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Simulating the Transport and Rupture of Pollen in the Atmosphere

Journal Article · · Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2022ms003329· OSTI ID:1969122
 [1];  [2];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); University of Michigan
  2. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Pollen, one type of primary biological aerosol particle (PBAP), is emitted from the terrestrial biosphere and can undergo physical changes in the atmosphere via particle rupture. To examine the fate of pollen and its atmospheric processing, a pollen emission and transport scheme is coupled to the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem). We simulate the emission of pollen and its impacts on the cloud properties and precipitation in the Southern Great Plains from 12 to 19 April 2013, a period with both high pollen emissions and convective activity. We conduct a suite of ensemble runs that simulate primary pollen and three different pollen rupture mechanisms that generate subpollen particles, including (a) high humidity-induced surface rupture, (b) high humidity-induced in-atmosphere plus surface rupture, and (c) lightning-induced rupture, where in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning strikes trigger pollen rupture events. When relative humidity is high (>80%), coarse primary pollen (~1 μg m–3) is converted into fine subpollen particles (~1.2e–4 μg m–3), which produces 80% more subpollen particles than lightning-induced rupture. The in-atmosphere humidity-driven rupture predominantly produces subpollen particles, which is further enhanced during a frontal thunderstorm. During strong convection, vertical updrafts lift primary pollen and subpollen particles (~0.5e–4 μg m–3) to the upper troposphere (~12 km) and laterally transports the ruptured pollen in the anvil top outflow. In regions of high pollen and strong convection, ruptured pollen can influence warm cloud formation by decreasing low cloud (<4 km) cloud water mixing ratios and increasing ice phase hydrometeors aloft (>10 km)
Research Organization:
Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States); University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Earth and Environmental Systems Science Division
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0019084
OSTI ID:
1969122
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2339856
Journal Information:
Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, Journal Name: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 15; ISSN 1942-2466
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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