluçon, France
Jean-Luc Baray
Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique, UMR 6016, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, 63000, France
Observatoire de Physique du Globe de Clermont-Ferrand, UMS 833, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Aubière, 63178, France
Laurent Deguillaume
Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique, UMR 6016, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, 63000, France
Observatoire de Physique du Globe de Clermont-Ferrand, UMS 833, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Aubière, 63178, France
Angela Marinoni
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy, Bologna, 40129, Italy
Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy, Bologna, 40129, Italy
Laboratoire de Météorologie Physique, UMR 6016, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, 63000, France
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Chloe A. Brashear, Maarten M. J. W. van Herpen, Sergey Gromov, Berend van de Kraats, Carina van der Veen, Xietiancheng Yu, Matthew S. Johnson, Helder Timas, Sönke Zaehle, Armin Jordan, Heiko Moossen, Africa Barreto, Natalia Pratts, Isabel Baños, Jesús Arrieta, Dickon Young, Peter Sealy, Hella van Asperen, Simonetta Montaguti, Peter Sperlich, Rowena Moss, Sylvia Nichol, Stephen Matthew Platt, Ove Hermansen, Cathrine Lund Myhre, Gabrielle Petron, Andy Crotwell, Isaac Vimont, and Thomas Röckmann
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5618, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5618, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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This study evaluates trends in atmospheric CO between 1995–2025 and uses the isotopic composition of CO to constrain emission shifts during this time. We find that CO from fossil fuel combustion has reduced dramatically in the Northern Hemisphere during winter, linked to global air quality regulations. Conversely, a small background rise in CO is driven by increasing atmospheric CH4 and recent extreme wildfire seasons have caused large peaks in CO, counteracting reductions from fossil emissions.
Paolo Cristofanelli, Francesca Marcucci, Claudia Roberta Calidonna, Francescopiero Calzolari, Felice Dipace, Simonetta Montaguti, Fabrizio Roccato, Maurizio Busetto, Angela Marinoni, Davide Putero, Laura Renzi, Pamela Trisolino, Marco Zanatta, and Christoph Zellweger
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5833, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5833, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT).
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We compared six years of carbon dioxide and methane measurements from two nearby laboratories at the high mountain station on Mount Cimone, Italy. Both recorded similar long-term and seasonal changes, but hourly readings often differed beyond limits recommended by WMO. Sampling location, data selection and moisture removal contributed to these differences; human presence may also have played a role. Standardization of sampling and procedures can make greenhouse gas measurements more consistent.
Johannes Heuser, Claudia Di Biagio, Jérôme Yon, Mathieu Cazaunau, Antonin Bergé, Edouard Pangui, Marco Zanatta, Laura Renzi, Angela Marinoni, Chenjie Yu, Servanne Chevaillier, Daniel Ferry, Michel Maillé, Paola Formenti, Benedicte Picquet-Varrault, and Jean-François Doussin
Aerosol Research Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-2026-31, https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-2026-31, 2026
Preprint under review for AR
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We retrieve refractive indices of laboratory-generated soot from measured particle properties using Mie and RDG-FA optical calculations, and quantify uncertainties via Monte Carlo simulations. The inferred refractive indices strongly depend on the theory employed, highlighting the need for consistency between optical theory and refractive index. Mie retrievals are sensitive to coagulation and size growth, while RDG-FA retrievals depend strongly on the uncertainty of assumed particle morphology.
Leslie Nuñez López, Pierre Amato, and Barbara Ervens
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5013, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5013, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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Clouds contain microorganisms that can biodegrade organics, potentially influencing the atmospheric carbon cycle. We present a framework to estimate biodegradation rates for common cloud-water constituents and shows that microbial abundance is the main controlling factor. Overall, biodegradation is a minor atmospheric sink, only important for a few individual compounds. These findings improve estimates of atmospheric sinks and help advance our understanding of airborne microbial activity.
Ross J. Herbert, Larissa Lacher, Alexander Böhmländer, Mark D. Tarn, Antoine Canzi, Aidan Pantoya, Evelyn Freney, Kristina Höhler, Pia Bogert, Céline Planche, Ping Tian, Michael Adams, Sarah Barr, David Brus, Nicole Büttner, Martin Daily, Konstantinos Doulgeris, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Grant Forster, Romy Fösig, Dimitrios G. Georgakopoulos, Maria I. Gini, A. Gannet Hallar, Radovan Krejci, Elke Ludewig, Mauro Mazzola, Ian B. McCubbin, Athanasios Nenes, Tuukka Petäjä, Joseph Robinson, Franziska Vogel, Paul Zieger, Stephen Arnold, Kenneth S. Carslaw, Naruki Hiranuma, Ottmar Möhler, and Benjamin J. Murray
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 18, 6465–6483, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-6465-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-6465-2026, 2026
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Ice formation in sub-zero clouds is influenced by airborne particles called ice-nucleating particles (INPs), whose concentrations vary substantially over short time and spatial scales. To assess the role of INPs in our climate, a comprehensive and consistent global dataset is essential. Our GloPINE model-ready dataset is a major step in this direction, comprising 36,000 measurements made using a single instrument design (PINE) over 70,000 hours of operation at 20 Northern Hemisphere sites.
Stefania Gilardoni, Annachiara Bellini, Paolo Bonasoni, Henri Diémoz, Christian Gencarelli, Angela Marinoni, Eros Mariani, Luigi Mazari Villanova, Bruno Neininger, Mattia Perilli, Michael Sprenger, and Francesco Petracchini
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 11135–11152, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-11135-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-11135-2026, 2026
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This study presents the first high-time-resolution aerosol data collected from the Testa Grigia Observatory (3,480 m) in the Italian Alps, from 2021 to 2023. We identified three transport pathways: Saharan Dust Events (SDE), which occurred with a frequency of 6 %, regional and long-range transported pollution (28 %), and clean air from the free troposphere. The timing of SDE, observed mainly in spring, and the mixing of dust particles with black carbon, enhance SDE impact on snow melting.
