Aerosol buffering of marine boundary layer cloudiness

The role of aerosol particles in maintaining a cloudy boundary layer in the remote marine environment is explored. It has previously been shown that precipitation can result in the transition from a closed- to open-cellular state but that the boundary layer cannot maintain this open-cell state without a resupply of particles. Potential sources include wind-driven production of sea salt particles from the ocean, nucleation from the gas phase, and entrainment from the free troposphere. Here we investigate with model simulations how the interplay of cloud properties, aerosol production, and boundary layer dynamics results in aerosol sources acting as a buffer against processes that destabilize cloudiness and the dynamic state of the marine boundary layer. For example, at nighttime, cloud liquid water increases in the absence of solar heating, resulting in increased precipitation, stronger cloud top cooling, accelerated boundary layer turbulence, and faster surface wind speeds. Faster surface wind speeds drive an enhanced flux of sea salt aerosol, at a time when aerosol particles are scavenged more readily by enhanced precipitation. In contrast, absorption of solar radiation during daytime reduces cloud water, decelerates boundary layer turbulence, reduces surface wind speeds, and therefore slows surface emissions. This is compensated by nucleation of small aerosol particles from the gas phase in response to the nigh complete removal of cloud condensation nuclei in precipitating open cell walls. These newly formed particles need to grow to larger sizes before they can serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), but will likely contribute to the CCN population during the nighttime and, together with ocean emissions, buffer the system against precipitation removal.