Weingartner, Ernest
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Employment of novel tools for the continuous characterization of the carbonaceous fraction in ambient aerosol
High resolution unattended particle-bound total carbon measurements and source identification at the Jungfraujoch global GAW station
Aerosol climatology and planetary boundary influence at the Jungfraujoch analyzed by synoptic weather types
Fourteen years of meteorological parameters, aerosol variables (absorption and scattering coef-ficients, aerosol number concentration) and trace gases (CO, NOx, SO2) measured at the Jungfraujoch (JFJ, 3580 m a.s.l.) have been analyzed as a function of different synoptic weather types. The Schüepp synoptic weather type of the Alps (SYNALP) classification from the Alpine Weather Statistics (AWS) was used to define the synoptic meteorology over the whole Swiss region. The seasonal contribution of each synoptic weather type to the aerosol concentration was deduced from the aerosol annual cycles while the planetary boundary layer (PBL) influence was estimated by means of the diurnal cycles. Since aerosols are scavenged by precipitation, the diurnal cycle of the CO concentration was also used to identify polluted air masses. SO2 and NOx concentrations were used as precursor tracers for new particle formation and growth, respectively. The aerosol optical parameters and number concentration show elevated loadings during advective weather types during the December–March period and for the convective anti-cyclonic and convective indifferent weather types during the April–September period. This study confirms the consensus view that the JFJ is mainly influenced by the free troposphere during winter and by injection of air parcels from the PBL during summer. A more detailed picture is, however, drawn where the JFJ is completely influenced by free tropospheric air masses in win-ter during advective weather types and largely influenced by the PBL also during the night in summer during the subsidence weather type. Between these two extreme situations, the PBL influence at the JFJ depends on both the time of year and the synoptic weather type. The frac-tion of PBL air transported to the JFJ was estimated by the relative increase of the specific hu-midity and CO.
Performance of the new continuous carbonaceous aerosol measurement system FATCAT during long term unattended measurement campaigns
The regional aerosol-climate model REMO-HAM
REMO-HAM is a new regional aerosol-climate model. It is based on the REMO regional climate model and includes most of the major aerosol processes. The structure for aerosol is similar to the global aerosol-climate model ECHAM5-HAM, for example the aerosol module HAM is coupled with a two-moment stratiform cloud scheme. On the other hand, REMO-HAM does not include an online coupled aerosol-radiation nor a secondary organic aerosol module. In this work, we evaluate the model and compare the results against ECHAM5-HAM and measurements. Four different measurement sites were chosen for the comparison of total number concentrations, size distributions and gas phase sulfur dioxide concentrations: Hyytiälä in Finland, Melpitz in Germany, Mace Head in Ireland and Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. REMO-HAM is run with two different resolutions: 50 × 50 km2 and 10 × 10 km2. Based on our simulations, REMO-HAM is in reasonable agreement with the measured values. The differences in the total number concentrations between REMO-HAM and ECHAM5-HAM can be mainly explained by the difference in the nucleation mode. Since we did not use activation nor kinetic nucleation for the boundary layer, the total number concentrations are somewhat underestimated. From the meteorological point of view, REMO-HAM represents the precipitation fields and 2 m temperature profile very well compared to measurement. Overall, we show that REMO-HAM is a functional aerosol-climate model, which will be used in further studies.
A 17 month climatology of the cloud condensation nuclei number concentration at the high alpine site Jungfraujoch
Between May 2008 and September 2009 the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentration, NCCN, was measured at the high alpine site Jungfraujoch, which is located in the free troposphere most of the time. Measurements at 10 different supersaturations (0.12%–1.18%) were made using a CCN counter (CCNC). The monthly median NCCN values show a distinct seasonal variability with ∼5–12 times higher values in summer than in winter. The major part of this variation can be explained by the seasonal amplitude of total aerosol number concentration (∼4.5 times higher values in summer), but it is further amplified (factor of ∼1.1–2.6) by a shift of the particle number size distribution toward slightly larger sizes in summer. In contrast to the extensive properties, the monthly median of the critical dry diameter, above which the aerosols activate as CCN, does not show a seasonal cycle (relative standard deviations of the monthly median critical dry diameters at the different supersaturations are 4–9%) or substantial variability (relative standard deviations of individual data points at the different supersaturations are less than 18–37%). The mean CCN-derived hygroscopicity of the aerosol corresponds to a value of the hygroscopicity parameter κ of 0.20 (assuming a surface tension of pure water) with moderate supersaturation dependence. NCCN can be reliably predicted throughout the measurement period with knowledge of the above-mentioned averaged κ value and highly time-resolved (∼5 min) particle number size distribution data. The predicted NCCN was within 0.74 to 1.29 times the measured value during 80% of the time (94,499 data points in total at 10 different supersaturations).