Nicole Büttner, Romy Fösig, Alexander Böhmländer, Larissa Lacher, Franziska Vogel, Mark Tarn, Pia Bogert, Jens Nadolny, Benjamin Murray, and Ottmar Möhler
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 5007–5026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-5007-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-5007-2026, 2026
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We developed a new Python software tool that standardises and automates the analysis of data from a cloud simulation chamber. It identifies ice-forming particles in the atmosphere and ensures consistent data quality through built-in checks, making results more comparable across studies. We also analysed measurement data to provide recommendations for improving instrument reliability and long-term monitoring of atmospheric ice-forming particles. This helps to better understand how clouds behave.
Elsa Abs, Christoph Keuschnig, Pierre Amato, Chris Bowler, Eric Capo, Alexander B. Chase, Luciana Chavez Rodriguez, Abraham N. Dabengwa, Thomas Dussarrat, Thomas Guzman, Linnea K. Hernandez, Jenni Hultman, Kirsten Küsel, Zhen Li, Anna Mankowski, William J. Riley, Scott R. Saleska, and Lisa Wingate
Biogeosciences, 23, 5205–5237, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5205-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5205-2026, 2026
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Meta-omics technologies offer new tools to understand how microbial and plant functional diversity shape biogeochemical cycles across ecosystems. This perspective explores how integrating omics data with ecological and modeling approaches can improve our understanding of greenhouse gas fluxes and nutrient dynamics, from soils to clouds, and from the past to the future. We highlight challenges and opportunities for scaling omics insights from local processes to Earth system models.
Joël Thanwerdas, Paolo Cristofanelli, Angela Fiore, Rianne Dröge, Sophie Van Mil, Yohanna Villalobos, Zhendong Wu, and Dominik Brunner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 10477–10507, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-10477-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-10477-2026, 2026
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We assess how expanding Italy’s sparse ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System) methane network could improve methane emission estimates. Using transport modelling, data assimilation methods and synthetic observations, we test eight candidate sites. Chieti, in Central Italy and Mount Venda, in Northern Italy, provide the strongest added constraints, respectively. The framework developed here can be applied to other countries to optimize their atmospheric measurement networks and to improve constraints on greenhouse gas emissions.
Mario Marcello Miglietta, Elenio Avolio, Alessandro Bracci, Massimiliano Burlando, Francesco Cairo, Federico Canepa, Vincenzo Capozzi, Sebastiano Carpentari, Federico Cassola, Alessandro Ceppi, Silvio Davolio, Francesco De Martin, Giorgio Doglioni, Costanza Di Felice Fabrizi, Luca Di Liberto, Francesco Domenichini, Stefano Federico, Massimo Enrico Ferrario, Federico Grazzini, Antonio Iengo, Sante Laviola, Agostino Manzato, Paolo Paganini, Antonio Parodi, Alessandro Pavan, Andrea Piazza, Arturo Pucillo, Giovanni Ravezzani, Francesco Sioni, Barbara Turato, Gianfranco Vulpiani, Marco Zanatta, and Dino Zardi
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3395–3415, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-3395-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-3395-2026, 2026
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This paper represents a summary of the contribution that the Italian meteorological community is willing to provide to the forthcoming European field campaign on Thunderstorm Intensification from Mountains to plains, planned in 2028–2030. Critical issues regard both the available instrumentation and the accuracy of numerical models. These limitations, in the context of climate change making severe convective episodes more frequent, make the need for a dedicated field campaign urgent.
Gabriella Wallentin, Alexander Böhmländer, Ross Herbert, Heike Wex, Charlotte M. Beall, Pia Bogert, Zoé Brasseur, Jie Chen, Jessie M. Creamean, Paul J. DeMott, Oliver Eckermann, Kunfeng Gao, Xianda Gong, Silvia Henning, Naruki Hiranuma, Christina S. McCluskey, Christos Mitsios, Ottmar Möhler, Athanasios Nenes, Mark D. Tarn, Christian Tatzelt, Ping Tian, Yutaka Tobo, Franziska Vogel, André Welti, Elise Wilbourn, Jennifer Winstone, and Corinna Hoose
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4134, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4134, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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Ice nucleating particles (INPs) are aerosols essential for cloud ice formation in the temperature range -38 °C and 0 °C. Due to measurement challenges, the availability of observations of INPs remains scarce. This study applies machine learning to predict a global INP distribution using aerosol mass concentration reanalysis and observed INPs. This manuscript demonstrates that even with limited measurements, the occurrence of INPs can be estimated, following the spatial pattern of key aerosols.
Sebastian Vergara-Palacio, Alexei Kiselev, Franziska Vogel, Adolfo González-Romero, Romy Fösig, Xavier Querol, Corinna Hoose, Nsikanabasi Silas Umo, Ottmar Möhler, Konrad Kandler, Carlos Pérez García-Pando, and Martina Klose
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 9113–9147, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-9113-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-9113-2026, 2026
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Atmospheric mineral dust can help clouds form ice, changing cloud properties and affecting weather and climate. We tested dust from Morocco and Iceland in more than 300 controlled laboratory experiments. Icelandic samples were up to 100 times less able to promote ice formation than Moroccan samples, and showed mineral-composition dependence. The results show the role of larger dust particles in ice nucleation and their relationship with mineralogy and size for low- and high-latitude sources.
