Atmospheric Aerosols

Jiaying Li 04/06/2010

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ENV 6130, Spring 2010

 Source
Natural -- background aerosol Anthropogenic -- urban aerosol

Size distribution three modes Life time

Chemical composition

Effects Global warming v.s. Whitehouse effects

Atmospheric haze Precipitation
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What is the largest and most important atmospheric aerosol?

Clouds

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Classification of Aerosol Sources

Primary vs. Secondary Particles Mobile vs. Stationary Combustion vs. Noncombustion Outdoor vs. Indoor Natural vs. Anthropogenic

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Natural Background Aerosol

Natural Sources: volcano, sea salts, vegetation emission, forest fire, soil erosion, electrical storm, etc.

http://desk.zol.com.cn/pic_292008.html

http://tupian.hudong.com/a0_13_55_01300000201199122481551435311_jpg.html

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Major volcanos can increase the stratospheric particulate concentration by two orders of magnitude. The Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 injected 14-20 Tg of SO2 into the stratosphere, causing the aerosol concentration to increase from 2-5 g/m3 to 20-100 g/m3. Before this eruption the particle size distribution had a CMD of 0.14m and a GSD of 1.6; after, it had a CMD of 0.66 m and a GSD of 1.5. The only significant anthropogenic source of particles in the stratosphere is soot from high-altitude aircraft. But this represents less than 1 percent of the total stratospheric aerosol.

http://tupian.hudong.com/a0_13_55_0130 0000201199122481551435311_jpg.html

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 Over land, about 10 ion pairs (a positive and a negative ion) are formed in every cubic centimeter every second. These ions attach to aerosol particles and recombine with each other at a rate that yields an equilibrium concentration of small ions of 100-5000/cm3 with an average value of 800/cm3.

Most of the natural photochemical smog is formed by the action of sunlight on isoprene and monoterpene vapor emissions from trees.
Total sea salt flux from ocean to atmosphere is estimated to be 3300 Tg/yr (IPCC).

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Air with a total particle content, measured by a condensation nuclei counter, of less than 700/cm3. Natural background aerosol at remote locations and at altitudes greater than 2 km usually fit this definition of clean air.
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Urban Aerosol
Anthropogenic sources
Stationary sources: power plants, refinery plants, mines, etc. Motor vehicles Combustion

Particle concentration
A few tens of g/m3 to 1 mg/m3 in heavily polluted areas

http://www.360doc.com/content/08/0906/22/61009_1616348.shtml 4/15/2013 ENV 6130, Spring 2010

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Natural vs. Anthropogenic

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Natural vs. Anthropogenic

The natural sources are well distributed around the globe, and most of their mass contribution comes from vast area sources. The anthropogenic sources, on the other hand, are smaller in amount, but are concentrated in a small portion of the globe: the industrialized regions of the world. In these area, the human contribution exceeds that from natural sources.

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Aerosol Size Distribution

Aerosol Technology, William C.Hinds

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Aerosol Size Distribution

Nuclei Mode
Size: 0.001 0.1 m (Ultrafine particle: <0.01) Combustion particles and gas-to-particle conversion: The saturated vapors undergo condensation and serve as nuclei. Location: near highways and combustion sources High concentration but low volume contribution Rapid coagulation, rainout

Accumulation Mode
Size: 0.1 2.5 m Combustion particles, smog particles, and coagulated nuclei mode particles Slow coagulation Accounts for most of the visibility effects Removal mechanisms are weak

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Aerosol Size Distribution

Fine particles
Nuclei + Accumulation mode Most of atmospheric particles fall into fine particles PM2.5

Coarse-Particle Mode
Formed by mechanical processes: fragmentation and atomization of liquids Size: 2.5 10 m Dusts, sea salts, particles from surface mining Ready to settle down on the surface, lifetime is only a few hours or days
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Which mode of particle is most stable?

