Causes and importance of new particle formation in the present‐day and preindustrial atmospheres
University of Leeds · Goethe University Frankfurt · +20 more institutions
Abstract
Abstract New particle formation has been estimated to produce around half of cloud‐forming particles in the present‐day atmosphere, via gas‐to‐particle conversion. Here we assess the importance of new particle formation (NPF) for both the present‐day and the preindustrial atmospheres. We use a global aerosol model with parametrizations of NPF from previously published CLOUD chamber experiments involving sulfuric acid, ammonia, organic molecules, and ions. We find that NPF produces around 67% of cloud condensation nuclei at 0.2% supersaturation (CCN0.2%) at the level of low clouds in the preindustrial atmosphere (estimated uncertainty range 45–84%) and 54% in the present day (estimated uncertainty range…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 15.96
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 88
Authors
32- HGHamish GordonCorresponding
University of Leeds
- JKJ. Kirkby
Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, European Organization for Nuclear Research
- UBUrs Baltensperger
Paul Scherrer Institute
- FBFederico Bianchi
University of Helsinki, Helsinki Institute of Physics
- MBMartin Breitenlechner
Harvard University, Harvard University Press
Topics & keywords
- Supersaturation
- Cloud condensation nuclei
- Aerosol
- Atmospheric sciences
- Particle (ecology)
- Atmosphere (unit)
- Range (aeronautics)
- Condensation