1Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
2Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
3Storm Peak Laboratory, Desert Research Institute, Steamboat Springs, CO, USA
4Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
Received: 17 Jun 2013 – Published in Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss.: 09 Jul 2013
Abstract. Measurements of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations, single particle composition and size distributions at a high-elevation research site from March 2011 are presented.
Revised: 29 Oct 2013 – Accepted: 01 Nov 2013 – Published: 09 Dec 2013
The temporal evolution of detailed single particle composition is compared with changes in CCN activation on four days, two of which include new particle formation and growth events. Sulfate-containing particles dominated the single particle composition by number; biomass burning particles, sea salt particles, and particles containing organic components were also present. CCN activation largely followed the behavior of the sulfate-containing particle types; biomass burning particle types also likely contained hygroscopic material that impacted CCN activation. Newly formed particles also may contribute to CCN activation at higher supersaturation conditions. Derived aerosol hygroscopicity parameters from the size distribution and CCN concentration measurements are within the range of previous reports of remote continental kappa values.
Citation: Friedman, B., Zelenyuk, A., Beranek, J., Kulkarni, G., Pekour, M., Gannet Hallar, A., McCubbin, I. B., Thornton, J. A., and Cziczo, D. J: Aerosol measurements at a high-elevation site: composition, size, and cloud condensation nuclei activity, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 11839-11851, doi:10.5194/acp-13-11839-2013, 2013.