Aerosol dynamics in the equatorial Pacific Marine boundary layer: Microphysics, diurnal cycles and entertainment
- Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States)
During July-August of 1994 the authors measured the size resolved physiochemical properties of aerosol particles at Christmas Island in the equatorial Pacific. In spite of rapid diurnal conversion of dimethylsulfide (DMS) to sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) the authors found no evidence for new particle production in the marine boundary layer (MBL) and more than 95% of all particles were consistently larger than 0.02{mu}m diameter, indicating an aged aerosol number (size-distribution) was bimodal with peaks near 0.05{mu}m and 0.2{mu}m particle diameter (D{sub p}) and had a cloud-processed intermode minimum at about 0.09{mu}m that varied in phase with diurnal changes in ozone concentration. This suggests that the number distribution for condensation nuclei (CN) and cloud condensation (CCN) was maintained by a quasiequilibrium between entrainment (estimated to be 0.6{+-}0.2 cm s{sup {minus}1}) from sources aloft and processes in the MBL. This implies a replenishment timescale for nuclei of about 2 and 4 days for this region. The stability of the distribution and the 0.09{mu}m cloud processed minima suggests trade winds cumulus supersaturations near 0.35% and updrafts near 1 m s{sup {minus}1}. 17 refs., 4 fig., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 245156
- Journal Information:
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 23, Issue 7; Other Information: PBD: 1 Apr 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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