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
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This study investigates particle number size distribution at two high-altitude European stations to better understand the mechanisms driving new particle formation (NPF) in the free troposphere. Interestingly, despite a consistently higher background of freshly nucleated particles at Jungfraujoch, NPF events were more frequent and intense at Monte Cimone, which also shows higher formation and growth rates, likely due to the proximity of the polluted planetary boundary layer from the Po Valley.
Wenche Aas, Thérèse Salameh, Robert Wegener, Heidi Hellén, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Pontus Roldin, Elisabeth Alonso-Blanco, Andres Alastuey, Crist Amelynck, Jgor Arduini, Benjamin Bergmans, Marie Bertrand, Agnes Borbon, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Laetitia Bouvier, David Butterfield, Iris Buxbaum, Darius Ceburnis, Anja Claude, Augustin Colette, Aurélie Colomb, Sophie Darfeuil, James Dernie, Maximilien Desservettaz, Elías Díaz-Ramiro, Marvin Dufresne, René Dubus, Mario Duval, Marie Dury, Anna Font, Kirsten N. Fossum, Evelyn Freney, Gotzon Gangoiti, Yao Ge, Maria Carmen Gomez, Francisco J. Gómez-Moreno, Marie Gohy, Valérie Gros, Paul Hamer, Bryan Hellack, Hartmut Herrmann, Robert Holla, Adéla Holubová, Niels R. Jensen, Tuija Jokinen, Matthew Jones, Uwe Käfer, Lukas Kesper, Dieter Klemp, Dagmar Kubistin, Angela Marinoni, Martina Mazzini, Vy Ngoc Thuy Dinh, Jurgita Ovadnevaite, Tuukka Petäjä, Miguel Portillo-Estrada, Jitka Přívozníková, Jean-Philippe Putaud, Stefan Reimann, Laura Renzi, Veronique Riffault, Stuart Ritchie, Chris Robins, Begoña Artíñano Rodríguez de Torres, Laurent Poulain, Julian Rüdiger, Agnieszka Sanocka, Estibaliz Saez de Camara Oleaga, Niels Schoon, Roger Seco, Ivan Simmons, Leïla Simon, David Simpson, Sverre Solberg, Emmanuel Tison, August Thomasson, Svetlana Tsyro, Marsailidh Twigg, Toni Tykkä, Bert Verreyken, Ågot Watne, Katie Williams, Ana Maria Yáñez-Serrano, Karen Yeung, Ilona Ylivinkka, and Karl Espen Yttri
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 8717–8751, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-8717-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-8717-2026, 2026
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A one-week intensive measurement campaign during the 2022 European heatwave included monitoring of ozone, volatile organic compounds, aerosol chemical composition, and organic tracers to investigate air pollution sources. Results showed that emissions from vegetation and human activities contributed to peaks in ozone and secondary organic aerosol particles. Differences between measurements and model simulations underline the need for better characterization of sources and formation pathways.
Myriam Agrò, Manuel Bettineschi, Silvia Melina, Diego Aliaga, Andrea Bergomi, Beatrice Biffi, Alessandro Bigi, Giancarlo Ciarelli, Cristina Colombi, Paola Fermo, Ivan Grigioni, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Markku Kulmala, Janne Lampilahti, Angela Marinoni, Celestine Oliewo, Juha Sulo, Gianluigi Valli, Roberta Vecchi, Tuukka Petäjä, Katrianne Lehtipalo, and Federico Bianchi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 6521–6539, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-6521-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-6521-2026, 2026
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This study investigates new particle formation (NPF) in Milan, the most populated city in the Po Valley (Italy), using one year of particle number size distribution data (1.2–480 nm). NPF is enhanced under cleaner air conditions with lower pollution, reduced condensation sink, stronger ventilation, and stronger northwesterly winds (e.g., Foehn events). In contrast, longer air mass residence time in the Po Valley and higher air mass exposure to anthropogenic emissions suppress it.
Frédéric Mathonat, François Enault, Raphaëlle Péguilhan, Muriel Joly, Mariline Théveniot, Jean-Luc Baray, Barbara Ervens, and Pierre Amato
Biogeosciences, 23, 2885–2907, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-2885-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-2885-2026, 2026
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The atmosphere plays key roles in Earth’s biogeochemical cycles. Airborne microbes were demonstrated previously to participate in the processing of organic carbon in clouds. Using a combinaison of complementary methods, we examined here, for the first time, their potential contribution to the pool of nitrogen compounds. Airborne microorganisms interact with abundant forms of nitrogen in the air and cloud and we provide global estimates.
Marco Zanatta, Paolo Bonasoni, Francescopiero Calzolari, Paolo Cristofanelli, Sabine Eckhardt, Nikolaos Evangeliou, Cecilia Magnani, Camilla Perfetti, Davide Putero, Laura Renzi, Franziska Vogel, and Angela Marinoni
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-211, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-211, 2026
Revised manuscript under review for ESSD
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This work presents 18 years of high-quality observations of equivalent black carbon concentration measured at the Monte Cimone mountain site in Italy. We provide a detailed description of the measurement setup, data processing, and associated uncertainties to ensure consistency over time. The openly available dataset offers information for long-term studies, including the integration of renaltysis data parameters and comparison with atmospheric models.
Johannes Heuser, Claudia Di Biagio, Jérôme Yon, Mathieu Cazaunau, Antonin Bergé, Edouard Pangui, Marco Zanatta, Laura Renzi, Angela Marinoni, Chenjie Yu, Servanne Chevaillier, Daniel Ferry, Paolo Laj, Michel Maillé, Paola Formenti, Benedicte Picquet-Varrault, and Jean-Francois Doussin
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1867, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1867, 2026
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Large simulation chamber experiments were performed to investigate the impact of non-absorbing coating on the absorption of fractal BC-containing soot. Results show the strong and combined effect of morphological modifications and mixing state heterogeneity on BC absorption, both depending on the reaction dynamics of coating formation and ageing of the coated soot. The range of measured absorption cannot be captured by common model approximations, highlighting the need for new formalisms.