High resolution unattended particle-bound total carbon measurements and source identification at the Jungfraujoch global GAW station
Total aerosol carbonaceous mass (TC) is a major constituent of atmospheric fine aerosol not yet continuously monitored with adequate time resolution. Adding a TC measurement to existing measurement programs is crucial for comprehensive interpretation of the impact of aerosols. To fill this gap, we developed the “fast thermal carbon totalizator” (FATCAT) for long-term unsupervised monitoring of TC. FATCAT has been deployed since 2019 at diverse sites including the Jungfraujoch global GAW station (JFJ). FATCAT collects particles on a metallic filter, and subsequently heats it to 800°C under an oxidizing atmosphere. The limit of detection is LoD=0.2 µg of carbon (µg-C). At the reduced atmospheric pressure of the JFJ, which limits the sampling flow, this corresponds to TC=0.3 µg-C/m3 using a time resolution of two hours. We discuss our experience during the first two year of continuous TC measurements and the possibility of using our instrument to distinguish carbonaceous aerosol from different source using fast, 50 seconds, thermograms. This unique feature allows us to identify source specific fingerprints. Several high TC episodes during September 2020 at JFJ show the typical pattern for biomass combustion. Back trajectories attribute them to long-range transported emissions from Californian wildfires. Graphitic carbon from, e.g., local fossil fuel combustion evolves at higher temperatures. The data collected at the JFJ is already the longest produced TC dataset for this site without instrument related interruptions. The dataset generated by our instrument and post-analysis data products represent an improvement to the available measurement inventory. It can serve as quality control for other measurement systems. Prominently, measurements of eBC via MAAP or Aethalometer and organic mass using ToF-ACSM. TC data can be used in parallel to these devices as a quality check, and to warrant carbon mass closure and reduce systematic biases.
Spatial variation of aerosol optical properties around the high-alpine site Jungfraujoch (3580 m a.s.l.)
This paper presents results of the extensive field campaign CLACE 2010 (Cloud and Aerosol Characterization Experiment) performed in summer 2010 at the Jungfraujoch (JFJ) and the Kleine Scheidegg (KLS) in the Swiss Alps. The main goal of this campaign was to investigate the vertical variability of aerosol optical properties around the JFJ and to show the consistency of the different employed measurement techniques considering explicitly the effects of relative humidity (RH) on the aerosol light scattering. Various aerosol optical and microphysical parameters were recorded using in-situ and remote sensing techniques. In-situ measurements of aerosol size distribution, light scattering, light absorption and scattering enhancement due to water uptake were performed at the JFJ at 3580 m a.s.l.. A unique set-up allowed remote sensing measurements of aerosol columnar and vertical properties from the KLS located about 1500 m below and within the line of sight to the JFJ (horizontal distance of approx. 4.5 km). In addition, two satellite retrievals from the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) as well as back trajectory analyses were added to the comparison to account for a wider geographical context. All in-situ and remote sensing measurements were in clear correspondence. The ambient extinction coefficient measured in situ at the JFJ agreed well with the KLS-based LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) retrieval at the altitude-level of the JFJ under plausible assumptions on the LIDAR ratio. However, we can show that the quality of this comparison is affected by orographic effects due to the exposed location of the JFJ on a saddle between two mountains and next to a large glacier. The local RH around the JFJ was often higher than in the optical path of the LIDAR measurement, especially when the wind originated from the south via the glacier, leading to orographic clouds which remained lower than the LIDAR beam. Furthermore, the dominance of long-range transported Saharan dust was observed in all easurements for several days, however only for a shorter time period in the in-situ measurements due to the vertical structure of the dust plume. The optical properties of the aerosol column retrieved from SEVIRI and MODIS showed the same magnitude and a similar temporal evolution as the measurements at the KLS and the JFJ. Remaining differences are attributed to the complex terrain and simplifications in the aerosol retrieval scheme in general.
Aerosol and trace gas vehicle emission factors measured in a tunnel using an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer and other on-line instrumentation
In this study we present measurements of gas and aerosol phase composition for a mixed vehicle fleet in the Gubrist tunnel (Switzerland) in June 2008. PM1 composition measurements were made with a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) and a Multi Angle Absorption Photometer (MAAP). Gas-phase measurements of CO, CO2, NOx and total hydrocarbons (THC) were performed with standard instrumentation. Weekdays had a characteristic diurnal pattern with 2 peaks in concentrations for all traffic related species corresponding to high vehicle density (∼300 ± 30 vehicles per 5 min) in the morning rush hour between 06:00 and 09:00 and in the afternoon rush hours from approximately 15:30 to 18:30. The emission factors (EF) of OA were heavily influenced by the OA mass loading. To exclude this partitioning effect, only organic aerosol mass concentrations from 60 μg m−3 to 90 μg m−3 were considered and for these conditions the EF(OA) value for HDV was 33.7 ± 2.3 mg km−1 for a temperature inside the tunnel of 20–25 °C. This value is not directly applicable to ambient conditions because it is derived from OA mass concentrations that are roughly a factor of 10 higher than typical ambient concentrations. An even higher EF(OA)HDV value of 47.4 ± 1.6 mg km−1 was obtained when the linear fit was applied to all data points including OA concentrations up to 120 μg m−3. Similar to the increasing EF, the OA/BC ratio in the tunnel was also affected by the organic loading and it increased by a factor of ∼3 over the OA range 10–120 μg m−3. This means that also the OA emission factors at ambient concentrations of around 5–10 μg m−3 would be 2–3 times lower than the emission factor given above. For OA concentrations lower than 40 μg m−3 the OA/BC mass ratio was below 1, while at an OA concentration of 100–120 μg m−3 the OA/BC ratio was ∼1.5. The AMS mass spectra (MS) acquired in the tunnel were highly correlated with the primary organic aerosol (POA) MS from a EURO 3 diesel vehicle with a speed similar to the average tunnel speed.