scholarly journals Incomplete sulfate aerosol neutralization despite excess ammonia in the eastern US: a possible role of organic aerosol

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel F. Silvern ◽  
Daniel J. Jacob ◽  
Patrick S. Kim ◽  
Eloise A. Marais ◽  
Jay R. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Wet Deposition ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Sulfate Aerosol ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
So2 Emissions ◽  
Mass Transfer Limitation ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Aircraft Observations ◽  
Southeast Us

Abstract. Acid-base neutralization of sulfate aerosol (S(VI) ≡ H2SO4(aq) + HSO4− + SO42−) by ammonia (NH3) has important implications for aerosol mass, hygroscopicity, and acidity. Surface network and aircraft observations across the eastern US show that sulfate aerosol is not fully neutralized even in the presence of excess ammonia, at odds with thermodynamic equilibrium models. The sulfate aerosol neutralization ratio (f = [NH4+]/2[S(VI)]) averages only 0.51 ± 0.11 mol mol−1 at sites in the Southeast and 0.78 ± 0.13 mol mol−1 in the Northeast in summer 2013, even though ammonia is in large excess as shown by the corresponding [NH4+]/2[S(VI)] ratio in wet deposition fluxes. There is in fact no site-to-site correlation between the two quantities; the aerosol neutralization ratio in the Southeast remains in a range 0.3–0.6 mol mol−1 even as the wet deposition neutralization ratio exceeds 3 mol mol−1. While the wet deposition neutralization ratio has increased by 4.6 % a−1 from 2003 to 2013 in the Southeast US, consistent with SO2 emission controls, the aerosol neutralization ratio has decreased by 1.0–3.2 % a−1. Thus the aerosol is becoming more acidic even as SO2 emissions decrease. One possible explanation is that sulfate particles are increasingly coated by organic material, retarding the uptake of ammonia. The ratio of organic aerosol (OA) to sulfate increases over the 2003–2013 period as sulfate decreases. We implement a kinetic mass transfer limitation for ammonia uptake to sulfate aerosols in the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model and find improved agreement with surface and aircraft observations of the aerosol neutralization ratio. If sulfate aerosol becomes more acidic as OA/sulfate ratios increase, then controlling SO2 emissions to decrease sulfate aerosol will not have the co-benefit of suppressing acid-catalyzed secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation.

scholarly journals Inconsistency of ammonium–sulfate aerosol ratios with thermodynamic models in the eastern US: a possible role of organic aerosol

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 5107-5118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel F. Silvern ◽  
Daniel J. Jacob ◽  
Patrick S. Kim ◽  
Eloise A. Marais ◽  
Jay R. Turner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Ammonium Sulfate ◽  
Wet Deposition ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Sulfate Aerosol ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
Thermodynamic Models ◽  
So2 Emissions ◽  
Mass Transfer Limitation

