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Enhancement of the aerosol direct radiative effect by semi-volatile aerosol components: Airborne measurements in North-Western Europe

Morgan, W. T. and Allan, J. D. and Bower, K. and Esselborn, Michael (2010) Enhancement of the aerosol direct radiative effect by semi-volatile aerosol components: Airborne measurements in North-Western Europe. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10 (17), pp. 8151-8171. Copernicus Publications. doi: 10.5194/acp-10-8151-2010. ISSN 1680-7316.

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Abstract

A case study of atmospheric aerosol measurements exploring the impact of the vertical distribution of aerosol chemical composition upon the radiative budget in North-Western Europe is presented. Sub-micron aerosol chemical composition was measured by an Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) on both an airborne platform and a ground-based site at Cabauw in the Netherlands. The examined period in May 2008 was characterised by enhanced pollution loadings in North-Western Europe and was dominated by ammonium nitrate and Organic Matter (OM). Both ammonium nitrate and OM were observed to increase with altitude in the atmospheric boundary layer. This is primarily attributed to partitioning of semi-volatile gas phase species to the particle phase at reduced temperature and enhanced relative humidity. Increased ammonium nitrate concentrations in particular were found to strongly increase the ambient scattering potential of the aerosol burden, which was a consequence of the large amount of associated water as well as the enhanced mass. During particularly polluted conditions, increases in aerosol optical depth of 50-100% were estimated to occur due to the observed increase in secondary aerosol mass and associated water uptake. Furthermore, the single scattering albedo was also shown to increase with height in the boundary layer. These enhancements combined to increase the negative direct aerosol radiative forcing by close to a factor of two at the median percentile level. Such increases have major ramifications for regional climate predictions as semi-volatile components are often not included in aerosol models. The results presented here provide an ideal opportunity to test regional and global representations of both the aerosol vertical distribution and subsequent impacts in North-Western Europe. North-Western Europe can be viewed as an analogue for the possible future air quality over other polluted regions of the Northern Hemisphere, where substantial reductions in sulphur dioxide emissions have yet to occur. Anticipated reductions in sulphur dioxide in polluted regions will result in an increase in the availability of ammonia to form ammonium nitrate as opposed to ammonium sulphate. This will be most important where intensive agricultural practises occur. Our observations over North-Western Europe, a region where sulphur dioxide emissions have already been reduced, indicate that failure to include the semi-volatile behaviour of ammonium nitrate will result in significant errors in predicted aerosol direct radiative forcing. Such errors will be particularly significant on regional scales.

Item URL in elib:https://elib.dlr.de/97013/
Document Type:Article
Title:Enhancement of the aerosol direct radiative effect by semi-volatile aerosol components: Airborne measurements in North-Western Europe
Authors:
AuthorsInstitution or Email of AuthorsAuthor's ORCID iDORCID Put Code
Morgan, W. T.Univ. of Manchester, Manchester, UKUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Allan, J. D.Univ. of Manchester, Manchester, UKUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Bower, K.Univ. of Manchester, Manchester, UKUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Esselborn, MichaelDLR, IPAUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Date:2010
Journal or Publication Title:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Refereed publication:Yes
Open Access:Yes
Gold Open Access:Yes
In SCOPUS:Yes
In ISI Web of Science:Yes
Volume:10
DOI:10.5194/acp-10-8151-2010
Page Range:pp. 8151-8171
Publisher:Copernicus Publications
ISSN:1680-7316
Status:Published
Keywords:aerosol; airborne survey; albedo; ammonium nitrate; chemical composition; optical depth; organic matter; radiation budget; radiative forcing; sulfur dioxide; vertical distribution
HGF - Research field:Aeronautics, Space and Transport
HGF - Program:Space
HGF - Program Themes:Earth Observation
DLR - Research area:Raumfahrt
DLR - Program:R EO - Earth Observation
DLR - Research theme (Project):R - LIDAR research and development
Location: Oberpfaffenhofen
Institutes and Institutions:Institute of Atmospheric Physics > Lidar
Deposited By: Kiemle, Dr.rer.nat. Christoph
Deposited On:08 Jul 2015 10:47
Last Modified:02 May 2019 14:04

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