Towards an Understanding of the Cloud Formation Potential of Carbonaceous Aerosol

Towards an Understanding of the Cloud Formation Potential of Carbonaceous Aerosol PDF Author: Luz Teresa Padro Martinez
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Atmospheric aerosols
Languages : en
Pages :

Get Book Here

Book Description
It is well known that atmospheric aerosols provide the sites for forming cloud droplets, and can affect the Earth's radiation budget through their interactions with clouds. The ability of aerosols to act as cloud condensation nuclei is a strong function of their chemical composition and size. The compositional complexity of aerosol prohibits their explicit treatment in atmospheric models of aerosol-cloud interactions. Nevertheless, the cumulative impact of organics on CCN activity is still required, as carbonaceous material can constitute up to 90% of the total aerosol, 10-70% of which is water soluble. Therefore it is necessary to characterize the water soluble organic carbon fraction by CCN activation, droplet growth kinetics, and surface tension measurements. In this thesis, we investigate the water soluble properties, such as surface tension, solubility, and molecular weight, of laboratory and ambient aerosols and their effect on CCN formation. A mechanism called Curvature Enhanced Solubility is proposed and shown to explain the apparent increased solubility of organics. A new method, called Köhler Theory Analysis, which is completely new, fast, and uses minimal amount of sample was developed to infer the molar volume (or molar mass) of organics. Due to the success of the technique in predicting the molar volume of laboratory samples, it was applied to aerosols collected in Mexico City. Additionally the surface tension, CCN activity, and droplet growth kinetics of these urban polluted aerosols were investigated. Studies performed for the water soluble components showed that the aerosols in Mexico City have surfactants present, can readily become CCN, and have growth similar to ammonium sulfate. Finally, aerosols from three different polluted sources, urban, bovine, and ship emissions, were collected and characterized. The data assembled was used to predict CCN concentrations and access our understanding of the system. From these analyses, it was evident that knowledge of the chemical composition and mixing state of the aerosol is necessary to achieve agreement between observations and predictions. The data obtained in this thesis can be introduced and used as constraints in aerosol-cloud interaction parameterizations developed for global climate models, which could lead to improvements in the indirect effect of aerosols.

Towards an Understanding of the Cloud Formation Potential of Carbonaceous Aerosol

Towards an Understanding of the Cloud Formation Potential of Carbonaceous Aerosol PDF Author: Luz Teresa Padro Martinez
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Atmospheric aerosols
Languages : en
Pages :

Get Book Here

Book Description
It is well known that atmospheric aerosols provide the sites for forming cloud droplets, and can affect the Earth's radiation budget through their interactions with clouds. The ability of aerosols to act as cloud condensation nuclei is a strong function of their chemical composition and size. The compositional complexity of aerosol prohibits their explicit treatment in atmospheric models of aerosol-cloud interactions. Nevertheless, the cumulative impact of organics on CCN activity is still required, as carbonaceous material can constitute up to 90% of the total aerosol, 10-70% of which is water soluble. Therefore it is necessary to characterize the water soluble organic carbon fraction by CCN activation, droplet growth kinetics, and surface tension measurements. In this thesis, we investigate the water soluble properties, such as surface tension, solubility, and molecular weight, of laboratory and ambient aerosols and their effect on CCN formation. A mechanism called Curvature Enhanced Solubility is proposed and shown to explain the apparent increased solubility of organics. A new method, called Köhler Theory Analysis, which is completely new, fast, and uses minimal amount of sample was developed to infer the molar volume (or molar mass) of organics. Due to the success of the technique in predicting the molar volume of laboratory samples, it was applied to aerosols collected in Mexico City. Additionally the surface tension, CCN activity, and droplet growth kinetics of these urban polluted aerosols were investigated. Studies performed for the water soluble components showed that the aerosols in Mexico City have surfactants present, can readily become CCN, and have growth similar to ammonium sulfate. Finally, aerosols from three different polluted sources, urban, bovine, and ship emissions, were collected and characterized. The data assembled was used to predict CCN concentrations and access our understanding of the system. From these analyses, it was evident that knowledge of the chemical composition and mixing state of the aerosol is necessary to achieve agreement between observations and predictions. The data obtained in this thesis can be introduced and used as constraints in aerosol-cloud interaction parameterizations developed for global climate models, which could lead to improvements in the indirect effect of aerosols.