Aerosol Technology, William C.Hinds
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Atmospheric Aerosol Composition

Urban g/m3 Fine Total Mass SO42NO3NH4+ H+ C Al Si S Ca Fe Pb 42 17 0.25 4.3 0.067 7.6 0.095 0.2 __ 0.15 0.17 0.48 Coarse 27 1.1 1.8 <0.19 <0.01 3.3 1.4 3.8 __ 3.1 0.73 0.13 Fine 24 12 0.3 2.3 0.114 3.3 0.02 0.038 3.7 0.016 0.028 0.097 Rural g/m3 Coarse 5.6 __ __ __ __ 1.3 0.2 0.58 0.2 0.32 0.12 0.014

Data from Finlayson-Pitts and Pitts, Atmospheric Chemistry: Fundamentals and Experimental Techniques, Wiley, New York, 1986.

1.What are the major components of fine aerosols? SO42-, NH4+, OC 2.What are the major components of coarse aerosols? SO42-, NH4+, OC, NO3-

 Atmospheric Aerosol Composition

Overall major composition: Inorganics (Sulfate, nitrate, ammonium), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), metal. Fine particles: acidic; sulfate, ammonium compounds, elemental carbon Coarse particles: basic; crustal materials and their oxides Fine and coarse-particles have different chemical compositions, sources, and lifetimes in the atmosphere. There is comparatively little mass exchange between the two modes. In some locations, there is an inverse correlation between mass concentration in the two modes. Low wind velocity reduces the concentration of windblown soil particles, but favors photochemical particle formation, and high wind velocity des the opposite.

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Aerosol analysis by Single mass spectrum

Global Warming
The stratospheric aerosol concentration can increase by up to two orders of magnitude following major volcanic eruptions. These particles have half-lives in the stratosphere of about a year. This haze directly affects the earths radiation balance by scattering incoming solar radiations back into space. This represents a change in the earths albedo. Stratospheric particles have little effect on long-wave terrestrial radiation, so the net result is a cooling of the troposphere and the earths surface.

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Global Warming
The eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991 caused a change in solar radiation reaching the earths surface and troposphere of -2.7 W/m2 by September 1991 (Pueschel, 1996).

The effect of CO2 buildup in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution has caused a net change of +1.25 W/m2.

The stratosphere aerosol can have an effect on global surface temperature that is the same order of magnitude, but in opposite direction, as greenhouse gases and must be included in any analysis of global warming.

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Whitehouse Effects
Mechanism:

Troposphere aerosol can directly scatter the incoming solar radiation back into space.
An increase in cloud reflectively because of a higher number concentrations of cloud droplets, resulting from an increased concentration of tropospheric condensation nuclei.

The combined effect due to anthropogenic aerosols is called the whitehouse effect, as an analogue to the greenhouse effect.

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Radiative Forcing

Hansen, J. Sato, M.; JGR, 2001, 106, 23947-23963

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Whitehouse Effects
Schwartz (1996) estimates the cooling due to the whitehouse effect to be 20% to 100% of the heating due to the greenhouse effect. The uncertainty of the whitehouse effect is greater than that for the greenhouse effect. The particles responsible for the whitehouse effect have a lifetime in the troposphere of about a week., whereas the gases responsible for the greenhouse effect have atmospheric lifetimes of decades.

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Atmospheric Haze
Atmospheric haze is the condition of reduced visibility caused by the fine particles of NO2. Particle is 0.1-1.0 micrometer in diameter The sources of haze is either natural or anthropogenic.

Major component of atmospheric haze is sulfate particulate matter originated from SO2, nitrates in some areas, fine fly ash, and SOA.
Haze is from both primary sources (power plants and diesel engine) and secondary sources. Secondary source of haze is typically through gas-to particle conversion process: e.g., sulfuric acid that has extremely low vapor pressure.
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Blue Haze in the Smoky Mountains

Effects of Atmospheric Haze

Degradation of scenic beauty: e.g. Gland Canyon NP Florida Gulf Coast: widespread hazy air masses associated with stagnant conditions. Common in many American/European cities: e.g. in Midwest, Northeast and Southeast Broad regional distribution Can be seen by satellites

http://www1.spms.ntu.edu.sg/~sunshine/WeatherWeb/ht ml/images/haze_20021015_0925SGT_cropped.jpg

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Effects of particles on Precipitation

Particles serve as sites for condensation of water vapor Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN): weather active particle Small fraction of air pollutants serves as CCN. Concentration of CCNs determines initial size and number of water droplets
How does the CCN concentration affect droplet size? How will CCN concentration affect precipitation?

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Effects of particles on Precipitation

profshivajirao.googlepages.com/coldcloudseeding

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