Aerosol processing and CCN formation of an intense Saharan dust plume during the EUCAARI 2008 campaign

Atmospheric processing and CCN formation of Saharan dust is illustrated through the analysis of a case of dust transport over northern Europe. This spread of dust is investigated by combining satellite, airborne and ground-based observations and the non-hydrostatic meso-scale model Meso-NH. The alti...

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Main Authors: N. Bègue, P. Tulet, J. Pelon, B. Aouizerats, A. Berger, A. Schwarzenboeck
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2015-03-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/15/3497/2015/acp-15-3497-2015.pdf
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spelling doaj-91f5d1c67f574a28a995947b0c4b061a2020-11-24T22:37:58ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242015-03-011563497351610.5194/acp-15-3497-2015Aerosol processing and CCN formation of an intense Saharan dust plume during the EUCAARI 2008 campaignN. Bègue0P. Tulet1J. Pelon2B. Aouizerats3A. Berger4A. Schwarzenboeck5Laboratoire de l'Atmosphère et des Cyclones, UMR 8105 CNRS, University of Réunion Island, Reunion Island, FranceLaboratoire de l'Atmosphère et des Cyclones, UMR 8105 CNRS, University of Réunion Island, Reunion Island, FranceLaboratoire Atmosphère Milieux Observations Spatiales, University of Paris VI, Paris, FranceFaculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsLaboratoire d'Aérologie, University of Paul Sabatier, CNRS, Toulouse, FranceLaboratoire de Météorologie Physique, CNRS, UMR 6016 University Blaise-Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand, FranceAtmospheric processing and CCN formation of Saharan dust is illustrated through the analysis of a case of dust transport over northern Europe. This spread of dust is investigated by combining satellite, airborne and ground-based observations and the non-hydrostatic meso-scale model Meso-NH. The altitude of the dust plume during its transport to northwestern Europe was assessed using the CALIPSO observations and our model results. The major dust plume was transported toward Mediterranean and European regions between 2 and 5 km above sea level (a.s.l.). This is confirmed by an average particle depolarization ratio equal to 30%. Due to transport, this layer split into two layers over northern Europe, and we analyzed in this paper possible mixing of the European pollution aerosol with dust particles in the lower layer. The simulations have shown that the lower dust layer has interacted with the anthropogenic aerosol mainly over Belgium and the Netherlands. The analyses of numerical simulation results show that mineral dust particles accumulated soluble material through internal mixing over the Netherlands. The value of the CCN<sub>0.2</sub> / CN ratio obtained over the Netherlands (~ 70%) is much greater than those observed over the Saharan region. In addition over the Netherlands, the CCN measurement reached 14 000 particles cm<sup>−3</sup> at 0.63% supersaturation level on 30 May. Our model results reveal that more than 70% of the CCN concentration observed on 30 May can be explained by the presence of Saharan aged dust. The study reveals that heterogeneous reactions with inorganic salts converted this Saharan mineral dust into compounds that were sufficiently soluble to impact hygroscopic growth and cloud droplet activation over the Netherlands.http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/15/3497/2015/acp-15-3497-2015.pdf
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author N. Bègue
P. Tulet
J. Pelon
B. Aouizerats
A. Berger
A. Schwarzenboeck
spellingShingle N. Bègue
P. Tulet
J. Pelon
B. Aouizerats
A. Berger
A. Schwarzenboeck
Aerosol processing and CCN formation of an intense Saharan dust plume during the EUCAARI 2008 campaign
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
author_facet N. Bègue
P. Tulet
J. Pelon
B. Aouizerats
A. Berger
A. Schwarzenboeck
author_sort N. Bègue
title Aerosol processing and CCN formation of an intense Saharan dust plume during the EUCAARI 2008 campaign
title_short Aerosol processing and CCN formation of an intense Saharan dust plume during the EUCAARI 2008 campaign
title_full Aerosol processing and CCN formation of an intense Saharan dust plume during the EUCAARI 2008 campaign
title_fullStr Aerosol processing and CCN formation of an intense Saharan dust plume during the EUCAARI 2008 campaign
title_full_unstemmed Aerosol processing and CCN formation of an intense Saharan dust plume during the EUCAARI 2008 campaign
title_sort aerosol processing and ccn formation of an intense saharan dust plume during the eucaari 2008 campaign
publisher Copernicus Publications
series Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
issn 1680-7316
1680-7324
publishDate 2015-03-01
description Atmospheric processing and CCN formation of Saharan dust is illustrated through the analysis of a case of dust transport over northern Europe. This spread of dust is investigated by combining satellite, airborne and ground-based observations and the non-hydrostatic meso-scale model Meso-NH. The altitude of the dust plume during its transport to northwestern Europe was assessed using the CALIPSO observations and our model results. The major dust plume was transported toward Mediterranean and European regions between 2 and 5 km above sea level (a.s.l.). This is confirmed by an average particle depolarization ratio equal to 30%. Due to transport, this layer split into two layers over northern Europe, and we analyzed in this paper possible mixing of the European pollution aerosol with dust particles in the lower layer. The simulations have shown that the lower dust layer has interacted with the anthropogenic aerosol mainly over Belgium and the Netherlands. The analyses of numerical simulation results show that mineral dust particles accumulated soluble material through internal mixing over the Netherlands. The value of the CCN<sub>0.2</sub> / CN ratio obtained over the Netherlands (~ 70%) is much greater than those observed over the Saharan region. In addition over the Netherlands, the CCN measurement reached 14 000 particles cm<sup>−3</sup> at 0.63% supersaturation level on 30 May. Our model results reveal that more than 70% of the CCN concentration observed on 30 May can be explained by the presence of Saharan aged dust. The study reveals that heterogeneous reactions with inorganic salts converted this Saharan mineral dust into compounds that were sufficiently soluble to impact hygroscopic growth and cloud droplet activation over the Netherlands.
url http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/15/3497/2015/acp-15-3497-2015.pdf
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