Carbonaceous Aerosol

Carbonaceous Aerosol PDF Author: András Gelencsér
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402028873
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 357

Get Book Here

Book Description
The concept of carbonaceous aerosol has only recently emerged from atmospheric pollution studies; even standard nomenclature and terminology are still unsettled. This monograph is the first to offer comprehensive coverage of the nature and atmospheric role of carbonaceous aerosol particles. Atmospheric chemists, physicists, meteorologists, and modellers will find this a thought-inspiring and sometimes provocative overview of all global phenomena affected by or related to carbonaceous aerosol.

Environmental Chemistry of Aerosols

Environmental Chemistry of Aerosols PDF Author: Ian Colbeck
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1405139196
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 276

Get Book Here

Book Description
Aerosol particles are ubiquitous in the Earth’s atmosphere and are central to many environmental issues such as climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion and air quality. In urban environments, aerosol particles can affect human health through their inhalation. Atmospheric aerosols originate from naturally occurring processes, such as volcanic emissions, sea spray and mineral dust emissions, or from anthropogenic activity such as industry and combustion processes. Aerosols present pathways for reactions, transport, and deposition that would not occur in the gas phase alone. Understanding the ways in which aerosols behave, evolve, and exert these effects requires knowledge of their formation and removal mechanism, transport processes, as well as their physical and chemical characteristics. Motivated by climate change and adverse health effects of traffic-related air pollution, aerosol research has intensified over the past couple of decades, and recent scientific advances offer an improved understanding of the mechanisms and factors controlling the chemistry of atmospheric aerosols. Environmental Chemistry of Aerosols brings together the current state of knowledge of aerosol chemistry, with chapters written by international leaders in the field. It will serve as an authoritative and practical reference for scientists studying the Earth’s atmosphere and as an educational and training resource for both postgraduate students and professional atmospheric scientists.

The Radiative Role of Free Tropospheric Aerosols and Marine Clouds Over the Central North Atlantic

The Radiative Role of Free Tropospheric Aerosols and Marine Clouds Over the Central North Atlantic PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 32

Get Book Here

Book Description
The scientific scope of the project was to exploit the unique location of the Pico Mountain Observatory (PMO) located in the summit caldera of the Pico Volcano in Pico Island in the Azores, for atmospheric studies. The observatory, located at 2225m a.s.l., typically samples free tropospheric aerosols laying above the marine low-level clouds and long-range transported from North America. The broad purpose of this research was to provide the scientific community with a better understanding of fundamental physical processes governing the effects of aerosols on radiative forcing and climate; with the ultimate goal of improving our abilities to understand past climate and to predict future changes through numerical models. The project was 'exploratory' in nature, with the plan to demonstrate the feasibility of deploying for the first time, an extensive aerosol research package at PMO. One of the primary activities was to test the deployment of these instruments at the site, to collect data during the 2012 summer season, and to further develop the infrastructure and the knowledge for performing novel research at PMO in follow-up longer-term aerosol-cloud studies. In the future, PMO could provide an elevated research outpost to support the renewed DOE effort in the Azores that was intensified in 2013 with the opening of the new sea-level ARM-DOE Eastern North Atlantic permanent facility at Graciosa Island. During the project period, extensive new data sets were collected for the planned 2012 season. Thanks to other synergistic activities and opportunities, data collection was then successfully extended to 2013 and 2014. Highlights of the scientific findings during this project include: a) biomass burning contribute significantly to the aerosol loading in the North Atlantic free troposphere; however, long-range transported black carbon concentrations decreased substantially in the last decade. b) Single black carbon particles – analyzed off-line at the electron microscope – were often very compacted, suggesting cloud processing and exhibiting different optical properties from fresh emissions. In addition, black carbon was found to be sometimes mixed with mineral dust, affecting its optical properties and potential forcing. c) Some aerosols collected at PMO acted as ice nuclei, potentially contributing to cirrus cloud formation during their transport in the upper free troposphere. Identified good ice nuclei were often mineral dust particles. d) The free tropospheric aerosols studied at PMO have relevance to low level marine clouds due, for example, to synoptic subsidence entraining free tropospheric aerosols into the marine boundary layer. This has potentially large consequences on cloud condensation nuclei concentrations and compositions in the marine boundary layer; therefore, having an effect on the marine stratus clouds, with potentially important repercussions on the radiative forcing. The scientific products of this project currently include contributions to two papers published in the Nature Publishing group (Nature Communications and Scientific Reports), one paper under revision for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, one in review in Geophysical Research Letters and one recently submitted to Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussion. In addition, four manuscripts are in advanced state of preparation. Finally, twenty-eight presentations were given at international conferences, workshops and seminars.

