Dataset Information

Synergistic HNO₃-H₂SO₄-NH₃ upper tropospheric particle formation.

ABSTRACT: New particle formation in the upper free troposphere is a major global source of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN)^1-4. However, the precursor vapours that drive the process are not well understood. With experiments performed under upper tropospheric conditions in the CERN CLOUD chamber, we show that nitric acid, sulfuric acid and ammonia form particles synergistically, at rates that are orders of magnitude faster than those from any two of the three components. The importance of this mechanism depends on the availability of ammonia, which was previously thought to be efficiently scavenged by cloud droplets during convection. However, surprisingly high concentrations of ammonia and ammonium nitrate have recently been observed in the upper troposphere over the Asian monsoon region^5,6. Once particles have formed, co-condensation of ammonia and abundant nitric acid alone is sufficient to drive rapid growth to CCN sizes with only trace sulfate. Moreover, our measurements show that these CCN are also highly efficient ice nucleating particles-comparable to desert dust. Our model simulations confirm that ammonia is efficiently convected aloft during the Asian monsoon, driving rapid, multi-acid HNO₃-H₂SO₄-NH₃ nucleation in the upper troposphere and producing ice nucleating particles that spread across the mid-latitude Northern Hemisphere.

SUBMITTER: Wang M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9117139 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Synergistic HNO3-H2SO4-NH3 upper tropospheric particle formation.

Wang Mingyi M Xiao Mao M Bertozzi Barbara B Marie Guillaume G Rörup Birte B Schulze Benjamin B Bardakov Roman R He Xu-Cheng XC Shen Jiali J Scholz Wiebke W Marten Ruby R Dada Lubna L Baalbaki Rima R Lopez Brandon B Lamkaddam Houssni H Manninen Hanna E HE Amorim António A Ataei Farnoush F Bogert Pia P Brasseur Zoé Z Caudillo Lucía L De Menezes Louis-Philippe LP Duplissy Jonathan J Ekman Annica M L AML Finkenzeller Henning H Carracedo Loïc Gonzalez LG Granzin Manuel M Guida Roberto R Heinritzi Martin M Hofbauer Victoria V Höhler Kristina K Korhonen Kimmo K Krechmer Jordan E JE Kürten Andreas A Lehtipalo Katrianne K Mahfouz Naser G A NGA Makhmutov Vladimir V Massabò Dario D Mathot Serge S Mauldin Roy L RL Mentler Bernhard B Müller Tatjana T Onnela Antti A Petäjä Tuukka T Philippov Maxim M Piedehierro Ana A AA Pozzer Andrea A Ranjithkumar Ananth A Schervish Meredith M Schobesberger Siegfried S Simon Mario M Stozhkov Yuri Y Tomé António A Umo Nsikanabasi Silas NS Vogel Franziska F Wagner Robert R Wang Dongyu S DS Weber Stefan K SK Welti André A Wu Yusheng Y Zauner-Wieczorek Marcel M Sipilä Mikko M Winkler Paul M PM Hansel Armin A Baltensperger Urs U Kulmala Markku M Flagan Richard C RC Curtius Joachim J Riipinen Ilona I Gordon Hamish H Lelieveld Jos J El-Haddad Imad I Volkamer Rainer R Worsnop Douglas R DR Christoudias Theodoros T Kirkby Jasper J Möhler Ottmar O Donahue Neil M NM

Nature 20220518 7910

New particle formation in the upper free troposphere is a major global source of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN)1-4. However, the precursor vapours that drive the process are not well understood. With experiments performed under upper tropospheric conditions in the CERN CLOUD chamber, we show that nitric acid, sulfuric acid and ammonia form particles synergistically, at rates that are orders of magnitude faster than those from any two of the three components. The importance of this me ...[more]

PMID: 35585346

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Dataset Information

Synergistic HNO₃-H₂SO₄-NH₃ upper tropospheric particle formation.

Publications

Synergistic HNO<sub>3</sub>-H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>-NH<sub>3</sub> upper tropospheric particle formation.

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