Enrico Mancinelli, Saurabh Annadate, Paolo Cristofanelli, Umberto Giostra, Michela Maione, Stefan Reimann, and Jgor Arduini
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 4105–4129, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-4105-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-4105-2026, 2026
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Propane is the second most abundant non-methane hydrocarbon in the atmosphere and is mainly emitted by anthropogenic activities. Despite playing a significant role in atmospheric chemistry, propane emission sources are poorly defined. Analysis of high-frequency long-term measurements at the GAW-WMO (Global Atmosphere Watch-World Meteorological Organization) station of Monte Cimone Italy make some improvements in identifications of different contributions at the regional scale.
Laura Renzi, Claudia Di Biagio, Johannes Heuser, Marco Zanatta, Mathieu Cazaunau, Antonin Bergé, Edouard Pangui, Jérôme Yon, Tommaso Isolabella, Dario Massabò, Virginia Vernocchi, Martina Mazzini, Franziska Vogel, Chenjie Yu, Paola Formenti, Benedicte Picquet-Varrault, Jean-Francois Doussin, and Angela Marinoni
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 1365–1383, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-1365-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-1365-2026, 2026
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This study investigates how particle properties affect the accuracy of a common air pollution instrument, the dual-spot aethalometer. By combining lab experiments with real-world data from a mountain site in Italy, we found that the correction factor for this instrument varies mainly due to particle size and measurement conditions. Understanding these influences helps improve air quality monitoring, which is important for assessing pollution impacts on health and climate.
Martine Collaud Coen, Benjamin Tobias Brem, Martin Gysel-Beer, Robin Modini, Stephan Henne, Martin Steinbacher, Davide Putero, Maria I. Gini, and Kostantinos Eleftheriadis
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 1623–1645, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-1623-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-1623-2026, 2026
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Saharan dust (SD) is transported over long distances by large-scale atmospheric circulation, reaching the Jungfraujoch high-altitude station 30 to 150 times per year. This study analyses the influence of instrument types on the SD detection using the single scattering albedo spectral dependence. This optical method is then compared to those based on size distribution and back-trajectories. The 23-year climatology of dust frequency and mass as well as the source sensitivity are also examined.
Hannah Meyer, Konrad Kandler, Sylvain Dupont, Jerónimo Escribano, Jessica Girdwood, George Nikolich, Andrés Alastuey, Vicken Etyemezian, Cristina González-Flórez, Adolfo González-Romero, Tareq Hussein, Mark Irvine, Peter Knippertz, Ottmar Möhler, Xavier Querol, Chris Stopford, Franziska Vogel, Frederik Weis, Andreas Wieser, Carlos Pérez García-Pando, and Martina Klose
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 21–61, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-21-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-21-2026, 2026
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Mineral dust particles emitted from dry soils are of various sizes, yet the abundance of very large particles is not well understood. Here we measured the dust size distribution from fine to giant particles at an emission source during a field campaign in Jordan (J-WADI) using multiple instruments. Our findings show that large particles make up a significant part of the total dust mass. This knowledge is essential to improve climate models and to predict dust impacts on climate and environment.
Sina Voshtani, Dylan B. A. Jones, Debra Wunch, Drew C. Pendergrass, Paul O. Wennberg, David F. Pollard, Isamu Morino, Hirofumi Ohyama, Nicholas M. Deutscher, Frank Hase, Ralf Sussmann, Damien Weidmann, Rigel Kivi, Omaira García, Yao Té, Jack Chen, Kerry Anderson, Robin Stevens, Shobha Kondragunta, Aihua Zhu, Douglas Worthy, Senen Racki, Kathryn McKain, Maria V. Makarova, Nicholas Jones, Emmanuel Mahieu, Andrea Cadena-Caicedo, Paolo Cristofanelli, Casper Labuschagne, Elena Kozlova, Thomas Seitz, Martin Steinbacher, Reza Mahdi, and Isao Murata
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 15527–15565, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15527-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15527-2025, 2025
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We assess the complementarity of the greater temporal coverage provided by ground-based remote sensing data with the spatial coverage of satellite observations when these data are used together to quantify CO emissions from extreme wildfires in 2023. Our results reveal that the commonly used biomass burning emission inventories significantly underestimate the fire emissions and emphasize the importance of the ground-based remote sensing data in reducing uncertainties in the estimated emissions.
Franziska Vogel, Davide Putero, Paolo Bonasoni, Paolo Cristofanelli, Marco Zanatta, and Angela Marinoni
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 15453–15468, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15453-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-15453-2025, 2025
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Dust is in terms of mass the most abundant aerosol in the atmosphere. It can have a significant influence on e.g. the scattering and absorption of light, cloud formation, and solar energy production. We present 21 years of optical particle size distribution measurements at a mountain station in Italy, from which we assess Saharan dust transport events. A peak in the number of events was observed in summer and autumn, while a trend in the number of events over the 21 years was not detected.
Marco Zanatta, Pia Bogert, Patrick Ginot, Yiwei Gong, Gholam Ali Hoshyaripour, Yaqiong Hu, Feng Jiang, Paolo Laj, Yanxia Li, Claudia Linke, Ottmar Möhler, Harald Saathoff, Martin Schnaiter, Nsikanabasi Silas Umo, Franziska Vogel, and Robert Wagner
Aerosol Research, 3, 477–502, https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-3-477-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-3-477-2025, 2025
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Back carbon is an atmospheric pollutant from combustion and contributes to the Arctic warming. However, its properties change as it travels through the atmosphere, affecting its impact. We recreated Arctic transport conditions in a laboratory to study how black carbon evolves over time. Our findings show that temperature and altitude strongly influence its transformation, providing key insights for improving climate models and understanding Arctic pollution.