Treatise on Geochemistry

Treatise on Geochemistry PDF Author:
Publisher: Newnes
ISBN: 0080983006
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 14787

Get Book Here

Book Description
This extensively updated new edition of the widely acclaimed Treatise on Geochemistry has increased its coverage beyond the wide range of geochemical subject areas in the first edition, with five new volumes which include: the history of the atmosphere, geochemistry of mineral deposits, archaeology and anthropology, organic geochemistry and analytical geochemistry. In addition, the original Volume 1 on "Meteorites, Comets, and Planets" was expanded into two separate volumes dealing with meteorites and planets, respectively. These additions increased the number of volumes in the Treatise from 9 to 15 with the index/appendices volume remaining as the last volume (Volume 16). Each of the original volumes was scrutinized by the appropriate volume editors, with respect to necessary revisions as well as additions and deletions. As a result, 27% were republished without major changes, 66% were revised and 126 new chapters were added. In a many-faceted field such as Geochemistry, explaining and understanding how one sub-field relates to another is key. Instructors will find the complete overviews with extensive cross-referencing useful additions to their course packs and students will benefit from the contextual organization of the subject matter Six new volumes added and 66% updated from 1st edition. The Editors of this work have taken every measure to include the many suggestions received from readers and ensure comprehensiveness of coverage and added value in this 2nd edition The esteemed Board of Volume Editors and Editors-in-Chief worked cohesively to ensure a uniform and consistent approach to the content, which is an amazing accomplishment for a 15-volume work (16 volumes including index volume)!

The Impact of Meteorological Conditions and Variation in Chemical Composition of Aerosols on Regional Cloud Formation

The Impact of Meteorological Conditions and Variation in Chemical Composition of Aerosols on Regional Cloud Formation PDF Author: Jessie Marie Creamean
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781267646668
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 236

Get Book Here

Book Description
Atmospheric aerosols have significant implications for human health and climate. For instance, aerosols impact climate directly by scattering and absorbing solar and terrestrial radiation and indirectly by acting as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nuclei (IN), which facilitate cloud droplet and ice crystal formation, respectively. Changes in chemistry, size, and number concentrations between different locations and over time alter how aerosols impact air quality and cloud formation, and can have broader implications on precipitation efficiency and phase. Further, aerosol composition largely depends on meteorology, which influences sources and chemical transformation in the atmosphere. Aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions represent one of the largest sources of uncertainty in climate science; therefore, a better understanding of the aerosols that contribute to these effects is needed. To address this source of uncertainty, the chemical composition of individual ambient aerosols and aerosols as insoluble residues in precipitation samples was determined using aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS) and provided insight into their potential to serve as cloud seeds at three different locations over time. A three-year summer study (2005-2007) in Riverside, CA afforded information on the inter-annual variability of the urban aerosol due to changes in aerosol transport and meteorological conditions. In the summer of 2008 in Atlanta, GA, tropical cyclones shifted the representative aged urban aerosol to a less-aged, less-CCN active aerosol population, having implications on regional cloud formation after extreme weather events. At a remote site in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the winter of 2009, observations of newly-formed aerosols presented a new source of CCN. Inter-annual trends in precipitation at the same remote site showed how IN transported from the Sahara and Asia potentially influenced precipitation processes during three winter seasons (2009-2011). Investigating changes in cloud seeds represents a longer-term goal to reduce uncertainties associated with modeling aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions. Larger spatial and temporal coverage is needed to better understand trends in cloud formation and precipitation and to provide more detail for regional and global model parameterization. The results presented herein represent a noteworthy advancement towards understanding variation in composition and sources of cloud seeds in different regions and in most cases long time periods.

