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Particle Number Size Distribution of Wintertime Alpine Aerosols and Their Activation as Cloud Condensation Nuclei in the Guanzhong Plain, Northwest China
  • +10
  • Yukun Chen,
  • Xin Wang,
  • Wenting Dai,
  • Qiyuan Wang,
  • Xiao Guo,
  • Yali Liu,
  • Weining Qi,
  • Minxia Shen,
  • Yifan Zhang,
  • Lu Li,
  • Yue Cao,
  • Yueshe Wang,
  • Jianjun Li
Yukun Chen
Xi'an Jiaotong University
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Xin Wang
Xi'an Jiaotong University
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Wenting Dai
Institute of Earth Environment (CAS)
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Qiyuan Wang
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Xiao Guo
Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Science
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Yali Liu
Earth Environment Innovation Research Institute of Xi'an
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Weining Qi
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Minxia Shen
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Yifan Zhang
Earth Environment Innovation Research Institute of Xi'an
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Lu Li
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Yue Cao
Xi'an Institute for Innovative Earth Environment Research
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Yueshe Wang
Xi'an Jiaotong University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Jianjun Li
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Abstract

In this study, particle number size distribution (PNSD) and concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (NCCN) were observed at the summit of Mt. Hua during Dec. 16th 2020 - Jan. 23rd 2021. The concentration of nucleation mode particles with the growth ratio of 0.83 nm·h−1 erupted frequently from 13:00 to 18:00 local time due to the intense photochemistry. The explosive increase of the small diameter particles could not be activated into droplets, but they had the potential to adsorb or absorb the polluted gaseous to promote the growth conversion into CCN. In the growth process, relative humidity had reverse effect on diameter and concentration with temperature, while higher wind speed was beneficial for the removal of large particles. SO2 and NH3 had a synergistic effect in contributing to the increase of particle diameter and concentration for the relative larger diameter, but NH3 had inverse effect on the number concentration for the nucleation mode particles. Additionally, the influence of O3 on the distribution characteristics of particle may be regulated by temperature. The small k value that fitted by two-parameter power model suggested the larger or hygroscopic particles, while larger value for the ultrafine or hydrophobic particles. Hygroscopicity parameters (κ) showed a downward trend with the increase of supersaturation as the source direction of the air mass gradually shifted from northwest to southwest. By comparing the calculated and the measured NCCN, we inferred that the hygroscopicity parameter decreased from 0.22 to 0.13 with the supersaturation from 0.2 to 1.0% in Alpine region.