Liang Feng, Paul I. Palmer, Luke Smallman, Jingfeng Xiao, Paolo Cristofanelli, Ove Hermansen, John Lee, Casper Labuschagne, Simonetta Montaguti, Steffen M. Noe, Stephen M. Platt, Xinrong Ren, Martin Steinbacher, and Irène Xueref-Remy
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 13053–13076, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13053-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13053-2025, 2025
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The year 2023 saw unexpectedly large global atmospheric CO2 growth. Satellite data reveal a role for increased tropical emissions. Larger emissions over eastern Brazil can be explained by warmer temperatures, which has led to exceptional drought, while hydrological changes play more of a role in emission increases elsewhere in the tropics. Broadly, we find that this situation continues into 2024.
Peng Cheng, Gilles Mailhot, Mohamed Sarakha, Guillaume Voyard, Daniele Scheres Firak, Thomas Schaefer, Hartmut Herrmann, and Marcello Brigante
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 12087–12100, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12087-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12087-2025, 2025
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This study investigates the complexation of Fe(II) and Fe(III) with glutamic acid under cloud water conditions and the effect on Fenton and photo-Fenton reactions and hydroxyl radical formation and their impact on amino acid oxidation.
Johannes Heuser, Claudia Di Biagio, Jérôme Yon, Mathieu Cazaunau, Antonin Bergé, Edouard Pangui, Marco Zanatta, Laura Renzi, Angela Marinoni, Satoshi Inomata, Chenjie Yu, Vera Bernardoni, Servanne Chevaillier, Daniel Ferry, Paolo Laj, Michel Maillé, Dario Massabò, Federico Mazzei, Gael Noyalet, Hiroshi Tanimoto, Brice Temime-Roussel, Roberta Vecchi, Virginia Vernocchi, Paola Formenti, Bénédicte Picquet-Varrault, and Jean-François Doussin
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6407–6428, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6407-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6407-2025, 2025
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The spectral optical properties of combustion soot aerosols with varying black (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) content were studied in an atmospheric simulation chamber. Measurements of the mass spectral absorption cross section (MAC), supplemented by literature data, allowed us to establish a generalised exponential relationship between the spectral absorption and the elemental-to-total-carbon ratio (EC / TC) in soot. This relationship can provide a useful tool for modelling the properties of soot.
Raphaëlle Péguilhan, Florent Rossi, Muriel Joly, Engy Nasr, Bérénice Batut, François Enault, Barbara Ervens, and Pierre Amato
Biogeosciences, 22, 1257–1275, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1257-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1257-2025, 2025
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Using comparative metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, we examined the functioning of airborne microorganisms in clouds and a clear atmosphere. Clouds are atmospheric masses where multiple microbial processes are promoted compared with a clear atmosphere. Overrepresented microbial functions of interest include the processing of chemical compounds, biomass production, and regulation of oxidants. This has implications for biogeochemical cycles and microbial ecology.
Mickael Vaitilingom, Christophe Bernard, Mickael Ribeiro, Christophe Verhaege, Christophe Gourbeyre, Christophe Berthod, Angelica Bianco, and Laurent Deguillaume
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1073–1090, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1073-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1073-2025, 2025
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The new collector BOOGIE has been designed to sample cloud droplets and evaluated. Computational fluid dynamics simulations are performed to evaluate the sampling efficiency for different droplet sizes. In situ measurements show very good water collection rates and sampling efficiency. BOOGIE is compared to other cloud collectors and the efficiency is comparable, as are the chemical and biological compositions.
Barbara Ervens, Pierre Amato, Kifle Aregahegn, Muriel Joly, Amina Khaled, Tiphaine Labed-Veydert, Frédéric Mathonat, Leslie Nuñez López, Raphaëlle Péguilhan, and Minghui Zhang
Biogeosciences, 22, 243–256, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-243-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-243-2025, 2025
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Atmospheric microorganisms are a small fraction of Earth's microbiome, with bacteria being a significant part. Aerosolized bacteria are airborne for a few days, encountering unique chemical and physical conditions affecting stress levels and survival. We explore chemical and microphysical conditions bacteria encounter, highlighting potential nutrient and oxidant limitations and diverse effects by pollutants, which may ultimately impact the microbiome's role in global ecosystems and biodiversity.
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.
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.
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.
Lucas Pailler, Laurent Deguillaume, Hélène Lavanant, Isabelle Schmitz, Marie Hubert, Edith Nicol, Mickaël Ribeiro, Jean-Marc Pichon, Mickaël Vaïtilingom, Pamela Dominutti, Frédéric Burnet, Pierre Tulet, Maud Leriche, and Angelica Bianco
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 5567–5584, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5567-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5567-2024, 2024
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The composition of dissolved organic matter of cloud water has been investigated through non-targeted high-resolution mass spectrometry on only a few samples collected in the Northern Hemisphere. In this work, the chemical composition of samples collected at Réunion Island (SH) is investigated and compared to samples collected at Puy de Dôme (NH). Sampling, analysis and data treatment with the same methodology produced a unique dataset for investigating the molecular composition of clouds.
Leslie Nuñez López, Pierre Amato, and Barbara Ervens
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 5181–5198, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5181-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5181-2024, 2024
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Living bacteria comprise a small particle fraction in the atmosphere. Our model study shows that atmospheric bacteria in clouds may efficiently biodegrade formic and acetic acids that affect the acidity of rain. We conclude that current atmospheric models underestimate losses of these acids as they only consider chemical processes. We suggest that biodegradation can affect atmospheric concentration not only of formic and acetic acids but also of other volatile, moderately soluble organics.