Aerosol Pollution Impact on Precipitation

Aerosol Pollution Impact on Precipitation PDF Author: Zev Levin
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402086903
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 399

Get Book Here

Book Description
Life on Earth is critically dependent upon the continuous cycling of water between oceans, continents and the atmosphere. Precipitation (including rain, snow, and hail) is the primary mechanism for transporting water from the atmosphere back to the Earth’s surface. It is also the key physical process that links aspects of climate, weather, and the global hydrological cycle. Changes in precipitation regimes and the frequency of extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, severe ice/snow storms, monsoon fluctuations and hurricanes are of great potential importance to life on the planet. One of the factors that could contribute to precipitation modification is aerosol pollution from various sources such as urban air pollution and biomass burning. Natural and anthropogenic changes in atmospheric aerosols might have important implications for precipitation by influencing the hydrological cycle, which in turn could feed back to climate changes. From an Earth Science perspective, a key question is how changes expected in climate will translate into changes in the hydrological cycle, and what trends may be expected in the future. We require a much better understanding and hence predictive capability of the moisture and energy storages and exchanges among the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, continents and biological systems. This book is a review of our knowledge of the relationship between aerosols and precipitation reaching the Earth's surface and it includes a list of recommendations that could help to advance our knowledge in this area.

Earth Science and Applications from Space

Earth Science and Applications from Space PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 9780309103879
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 460

Get Book Here

Book Description
Natural and human-induced changes in Earth's interior, land surface, biosphere, atmosphere, and oceans affect all aspects of life. Understanding these changes requires a range of observations acquired from land-, sea-, air-, and space-based platforms. To assist NASA, NOAA, and USGS in developing these tools, the NRC was asked to carry out a "decadal strategy" survey of Earth science and applications from space that would develop the key scientific questions on which to focus Earth and environmental observations in the period 2005-2015 and beyond, and present a prioritized list of space programs, missions, and supporting activities to address these questions. This report presents a vision for the Earth science program; an analysis of the existing Earth Observing System and recommendations to help restore its capabilities; an assessment of and recommendations for new observations and missions for the next decade; an examination of and recommendations for effective application of those observations; and an analysis of how best to sustain that observation and applications system.

CARES

CARES PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Get Book Here

Book Description
Carbonaceous aerosol components, which include black carbon (BC), urban primary organic aerosols (POA), biomass burning aerosols, and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) from both urban and biogenic precursors, have been previously shown to play a major role in the direct and indirect radiative forcing of climate. The primary objective of the CARES 2010 intensive field study is to investigate the evolution of carbonaceous aerosols of different types and their effects on optical and cloud formation properties.

The Oxford Companion to Global Change

The Oxford Companion to Global Change PDF Author: David J. Cuff
Publisher:
ISBN: 0195324889
Category : Environmental sciences
Languages : en
Pages : 715

Get Book Here

Book Description
In recent years, global change has become increasingly important in technological, ecological and political spheres. This companion examines the environmental events of recent times, and investigates long-term trends as well as broader issues of global change.