Importance of submicron surface-active organic aerosols for pristine Arctic clouds

Ulrike Lohmann; Caroline Leck

doi:10.3402/tellusb.v57i3.16534

Importance of submicron surface-active organic aerosols for pristine Arctic clouds

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

Volume 57 (2005): Issue 3

By: Ulrike Lohmann and Caroline Leck

Open Access

|Jan 2005

Abstract

Recent results from summer measurement campaigns over the partly ice covered central Arctic Ocean show that thehigh Arctic aerosol has a larger organic fraction than previously thought.We use a Lagrangian parcel model to infer theproperties of the unexplained organic aerosol fraction that is necessary for reproducing the observed concentrations ofcloud condensation nuclei (CCN). With increasing distance from the open ocean a highly surface-active Aitken mode, associated with particles found in the open lead surface microlayer, becomes increasingly important for cloud dropletformation. The presence of such an Aitken mode population increases the high Arctic indirect aerosol effect (addedcooling) relative to just a marine source of CCN from oxidation products of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) released from phytoplankton.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v57i3.16534 | Journal eISSN: 1600-0889

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Language: English

Page range: 261 - 268

Submitted on: Oct 1, 2004

Accepted on: Jan 14, 2005

Published on: Jan 1, 2005

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

© 2005 Ulrike Lohmann, Caroline Leck, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 57 (2005): Issue 3