Abstract. Thermodynamic models predict that sulfate aerosol (S(VI)  ≡  H2SO4(aq) + HSO4−+ SO42−) should take up available ammonia (NH3) quantitatively as ammonium (NH4+) until the ammonium sulfate stoichiometry (NH4)2SO4 is close to being reached. This uptake of ammonia has important implications for aerosol mass, hygroscopicity, and acidity. When ammonia is in excess, the ammonium–sulfate aerosol ratio R =  [NH4+] ∕ [S(VI)] should approach 2, with excess ammonia remaining in the gas phase. When ammonia is in deficit, it should be fully taken up by the aerosol as ammonium and no significant ammonia should remain in the gas phase. Here we report that sulfate aerosol in the eastern US in summer has a low ammonium–sulfate ratio despite excess ammonia, and we show that this is at odds with thermodynamic models. The ammonium–sulfate ratio averages only 1.04 ± 0.21 mol mol−1 in the Southeast, even though ammonia is in large excess, as shown by the ammonium–sulfate ratio in wet deposition and by the presence of gas-phase ammonia. It further appears that the ammonium–sulfate aerosol ratio is insensitive to the supply of ammonia, remaining low even as the wet deposition ratio exceeds 6 mol mol−1. While the ammonium–sulfate ratio in wet deposition has increased by 5.8 % yr−1 from 2003 to 2013 in the Southeast, consistent with SO2 emission controls, the ammonium–sulfate aerosol ratio decreased by 1.4–3.0 % yr−1. Thus, the aerosol is becoming more acidic even as SO2 emissions decrease and ammonia emissions stay constant; this is incompatible with simple sulfate–ammonium thermodynamics. A tentative explanation is that sulfate particles are increasingly coated by organic material, retarding the uptake of ammonia. Indeed, the ratio of organic aerosol (OA) to sulfate in the Southeast increased from 1.1 to 2.4 g g−1 over the 2003–2013 period as sulfate decreased. We implement a simple kinetic mass transfer limitation for ammonia uptake to sulfate aerosols in the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model and find that we can reproduce both the observed ammonium–sulfate aerosol ratios and the concurrent presence of gas-phase ammonia. If sulfate aerosol becomes more acidic as OA ∕ sulfate ratios increase, then controlling SO2 emissions to decrease sulfate aerosol will not have the co-benefit of suppressing acid-catalyzed secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation.

scholarly journals Sources, seasonality, and trends of Southeast US aerosol: an integrated analysis of surface, aircraft, and satellite observations with the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (13) ◽  
pp. 17651-17709
Author(s):  
P. S. Kim ◽  
D. J. Jacob ◽  
J. A. Fisher ◽  
K. Travis ◽  
K. Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Profile ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Chemical Transport ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Aerosol Extinction ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Southeast Us

Abstract. We use an ensemble of surface (EPA CSN, IMPROVE, SEARCH, AERONET), aircraft (SEAC4RS), and satellite (MODIS, MISR) observations over the Southeast US during the summer-fall of 2013 to better understand aerosol sources in the region and the relationship between surface particulate matter (PM) and aerosol optical depth (AOD). The GEOS-Chem global chemical transport model (CTM) with 25 km × 25 km resolution over North America is used as a common platform to interpret measurements of different aerosol variables made at different times and locations. Sulfate and organic aerosol (OA) are the main contributors to surface PM2.5 (mass concentration of PM finer than 2.5 μm aerodynamic diameter) and AOD over the Southeast US. GEOS-Chem simulation of sulfate requires a missing oxidant, taken here to be stabilized Criegee intermediates, but which could alternatively reflect an unaccounted for heterogeneous process. Biogenic isoprene and monoterpenes account for 60 % of OA, anthropogenic sources for 30 %, and open fires for 10 %. 60 % of total aerosol mass is in the mixed layer below 1.5 km, 20 % in the cloud convective layer at 1.5–3 km, and 20 % in the free troposphere above 3 km. This vertical profile is well captured by GEOS-Chem, arguing against a high-altitude source of OA. The extent of sulfate neutralization (f = [NH4+]/(2[SO42−] + [NO3−])) is only 0.5–0.7 mol mol−1 in the observations, despite an excess of ammonia present, which could reflect suppression of ammonia uptake by organic aerosol. This would explain the long-term decline of ammonium aerosol in the Southeast US, paralleling that of sulfate. The vertical profile of aerosol extinction over the Southeast US follows closely that of aerosol mass. GEOS-Chem reproduces observed total column aerosol mass over the Southeast US within 6 %, column aerosol extinction within 16 %, and space-based AOD within 21 %. The large AOD decline observed from summer to winter is driven by sharp declines in both sulfate and OA from August to October. These declines are due to shutdowns in both biogenic emissions and UV-driven photochemistry. Surface PM2.5 shows far less summer-to-winter decrease than AOD due to the offsetting effect of weaker boundary layer ventilation. The SEAC4RS aircraft data demonstrate that AODs measured from space are fundamentally consistent with surface PM2.5. This implies that satellites can be used reliably to infer surface PM2.5 over monthly timescales if a good CTM representation of the aerosol vertical profile is available.