Maud Leriche, Pierre Tulet, Laurent Deguillaume, Frédéric Burnet, Aurélie Colomb, Agnès Borbon, Corinne Jambert, Valentin Duflot, Stéphan Houdier, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Mickaël Vaïtilingom, Pamela Dominutti, Manon Rocco, Camille Mouchel-Vallon, Samira El Gdachi, Maxence Brissy, Maroua Fathalli, Nicolas Maury, Bert Verreyken, Crist Amelynck, Niels Schoon, Valérie Gros, Jean-Marc Pichon, Mickael Ribeiro, Eric Pique, Emmanuel Leclerc, Thierry Bourrianne, Axel Roy, Eric Moulin, Joël Barrie, Jean-Marc Metzger, Guillaume Péris, Christian Guadagno, Chatrapatty Bhugwant, Jean-Mathieu Tibere, Arnaud Tournigand, Evelyn Freney, Karine Sellegri, Anne-Marie Delort, Pierre Amato, Muriel Joly, Jean-Luc Baray, Pascal Renard, Angelica Bianco, Anne Réchou, and Guillaume Payen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 4129–4155, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-4129-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-4129-2024, 2024
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Aerosol particles in the atmosphere play a key role in climate change and air pollution. A large number of aerosol particles are formed from the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs and secondary organic aerosols – SOA). An important field campaign was organized on Réunion in March–April 2019 to understand the formation of SOA in a tropical atmosphere mostly influenced by VOCs emitted by forest and in the presence of clouds. This work synthesizes the results of this campaign.
Davide Putero, Paolo Cristofanelli, Kai-Lan Chang, Gaëlle Dufour, Gregory Beachley, Cédric Couret, Peter Effertz, Daniel A. Jaffe, Dagmar Kubistin, Jason Lynch, Irina Petropavlovskikh, Melissa Puchalski, Timothy Sharac, Barkley C. Sive, Martin Steinbacher, Carlos Torres, and Owen R. Cooper
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 15693–15709, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15693-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-15693-2023, 2023
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We investigated the impact of societal restriction measures during the COVID-19 pandemic on surface ozone at 41 high-elevation sites worldwide. Negative ozone anomalies were observed for spring and summer 2020 for all of the regions considered. In 2021, negative anomalies continued for Europe and partially for the eastern US, while western US sites showed positive anomalies due to wildfires. IASI satellite data and the Carbon Monitor supported emission reductions as a cause of the anomalies.
Paolo Cristofanelli, Cosimo Fratticioli, Lynn Hazan, Mali Chariot, Cedric Couret, Orestis Gazetas, Dagmar Kubistin, Antti Laitinen, Ari Leskinen, Tuomas Laurila, Matthias Lindauer, Giovanni Manca, Michel Ramonet, Pamela Trisolino, and Martin Steinbacher
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 5977–5994, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5977-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-5977-2023, 2023
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We investigated the application of two automatic methods for detecting spikes due to local emissions in greenhouse gas (GHG) observations at a subset of sites from the ICOS Atmosphere network. We analysed the sensitivity to the spike frequency of using different methods and settings. We documented the impact of the de-spiking on different temporal aggregations (i.e. hourly, monthly and seasonal averages) of CO2, CH4 and CO 1 min time series.
Marco Zanatta, Stephan Mertes, Olivier Jourdan, Regis Dupuy, Emma Järvinen, Martin Schnaiter, Oliver Eppers, Johannes Schneider, Zsófia Jurányi, and Andreas Herber
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 7955–7973, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7955-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7955-2023, 2023
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Black carbon (BC) particles influence the Arctic radiative balance. Vertical measurements of black carbon were conducted during the ACLOUD campaign in the European Arctic to study the interaction of BC with clouds. This study shows that clouds influence the vertical variability of BC properties across the inversion layer and that multiple activation and transformation mechanisms of BC may occur in the presence of low-level, persistent, mixed-phase clouds.
Zoé Brasseur, Dimitri Castarède, Erik S. Thomson, Michael P. Adams, Saskia Drossaart van Dusseldorp, Paavo Heikkilä, Kimmo Korhonen, Janne Lampilahti, Mikhail Paramonov, Julia Schneider, Franziska Vogel, Yusheng Wu, Jonathan P. D. Abbatt, Nina S. Atanasova, Dennis H. Bamford, Barbara Bertozzi, Matthew Boyer, David Brus, Martin I. Daily, Romy Fösig, Ellen Gute, Alexander D. Harrison, Paula Hietala, Kristina Höhler, Zamin A. Kanji, Jorma Keskinen, Larissa Lacher, Markus Lampimäki, Janne Levula, Antti Manninen, Jens Nadolny, Maija Peltola, Grace C. E. Porter, Pyry Poutanen, Ulrike Proske, Tobias Schorr, Nsikanabasi Silas Umo, János Stenszky, Annele Virtanen, Dmitri Moisseev, Markku Kulmala, Benjamin J. Murray, Tuukka Petäjä, Ottmar Möhler, and Jonathan Duplissy
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 5117–5145, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5117-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5117-2022, 2022
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The present measurement report introduces the ice nucleation campaign organized in Hyytiälä, Finland, in 2018 (HyICE-2018). We provide an overview of the campaign settings, and we describe the measurement infrastructure and operating procedures used. In addition, we use results from ice nucleation instrument inter-comparison to show that the suite of these instruments deployed during the campaign reports consistent results.
