The effect of anthropogenic sulfate aerosols on marine cloud droplet concentrations

T. Novakov; C. Rivera-Carpio; J. E. Penner; C. F. Rogers

doi:10.3402/tellusb.v46i2.15758

The effect of anthropogenic sulfate aerosols on marine cloud droplet concentrations

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

Volume 46 (1994): Issue 2

By: T. Novakov, C. Rivera-Carpio, J. E. Penner and C. F. Rogers

Open Access

|Jan 1994

Abstract

Nonseasalt sulfate (nss SO₄ ^2-) mass concentrations, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentrations, and cloud droplet concentrations in warm cumulus and stratocumulus clouds were simultaneously measured in situ in marine air masses on El Yunque peak in Puerto Rico. Our results show that CNN number concentrations (measured at 0.5% supersaturation) and nss SO₄ ^2- mass concentrations (in the range of ~ 400–1700 ng m^-3) are significantly correlated at this site. Droplet concentrations in the cumulus clouds studied do not show a discernible trend with nss SO₄ ^2- mass concentrations (in the range of ~ 300–1400 ng m^-3). In stratocumulus clouds, a small increase in droplet concentration with nss SO₄ ^2- mass concentrations in the range of ~ 300–1100 ng m^-3 was observed. We attribute the low sensitivities of the droplet number concentrations to nss SO₄ ^2- mass concentrations to the entrainment/mixing processes in these clouds. The magnitudes of the empirically derived sensitivities are considerably lower than those assumed in recent assessments of the effect of anthropogenic sulfate aerosols on cloud albedo.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v46i2.15758 | Journal eISSN: 1600-0889

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Language: English

Page range: 132 - 141

Submitted on: Jan 20, 1993

Accepted on: Sep 23, 1993

Published on: Jan 1, 1994

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

© 1994 T. Novakov, C. Rivera-Carpio, J. E. Penner, C. F. Rogers, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 46 (1994): Issue 2