Aerosol partitioning between the interstitial and the condensed phase in mixed‐phase clouds

The partitioning of aerosol particles between the cloud and the interstitial phase (i.e., unactivated aerosol) has been investigated during several Cloud and Aerosol Characterization Experiments (CLACE‐3, CLACE‐3½ and CLACE‐4) conducted in winter and summer 2004 and winter 2005 at the high alpine research station Jungfraujoch (3580 m altitude, Switzerland). Ambient air was sampled using different inlets in order to determine the activated fraction of aerosol particles, FN, defined as the fraction of the total aerosol number concentration (with particle diameter dp > 100 nm) that has been incorporated into cloud particles. The liquid and ice water content of mixed‐phase clouds were characterized by analyzing multiple cloud probes. The dependence of the activated fraction on several environmental factors is discussed on the basis of more than 900 h of in‐cloud observations and parameterizations for key variables are given. FN is found to increase with increasing liquid water content and to decrease with increasing particle number concentration in liquid clouds. FN also decreases with increasing cloud ice mass fraction and with decreasing temperature from 0 to −25°C. The Wegener‐Bergeron‐Findeisen process probably contributed to this trend, since the presence of ice crystals causes liquid droplets to evaporate, thus releasing the formerly activated particles back into the interstitial phase. Ice nucleation could also have prevented additional cloud condensation nuclei from activating. The observed activation behavior has significant implications for our understanding of the indirect effect of aerosols on climate.

Schlagwörter

Fachgebiet (DDC)

550 - Geowissenschaften

Projekt

Veranstaltung

Startdatum der Ausstellung

Enddatum der Ausstellung

Startdatum der Konferenz

Enddatum der Konferenz

Datum der letzten Prüfung

ISBN

ISSN

2169-8996
2169-897X
10.1029/2007jd008714

Sprache

Englisch

Während FHNW Zugehörigkeit erstellt

Nein

Zukunftsfelder FHNW

Publikationsstatus

Veröffentlicht

Begutachtung

Peer-Review der ganzen Publikation

Open Access-Status

Closed

Lizenz

Zitation

VERHEGGEN, Bart, Julie COZIC, Ernest WEINGARTNER, Keith BOWER, Stephan MERTES, Paul CONNOLLY, Martin GALLAGHER, Michael FLYNN, Tom CHOULARTON und Urs BALTENSPERGER, 2007. Aerosol partitioning between the interstitial and the condensed phase in mixed‐phase clouds. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 13 Dezember 2007. Bd. 112, Nr. D23. Verfügbar unter: https://irf.fhnw.ch/handle/11654/46703

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