TY - JOUR
T1 - Analysis of atmospheric particle growth based on vapor concentrations measured at the high-altitude GAW station Chacaltaya in the Bolivian Andes
AU - Heitto, Arto
AU - Wu, Cheng
AU - Aliaga, Diego
AU - Blacutt, Luis
AU - Chen, Xuemeng
AU - Gramlich, Yvette
AU - Heikkinen, Liine
AU - Huang, Wei
AU - Krejci, Radovan
AU - Laj, Paolo
AU - Moreno, Isabel
AU - Sellegri, Karine
AU - Velarde, Fernando
AU - Weinhold, Kay
AU - Wiedensohler, Alfred
AU - Zha, Qiaozhi
AU - Bianchi, Federico
AU - Andrade, Marcos
AU - Lehtinen, Kari E.J.
AU - Mohr, Claudia
AU - Yli-Juuti, Taina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Arto Heitto et al.
PY - 2024/1/30
Y1 - 2024/1/30
N2 - Early growth of atmospheric particles is essential for their survival and ability to participate in cloud formation. Many different atmospheric vapors contribute to the growth, but even the main contributors still remain poorly identified in many environments, such as high-altitude sites. Based on measured organic vapor and sulfuric acid concentrations under ambient conditions, particle growth during new particle formation events was simulated and compared with the measured particle size distribution at the Chacaltaya Global Atmosphere Watch station in Bolivia (5240ma.s.l.) during April and May 2018, as a part of the SALTENA (Southern Hemisphere high-ALTitude Experiment on particle Nucleation and growth) campaign. Despite the challenging topography and ambient conditions around the station, the simple particle growth model used in the study was able to show that the detected vapors were sufficient to explain the observed particle growth, although some discrepancies were found between modeled and measured particle growth rates. This study, one of the first of such studies conducted on high altitude, gives insight on the key factors affecting the particle growth on the site and helps to improve the understanding of important factors on high-altitude sites and the atmosphere in general. Low-volatility organic compounds originating from multiple surrounding sources such as the Amazonia and La Paz metropolitan area were found to be the main contributor to the particle growth, covering on average 65% of the simulated particle mass in particles with a diameter of 30nm. In addition, sulfuric acid made a major contribution to the particle growth, covering at maximum 37% of the simulated particle mass in 30nm particles during periods when volcanic activity was detected on the area, compared to around 1% contribution on days without volcanic activity. This suggests that volcanic emissions can greatly enhance the particle growth.
AB - Early growth of atmospheric particles is essential for their survival and ability to participate in cloud formation. Many different atmospheric vapors contribute to the growth, but even the main contributors still remain poorly identified in many environments, such as high-altitude sites. Based on measured organic vapor and sulfuric acid concentrations under ambient conditions, particle growth during new particle formation events was simulated and compared with the measured particle size distribution at the Chacaltaya Global Atmosphere Watch station in Bolivia (5240ma.s.l.) during April and May 2018, as a part of the SALTENA (Southern Hemisphere high-ALTitude Experiment on particle Nucleation and growth) campaign. Despite the challenging topography and ambient conditions around the station, the simple particle growth model used in the study was able to show that the detected vapors were sufficient to explain the observed particle growth, although some discrepancies were found between modeled and measured particle growth rates. This study, one of the first of such studies conducted on high altitude, gives insight on the key factors affecting the particle growth on the site and helps to improve the understanding of important factors on high-altitude sites and the atmosphere in general. Low-volatility organic compounds originating from multiple surrounding sources such as the Amazonia and La Paz metropolitan area were found to be the main contributor to the particle growth, covering on average 65% of the simulated particle mass in particles with a diameter of 30nm. In addition, sulfuric acid made a major contribution to the particle growth, covering at maximum 37% of the simulated particle mass in 30nm particles during periods when volcanic activity was detected on the area, compared to around 1% contribution on days without volcanic activity. This suggests that volcanic emissions can greatly enhance the particle growth.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85184047353&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5194/acp-24-1315-2024
DO - 10.5194/acp-24-1315-2024
M3 - Artículo
AN - SCOPUS:85184047353
SN - 1680-7316
VL - 24
SP - 1315
EP - 1328
JO - Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
JF - Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
IS - 2
ER -