Title: Sea spray aerosol as a unique source of ice nucleating particles

Abstract

Ice nucleating particles (INPs) are vital for ice initiation in, and precipitation from, mixed-phase clouds. A source of INPs from oceans within sea spray aerosol (SSA) emissions has been suggested in previous studies but remained unconfirmed. Here, we show that INPs are emitted using real wave breaking in a laboratory flume to produce SSA. The number concentrations of INPs from laboratory-generated SSA, when normalized to typical total aerosol number concentrations in the marine boundary layer, agree well with measurements from diverse regions over the oceans. In addition, data in the present study are also in accord with previously published INP measurements made over remote ocean regions. INP number concentrations active within liquid water droplets increase exponentially in number with a decrease in temperature below 0°C, averaging an order of magnitude increase per 5°C interval. The plausibility of a strong increase in SSA INP emissions in association with phytoplankton blooms is also shown in laboratory simulations. Nevertheless, INP number concentrations, or active site densities approximated using “dry” geometric SSA surface areas, are a few orders of magnitude lower than corresponding concentrations or site densities in the surface boundary layer over continental regions. Lastly, these findings have important implications for cloud radiativemore » forcing and precipitation within low-level and midlevel marine clouds unaffected by continental INP sources, such as may occur over the Southern Ocean.« less

Authors:

DeMott, Paul J. ^[1]; Hill, Thomas C. J. ^[1]; McCluskey, Christina S. ^[1]; Prather, Kimberly A. ^[2]; Collins, Douglas B.  ^[3];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Collins, Douglas B."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-6248-9644"

Sullivan, Ryan C.  ^[4];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Sullivan, Ryan C."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-0701-7158"

Ruppel, Matthew J. ^[3]; Mason, Ryan H. ^[5]; Irish, Victoria E. ^[5]; Lee, Taehyoung ^[6]; Hwang, Chung Yeon ^[7]; Rhee, Tae Siek  ^[7];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Rhee, Tae Siek"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0001-8025-9431"

Snider, Jefferson R. ^[8]; McMeeking, Gavin R. ^[9]; Dhaniyala, Suresh ^[10]; Lewis, Ernie R. ^[11]; Wentzell, Jeremy J. B. ^[12]; Abbatt, Jonathan ^[13]; Lee, Christopher ^[3]; Sultana, Camille M. ^[3] more »; Ault, Andrew P. ^[14]; Axson, Jessica L. ^[15]; Diaz Martinez, Myrelis ^[16]; Venero, Ingrid ^[16]; Santos-Figueroa, Gilmarie ^[16]; Stokes, M. Dale ^[17]; Deane, Grant B. ^[17]; Mayol-Bracero, Olga L. ^[16]; Grassian, Vicki H. ^[18]; Bertram, Timothy H. ^[19]; Bertram, Allan K. ^[5]; Moffett, Bruce F. ^[20]; Franc, Gary D. ^[21] « less

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1371,
2. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093,, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093,
3. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093,
4. Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213,
5. Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T1Z1,
6. Department of Environmental Science, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yongin 449791, South Korea,
7. Korea Polar Research Institute, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406840, South Korea,
8. Department of Atmospheric Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071,
9. Handix Scientific, Boulder, CO 80301,
10. Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY 13699,
11. Environmental and Climate Sciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973,
12. Air Quality Processes Research Section, Environment Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada M3H 5T4,
13. Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3H6,
14. Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109,, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109,
15. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109,
16. Department of Environmental Science, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00931,
17. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093,
18. Department of Chemistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242,
19. Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706,
20. Ocean Lab, Fishguard Harbour, Goodwick, Pembrokeshire SA64 0DE, United Kingdom,
21. Department of Plant Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071

Publication Date:

Tue Dec 22 00:00:00 EST 2015

Research Org.:

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

OSTI Identifier:

1235507

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1336082

Report Number(s):

BNL-112477-2016-JA
Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424

Grant/Contract Number:  

SC00112704

Resource Type:

Published Article

Journal Name:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Volume: 113 Journal Issue: 21; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424

Publisher:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; marine aerosols; ice nucleation; clouds