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Aerosol nucleation in the winter Arctic and Antarctic stratospheres

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. San Jose State Univ., CA (USA)
  2. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (USA)
  3. Univ. of California, Los Angeles (USA)
+ Show Author Affiliations

The authors calculate the formation rate of sulfuric acid - water aerosol particles as a function of altitude for the conditions of the winter Arctic and Antarctic stratospheres. The theoretical results indicate that sulfate particle formation can occur in the polar winter stratosphere. Conditions for new particle formation are increasingly favorable as the altitude increases between 20 and 30 km because of the decrease in surface area of pre-existing particles and increasing sulfuric acid vapor supply. The theoretical predictions are consistent with observations of a high altitude CN layer over Antarctica in the spring. Available vapor pressure data indicate that ternary system particles composed of sulfuric acid, nitric acid and water are not thermodynamically stable under winter stratospheric conditions.

OSTI ID:
5397347
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 17:4; ISSN 0094-8276; ISSN GPRLA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AEROSOLS
ALTITUDE
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
ANTARCTICA
ARCTIC REGIONS
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
CHEMISTRY
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
NITRIC ACID
NUCLEATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLAR REGIONS
SOLS
STRATOSPHERE
SULFURIC ACID
SURFACE AREA
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SYNTHESIS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
THERMODYNAMICS
VAPOR PRESSURE
WATER