A synthesis of cloud condensation nuclei counter (CCNC) measurements within the EUCAARI network

M. Paramonov; V.-M. Kerminen; M. Gysel; P. P. Aalto; M. O. Andreae; E. Asmi; U. Baltensperger; A. Bougiatioti; D. Brus; G. P. Frank; N. Good; S. S. Gunthe; L. Hao; M. Irwin; A. Jaatinen; Z. Jurányi; S. M. King; A. Kortelainen; A. Kristensson; H. Lihavainen; M. Kulmala; U. Lohmann; S. T. Martin; G. McFiggans; N. Mihalopoulos; A. Nenes; C. D. O'Dowd; J. Ovadnevaite; T. Petäjä; U. Pöschl; G. C. Roberts; D. Rose; B. Svenningsson; E. Swietlicki; E. Weingartner; J. Whitehead; A. Wiedensohler; C. Wittbom; B. Sierau

doi:10.5194/acp-15-12211-2015

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Nov 2015)

A synthesis of cloud condensation nuclei counter (CCNC) measurements within the EUCAARI network

M. Paramonov,
V.-M. Kerminen,
M. Gysel,
P. P. Aalto,
M. O. Andreae,
E. Asmi,
U. Baltensperger,
A. Bougiatioti,
D. Brus,
G. P. Frank,
N. Good,
S. S. Gunthe,
L. Hao,
M. Irwin,
A. Jaatinen,
Z. Jurányi,
S. M. King,
A. Kortelainen,
A. Kristensson,
H. Lihavainen,
M. Kulmala,
U. Lohmann,
S. T. Martin,
G. McFiggans,
N. Mihalopoulos,
A. Nenes,
C. D. O'Dowd,
J. Ovadnevaite,
T. Petäjä,
U. Pöschl,
G. C. Roberts,
D. Rose,
B. Svenningsson,
E. Swietlicki,
E. Weingartner,
J. Whitehead,
A. Wiedensohler,
C. Wittbom,
B. Sierau

Affiliations

M. Paramonov: Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
V.-M. Kerminen: Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
M. Gysel: Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
P. P. Aalto: Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
M. O. Andreae: Biogeochemistry and Multiphase Chemistry Departments, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
E. Asmi: Finnish Meteorological Institute, Erik Palménin aukio 1, P.O. Box 503, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
U. Baltensperger: Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
A. Bougiatioti: Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
D. Brus: Finnish Meteorological Institute, Erik Palménin aukio 1, P.O. Box 503, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
G. P. Frank: Division of Nuclear Physics, Department of Physics, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden
N. Good: Centre for Atmospheric Science, SEAES, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
S. S. Gunthe: Biogeochemistry and Multiphase Chemistry Departments, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
L. Hao: Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
M. Irwin: Centre for Atmospheric Science, SEAES, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
A. Jaatinen: Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
Z. Jurányi: Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
S. M. King: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
A. Kortelainen: Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
A. Kristensson: Division of Nuclear Physics, Department of Physics, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden
H. Lihavainen: Finnish Meteorological Institute, Erik Palménin aukio 1, P.O. Box 503, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
M. Kulmala: Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
U. Lohmann: Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
S. T. Martin: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
G. McFiggans: Centre for Atmospheric Science, SEAES, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
N. Mihalopoulos: Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
A. Nenes: School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
C. D. O'Dowd: School of Physics and Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
J. Ovadnevaite: School of Physics and Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
T. Petäjä: Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
U. Pöschl: Biogeochemistry and Multiphase Chemistry Departments, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
G. C. Roberts: Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques, Toulouse, France
D. Rose: Biogeochemistry and Multiphase Chemistry Departments, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
B. Svenningsson: Division of Nuclear Physics, Department of Physics, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden
E. Swietlicki: Division of Nuclear Physics, Department of Physics, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden
E. Weingartner: Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
J. Whitehead: Centre for Atmospheric Science, SEAES, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
A. Wiedensohler: Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany
C. Wittbom: Division of Nuclear Physics, Department of Physics, Lund University, P.O. Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden
B. Sierau: Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-12211-2015
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 15, no. 21
pp. 12211 – 12229

Abstract

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Cloud condensation nuclei counter (CCNC) measurements performed at 14 locations around the world within the European Integrated project on Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality interactions (EUCAARI) framework have been analysed and discussed with respect to the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation and hygroscopic properties of the atmospheric aerosol. The annual mean ratio of activated cloud condensation nuclei (NCCN) to the total number concentration of particles (NCN), known as the activated fraction A, shows a similar functional dependence on supersaturation S at many locations – exceptions to this being certain marine locations, a free troposphere site and background sites in south-west Germany and northern Finland. The use of total number concentration of particles above 50 and 100 nm diameter when calculating the activated fractions (A50 and A100, respectively) renders a much more stable dependence of A on S; A50 and A100 also reveal the effect of the size distribution on CCN activation. With respect to chemical composition, it was found that the hygroscopicity of aerosol particles as a function of size differs among locations. The hygroscopicity parameter κ decreased with an increasing size at a continental site in south-west Germany and fluctuated without any particular size dependence across the observed size range in the remote tropical North Atlantic and rural central Hungary. At all other locations κ increased with size. In fact, in Hyytiälä, Vavihill, Jungfraujoch and Pallas the difference in hygroscopicity between Aitken and accumulation mode aerosol was statistically significant at the 5 % significance level. In a boreal environment the assumption of a size-independent κ can lead to a potentially substantial overestimation of NCCN at S levels above 0.6 %. The same is true for other locations where κ was found to increase with size. While detailed information about aerosol hygroscopicity can significantly improve the prediction of NCCN, total aerosol number concentration and aerosol size distribution remain more important parameters. The seasonal and diurnal patterns of CCN activation and hygroscopic properties vary among three long-term locations, highlighting the spatial and temporal variability of potential aerosol–cloud interactions in various environments.

Published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

ISSN: 1680-7316 (Print); 1680-7324 (Online)
Publisher: Copernicus Publications
Country of publisher: Germany
LCC subjects: Science: Physics; Science: Chemistry
Website: http://www.atmospheric-chemistry-and-physics.net/

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