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Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 10, 20005-20033, 2010
www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/10/20005/2010/ doi:10.5194/acpd-10-20005-2010 © Author(s) 2010. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. |
Particle concentration and flux dynamics in the atmospheric boundary layer as the indicator of formation mechanism
1Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Finland
2Wind Energy Division, Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Roskilde, Denmark
3School of Physical and Chemical Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
Abstract. We carried out column model simulations to study particle fluxes and deposition and to evaluate different particle formation mechanisms at a boreal forest site in Finland. We show that kinetic nucleation of sulphuric acid cannot be responsible for new particle formation alone as the vertical profile of particle number distribution does not correspond to observations. Instead organic induced nucleation leads to good agreement confirming the relevance of the aerosol formation mechanism including organic compounds emitted by biosphere.
Simulation of aerosol concentration inside the atmospheric boundary layer during nucleation days shows highly dynamical picture, where particle formation is coupled with chemistry and turbulent transport. We have demonstrated suitability of our turbulent mixing scheme in reproducing most important characteristics of particle dynamics inside the atmospheric boundary layer. Deposition and particle flux simulations show that deposition affects noticeably only the smallest particles at the lowest part of the atmospheric boundary layer.
Citation: Lauros, J., Sogachev, A., Smolander, S., Vuollekoski, H., Sihto, S.-L., Mammarella, I., Laakso, L., Rannik, Ü., and Boy, M.: Particle concentration and flux dynamics in the atmospheric boundary layer as the indicator of formation mechanism, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 10, 20005-20033, doi:10.5194/acpd-10-20005-2010, 2010.