scholarly journals Observing atmospheric formaldehyde (HCHO) from space: validation and intercomparison of six retrievals from four satellites (OMI, GOME2A, GOME2B, OMPS) with SEAC<sup>4</sup>RS aircraft observations over the Southeast US

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Zhu ◽  
Daniel J. Jacob ◽  
Patrick S. Kim ◽  
Jenny A. Fisher ◽  
Karen Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transport Model ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
Shape Factors ◽  
Aircraft Observations ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Satellite Retrievals ◽  
Mass Factor ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Southeast Us

Abstract. Formaldehyde (HCHO) column data from satellites are widely used as a proxy for emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but validation of the data has been extremely limited. Here we use highly accurate HCHO aircraft observations from the NASA SEAC4RS campaign over the Southeast US in August–September 2013 to validate and intercompare six operational and research retrievals of HCHO columns from four different satellite instruments (OMI, GOME2A, GOME2B and OMPS) and three different research groups. The GEOS-Chem chemical transport model provides a common intercomparison platform. We find that all retrievals capture the HCHO maximum over Arkansas and Louisiana, reflecting high emissions of biogenic isoprene, and are consistent in their spatial variability over the Southeast US (r = 0.4–0.8 on a 0.5° × 0.5° grid) as well as their day-to-day variability (r = 0.5–0.8). However, all satellite retrievals are biased low in the mean by 20–51 %, which would lead to corresponding bias in estimates of isoprene emissions from the satellite data. The smallest bias is for OMI-BIRA, which has the highest corrected slant columns and the lowest scattering weights in its air mass factor (AMF) calculation. Correcting the assumed HCHO vertical profiles (shape factors) used in the AMF calculation would further reduce the bias in the OMI-BIRA data. We conclude that current satellite HCHO data provide a reliable proxy for isoprene emission variability but with a low mean bias due both to the corrected slant columns and the scattering weights used in the retrievals.

scholarly journals Characterization of a real-time tracer for isoprene epoxydiols-derived secondary organic aerosol (IEPOX-SOA) from aerosol mass spectrometer measurements

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (20) ◽  
pp. 11807-11833 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. W. Hu ◽  
P. Campuzano-Jost ◽  
B. B. Palm ◽  
D. A. Day ◽  
A. M. Ortega ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Oxidation Products ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
Aerosol Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Multiple Field

Abstract. Substantial amounts of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) can be formed from isoprene epoxydiols (IEPOX), which are oxidation products of isoprene mainly under low-NO conditions. Total IEPOX-SOA, which may include SOA formed from other parallel isoprene oxidation pathways, was quantified by applying positive matrix factorization (PMF) to aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) measurements. The IEPOX-SOA fractions of organic aerosol (OA) in multiple field studies across several continents are summarized here and show consistent patterns with the concentration of gas-phase IEPOX simulated by the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model. During the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS), 78 % of PMF-resolved IEPOX-SOA is accounted by the measured IEPOX-SOA molecular tracers (2-methyltetrols, C5-Triols, and IEPOX-derived organosulfate and its dimers), making it the highest level of molecular identification of an ambient SOA component to our knowledge. An enhanced signal at C5H6O+ (m/z 82) is found in PMF-resolved IEPOX-SOA spectra. To investigate the suitability of this ion as a tracer for IEPOX-SOA, we examine fC5H6O (fC5H6O= C5H6O+/OA) across multiple field, chamber, and source data sets. A background of ~ 1.7 ± 0.1 ‰ (‰ = parts per thousand) is observed in studies strongly influenced by urban, biomass-burning, and other anthropogenic primary organic aerosol (POA). Higher background values of 3.1 ± 0.6 ‰ are found in studies strongly influenced by monoterpene emissions. The average laboratory monoterpene SOA value (5.5 ± 2.0 ‰) is 4 times lower than the average for IEPOX-SOA (22 ± 7 ‰), which leaves some room to separate both contributions to OA. Locations strongly influenced by isoprene emissions under low-NO levels had higher fC5H6O (~ 6.5 ± 2.2 ‰ on average) than other sites, consistent with the expected IEPOX-SOA formation in those studies. fC5H6O in IEPOX-SOA is always elevated (12–40 ‰) but varies substantially between locations, which is shown to reflect large variations in its detailed molecular composition. The low fC5H6O (< 3 ‰) reported in non-IEPOX-derived isoprene-SOA from chamber studies indicates that this tracer ion is specifically enhanced from IEPOX-SOA, and is not a tracer for all SOA from isoprene. We introduce a graphical diagnostic to study the presence and aging of IEPOX-SOA as a triangle plot of fCO2 vs. fC5H6O. Finally, we develop a simplified method to estimate ambient IEPOX-SOA mass concentrations, which is shown to perform well compared to the full PMF method. The uncertainty of the tracer method is up to a factor of ~ 2, if the fC5H6O of the local IEPOX-SOA is not available. When only unit mass-resolution data are available, as with the aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ACSM), all methods may perform less well because of increased interferences from other ions at m/z 82. This study clarifies the strengths and limitations of the different AMS methods for detection of IEPOX-SOA and will enable improved characterization of this OA component.