Laura Tositti, Erika Brattich, Claudio Cassardo, Pietro Morozzi, Alessandro Bracci, Angela Marinoni, Silvana Di Sabatino, Federico Porcù, and Alessandro Zappi
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 4047–4073, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4047-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4047-2022, 2022
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We present a thorough investigation of an anomalous transport of mineral dust over a region renowned for excess airborne particulate matter, the Italian Po Valley, which occurred in late March 2021. Both the origin of this dust outbreak, which was localized in central Asia (i.e., the so-called Aralkum Desert), and the upstream synoptic conditions, investigated here in extreme detail using multiple integrated observations including in situ measurements and remote sensing, were atypical.
Pascal Renard, Maxence Brissy, Florent Rossi, Martin Leremboure, Saly Jaber, Jean-Luc Baray, Angelica Bianco, Anne-Marie Delort, and Laurent Deguillaume
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 2467–2486, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2467-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2467-2022, 2022
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Amino acids (AAs) have been quantified in cloud water collected at the Puy de Dôme station (France). Concentrations and speciation of those compounds are highly variable among the samples. Sources from the sea surface and atmospheric transformations during the air mass transport, mainly in the free troposphere, have been shown to modulate AA levels in cloud water.
Pamela A. Dominutti, Pascal Renard, Mickaël Vaïtilingom, Angelica Bianco, Jean-Luc Baray, Agnès Borbon, Thierry Bourianne, Frédéric Burnet, Aurélie Colomb, Anne-Marie Delort, Valentin Duflot, Stephan Houdier, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Muriel Joly, Martin Leremboure, Jean-Marc Metzger, Jean-Marc Pichon, Mickaël Ribeiro, Manon Rocco, Pierre Tulet, Anthony Vella, Maud Leriche, and Laurent Deguillaume
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 505–533, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-505-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-505-2022, 2022
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We present here the results obtained during an intensive field campaign conducted in March to April 2019 in Reunion. Our study integrates a comprehensive chemical and microphysical characterization of cloud water. Our investigations reveal that air mass history and cloud microphysical properties do not fully explain the variability observed in their chemical composition. This highlights the complexity of emission sources, multiphasic exchanges, and transformations in clouds.
Clémence Rose, Martine Collaud Coen, Elisabeth Andrews, Yong Lin, Isaline Bossert, Cathrine Lund Myhre, Thomas Tuch, Alfred Wiedensohler, Markus Fiebig, Pasi Aalto, Andrés Alastuey, Elisabeth Alonso-Blanco, Marcos Andrade, Begoña Artíñano, Todor Arsov, Urs Baltensperger, Susanne Bastian, Olaf Bath, Johan Paul Beukes, Benjamin T. Brem, Nicolas Bukowiecki, Juan Andrés Casquero-Vera, Sébastien Conil, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Olivier Favez, Harald Flentje, Maria I. Gini, Francisco Javier Gómez-Moreno, Martin Gysel-Beer, Anna Gannet Hallar, Ivo Kalapov, Nikos Kalivitis, Anne Kasper-Giebl, Melita Keywood, Jeong Eun Kim, Sang-Woo Kim, Adam Kristensson, Markku Kulmala, Heikki Lihavainen, Neng-Huei Lin, Hassan Lyamani, Angela Marinoni, Sebastiao Martins Dos Santos, Olga L. Mayol-Bracero, Frank Meinhardt, Maik Merkel, Jean-Marc Metzger, Nikolaos Mihalopoulos, Jakub Ondracek, Marco Pandolfi, Noemi Pérez, Tuukka Petäjä, Jean-Eudes Petit, David Picard, Jean-Marc Pichon, Veronique Pont, Jean-Philippe Putaud, Fabienne Reisen, Karine Sellegri, Sangeeta Sharma, Gerhard Schauer, Patrick Sheridan, James Patrick Sherman, Andreas Schwerin, Ralf Sohmer, Mar Sorribas, Junying Sun, Pierre Tulet, Ville Vakkari, Pieter Gideon van Zyl, Fernando Velarde, Paolo Villani, Stergios Vratolis, Zdenek Wagner, Sheng-Hsiang Wang, Kay Weinhold, Rolf Weller, Margarita Yela, Vladimir Zdimal, and Paolo Laj
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 17185–17223, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17185-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17185-2021, 2021
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Aerosol particles are a complex component of the atmospheric system the effects of which are among the most uncertain in climate change projections. Using data collected at 62 stations, this study provides the most up-to-date picture of the spatial distribution of particle number concentration and size distribution worldwide, with the aim of contributing to better representation of aerosols and their interactions with clouds in models and, therefore, better evaluation of their impact on climate.
Cited articles
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Amato, P., Joly, M., Schaupp, C., Attard, E., Möhler, O., Morris, C. E., Brunet, Y., and Delort, A.-M.: Survival and ice nucleation activity of bacteria as aerosols in a cloud simulation chamber, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 6455–6465, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-6455-2015, 2015.
Amato, P., Ménager, M., Sancelme, M., Laj, P., Mailhot, G., and Delort, A.-M.: Microbial population in cloud water at the Puy de Dôme: Implications for the chemistry of clouds, Atmos. Environ., 39, 4143–4153, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.04.002, 2005.
Amato, P., Parazols, M., Sancelme, M., Laj, P., Mailhot, G., and Delort, A.-M.: Microorganisms isolated from the water phase of tropospheric clouds at the Puy de Dôme: Major groups and growth abilities at low temperatures, FEMS Microbiol. Ecol., 59, 242–254, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-6941.2006.00199.x, 2007.
Arakaki, T., Anastasio, C., Kuroki, Y., Nakajima, H., Okada, K., Kotani, Y., Handa, D., Azechi, S., Kimura, T., Tsuhako, A., and Miyagi, Y.: A General Scavenging Rate Constant for Reaction of Hydroxyl Radical with Organic Carbon in Atmospheric Waters, Environ. Sci. Technol., 47, https://doi.org/10.1021/es401927b, 2013.
