28 Jul 2020
28 Jul 2020
The importance of Aitken mode aerosol particles for cloud sustenance in the summertime high Arctic: A simulation study supported by observational data
- 1Department of Meteorology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
- 2Bolin Centre for Climate Change, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
- 3Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, California
- 4Department of Environmental Science (ACES), Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
- 5Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Permoserstr. 14, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
- 1Department of Meteorology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
- 2Bolin Centre for Climate Change, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
- 3Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, California
- 4Department of Environmental Science (ACES), Stockholm University, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
- 5Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Permoserstr. 14, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
Abstract. The potential importance of Aitken mode particles (diameters ~ 25–80 nm) for stratiform mixed-phase clouds in the summertime high Arctic has been investigated using two large-eddy simulation models. We find that in both models Aitken mode particles significantly affect the simulated cloud properties and can help sustain the cloud when accumulation mode concentrations are low (< 10–20 cm−3), even when the particles have low hygroscopicity (hygroscopicity parameter κ = 0.1). However, the influence of the Aitken mode decreases if the overall liquid water content of the cloud is low, either due to a higher ice fraction or due to low radiative cooling rates. An analysis of the simulated supersaturation (ss) statistics shows that the ss frequently reaches 0.5 % and sometimes even exceeds 1 %, which confirms that Aitken mode particles can be activated. The modelling results are in qualitative agreement with observations of the Hoppel minimum obtained from four different expeditions in the high Arctic. Our findings highlight the importance of better understanding Aitken mode particle formation, chemical properties and emissions, in particular in clean environments such as the high Arctic.
Ines Bulatovic et al.


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RC1: 'Review Bulatovic et al. (2020)', Anonymous Referee #1, 21 Aug 2020
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AC1: 'Reply to referee's comments #1', Ines Bulatovic, 02 Nov 2020
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AC1: 'Reply to referee's comments #1', Ines Bulatovic, 02 Nov 2020
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RC2: 'Bulatovic et al.', Anonymous Referee #2, 26 Aug 2020
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AC2: 'Reply to referee's comments #2', Ines Bulatovic, 02 Nov 2020
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AC2: 'Reply to referee's comments #2', Ines Bulatovic, 02 Nov 2020


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RC1: 'Review Bulatovic et al. (2020)', Anonymous Referee #1, 21 Aug 2020
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AC1: 'Reply to referee's comments #1', Ines Bulatovic, 02 Nov 2020
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AC1: 'Reply to referee's comments #1', Ines Bulatovic, 02 Nov 2020
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RC2: 'Bulatovic et al.', Anonymous Referee #2, 26 Aug 2020
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AC2: 'Reply to referee's comments #2', Ines Bulatovic, 02 Nov 2020
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AC2: 'Reply to referee's comments #2', Ines Bulatovic, 02 Nov 2020
Ines Bulatovic et al.
Data sets
Data from a modelling study on the importance of Aitken mode particles for cloud sustenance in the high Arctic Ines Bulatovic and Adele L. Igel https://doi.org/10.17043/bulatovic-2020
Ines Bulatovic et al.
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