Mass size distributions and mixing state of individual black-carbon containing aerosol particles observed in situ from 65S to 85N
Abstract
Since early 2009, the NSF/NCAR GV research aircraft has carried the NOAA single-particle soot photometer (SP2) on three missions (HIPPO 1,2,3) to sample the remote atmosphere over global scales. These flight series have led to an unprecedented data set including black carbon (BC) aerosol concentration, size distribution, mixing state, and dry-optical size determined from observation of millions of individual BC-containing particles by the SP2. On each campaign, lasting only three weeks, the SP2 sampled latitudes from ~85N to ~65S, primarily in the vicinity of the dateline, from near the surface to 14 km altitude. Over one hundred vertical profiles per campaign ensured high vertical and horizontal resolution. In addition to the aged and processed aerosol expected in the clean remote atmosphere, dirty air associated with trans-pacific transport of Asian pollution and with Arctic haze was sampled. Here we present the first results of the BC mixing state and optical size analysis from these missions. Quantifying the amounts of non-refractory materials associated with BC in individual particles is an important step toward improving our understanding of BC aerosol absorption and atmospheric lifetime.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2010
- Bibcode:
- 2010AGUFM.A44C..06S
- Keywords:
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- 0305 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE / Aerosols and particles