Bader, H., Sturzenegger, V., and Hoigné, J.: Photometric method for the determination of low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide by the peroxidase catalyzed oxidation of N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPD), Water Res., 22, 1109–1115, https://doi.org/10.1016/0043-1354(88)90005-X, 1988.
Baray, J.-L., Deguillaume, L., Colomb, A., Sellegri, K., Freney, E., Rose, C., Van Baelen, J., Pichon, J.-M., Picard, D., Fréville, P., Bouvier, L., Ribeiro, M., Amato, P., Banson, S., Bianco, A., Borbon, A., Bourcier, L., Bras, Y., Brigante, M., Cacault, P., Chauvigné, A., Charbouillot, T., Chaumerliac, N., Delort, A.-M., Delmotte, M., Dupuy, R., Farah, A., Febvre, G., Flossmann, A., Gourbeyre, C., Hervier, C., Hervo, M., Huret, N., Joly, M., Kazan, V., Lopez, M., Mailhot, G., Marinoni, A., Masson, O., Montoux, N., Parazols, M., Peyrin, F., Pointin, Y., Ramonet, M., Rocco, M., Sancelme, M., Sauvage, S., Schmidt, M., Tison, E., Vaïtilingom, M., Villani, P., Wang, M., Yver-Kwok, C., and Laj, P.: Cézeaux-Aulnat-Opme-Puy De Dôme: a multi-site for the long-term survey of the tropospheric composition and climate change, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 3413–3445, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3413-2020, 2020.
Bauer, H., Kasper-Giebl, A., Löflund, M., Giebl, H., Hitzenberger, R., Zibuschka, F., and Puxbaum, H.: The contribution of bacteria and fungal spores to the organic carbon content of cloud water, precipitation and aerosols, Atmos. Res., 64, 109–119, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-8095(02)00084-4, 2002.
Benedict, K. B., Lee, T., and Collett, J. L.: Cloud water composition over the southeastern Pacific Ocean during the VOCALS regional experiment, Atmos. Environ., 46, 104–114, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.10.029, 2012.
Bianco, A., Passananti, M., Brigante, M., and Mailhot, G.: Photochemistry of the Cloud Aqueous Phase: A Review, Molecules, 25, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25020423, 2020.
Bianco, A., Passananti, M., Perroux, H., Voyard, G., Mouchel-Vallon, C., Chaumerliac, N., Mailhot, G., Deguillaume, L., and Brigante, M.: A better understanding of hydroxyl radical photochemical sources in cloud waters collected at the puy de Dôme station – experimental versus modelled formation rates, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 9191–9202, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-9191-2015, 2015.
Bianco, A., Vaïtilingom, M., Bridoux, M., Chaumerliac, N., Pichon, J.-M., Piro, J.-L., and Deguillaume, L.: Trace Metals in Cloud Water Sampled at the Puy De Dôme Station, Atmosphere, 8, 225, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos8110225, 2017.
Błaś, M., Sobik, M., and Twarowski, R.: Changes of cloud water chemical composition in the Western Sudety Mountains, Poland, Atmos. Res., 87, 224–231, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2007.11.004, 2008.
Brege, M., Paglione, M., Gilardoni, S., Decesari, S., Facchini, M. C., and Mazzoleni, L. R.: Molecular insights on aging and aqueous-phase processing from ambient biomass burning emissions-influenced Po Valley fog and aerosol, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 13197–13214, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-13197-2018, 2018.
Brüggemann, E., Gnauk, T., Mertes, S., Acker, K., Auel, R., Wieprecht, W., Möller, D., Collett, J. L., Chang, H., Galgon, D., Chemnitzer, R., Rüd, C., Junek, R., Wiedensohler, W., and Herrmann, H.: Schmücke hill cap cloud and valley stations aerosol characterisation during FEBUKO (I): Particle size distribution, mass, and main components, Atmos. Environ., 39, 4291–4303, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.02.013, 2005.
Carlton, A. G., Turpin, B. J., Altieri, K. E., Seitzinger, S., Reff, A., Lim, H.-J., and Ervens, B.: Atmospheric oxalic acid and SOA production from glyoxal: Results of aqueous photooxidation experiments, Atmos. Environ., 41, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.05.035, 2007.
Ceppi, P., Brient, F., Zelinka, M. D., and Hartmann, D. L.: Cloud feedback mechanisms and their representation in global climate models, WIREs Clim. Change, 8, e465, https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.465, 2017.
Cini, R., Prodi, F., Santachiara, G., Porcù, F., Bellandi, S., Stortini, A. M., Oppo, C., Udisti, R., and Pantani, F.: Chemical characterization of cloud episodes at a ridge site in Tuscan Appennines, Italy, Atmos. Res., 61, 311–334, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-8095(01)00139-9, 2002.
Collett, J. L., Herckes, P., Youngster, S., and Lee, T.: Processing of atmospheric organic matter by California radiation fogs, Atmos. Res., 87, 3–4, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2007.11.005, 2008.
Cristofanelli, P. and Montaguti, S.: ICOS ATC NRT N2O growing time series from Monte Cimone (8.0 m), 2024-06-04–2025-06-20, Atmosphere Thematic Centre [data set], https://hdl.handle.net/11676/UE738GMjzM8vkKUqzr1qQHh1, 2025.
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Short summary
This study provides the first chemical and microbiological characterization of cloud samples collected at Mt. Cimone (acronym CMN in ACTRIS, ICOS and GAW) in the Mediterranean basin. The chemical characterization is deeply discussed in relationship with back-trajectories and cloud processing. Air mass history do not fully explain the variability observed in the chemical composition. This highlights the complexity of emission sources, multiphasique exchanges, and transformations in clouds.
This study provides the first chemical and microbiological characterization of cloud samples...
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