Volatility and composition of aerosols in tropical stratosphere and TTL over Biak, Indonesia

Number concentration and volatility of aerosols in the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL) over Biak (1.2 oS, 136.1 oE) were observed using balloon-borne dual optical particle counters (OPC) in January 2011, 2012, and 2013. One OPC observed number concentration of ambient aerosols and another OPC had an inlet with a thermo denuder, whose temperature were set at 100 to 300 oC, in order to observe volatility. The results suggest that major composition of aerosol change with altitude, from sulfate in upper troposphere to sulfuric acid in stratosphere through TTL region. The ratios of number concentrations of un-volatile aerosol, to those of ambient aerosol in sub-micrometer size range are few percent in stratosphere and several percent in TTL. In addition, un-volatile aerosol concentrations were similar to the concentration of ice particle in sub-visible cirrus.