scholarly journals Long-term observational constraints of organic aerosol dependence on inorganic species in the southeast US

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiqi Zheng ◽  
Joel A. Thornton ◽  
Nga Lee Ng ◽  
Hansen Cao ◽  
Daven K. Henze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
Anthropogenic Pollutants ◽  
Aerosol Acidity ◽  
Inorganic Species ◽  
Southeast Us

Abstract. Organic aerosol (OA), with a large biogenic fraction in summertime southeast US, adversely impacts on air quality and human health. Stringent air quality controls have recently reduced anthropogenic pollutants including sulfate, whose impact on OA remains unclear. Three filter measurement networks provide long-term constraints on the sensitivity of OA to changes in inorganic species, including sulfate and ammonia. The 2000–2013 summertime OA decreases by 1.7~1.9 %/year with little month-to-month variability, while sulfate declines rapidly with significant monthly difference in early 2000s. In contrast, modeled OA from a chemical-transport model (GEOS-Chem) decreases by 4.9 %/year with much larger month-to-month variability, largely due to the predominant role of acid-catalyzed reactive uptake of epoxydiols (IEPOX) onto sulfate. The overestimated modeled OA dependence on sulfate can be improved by implementing a coating effect and assuming constant aerosol acidity, suggesting the needs to revisit IEPOX reactive uptake in current models. Our work highlights the importance of secondary OA formation pathways that are weakly dependent on inorganic aerosol in a region that is heavily influenced by both biogenic and anthropogenic emissions.

scholarly journals Simulation of the chemical evolution of biomass burning organic aerosol

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 5403-5415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgia N. Theodoritsi ◽  
Spyros N. Pandis
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Oxidation Products ◽  
Winter Period ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
Wood Combustion ◽  
Aerosol Mass ◽  
Photochemical Aging

Abstract. The chemical transport model PMCAMx was extended to investigate the effects of partitioning and photochemical aging of biomass burning emissions on organic aerosol (OA) concentrations. A source-resolved version of the model, PMCAMx-SR, was developed in which biomass burning emissions and their oxidation products are represented separately from the other OA components. The volatility distribution and chemical aging of biomass burning OA (BBOA) were simulated based on recent laboratory measurements. PMCAMx-SR was applied to Europe during an early summer period (1–29 May 2008) and a winter period (25 February–22 March 2009). During the early summer, the contribution of biomass burning (both primary and secondary species) to total OA levels over continental Europe was estimated to be approximately 16 %. During winter the contribution was nearly 47 %, due to both extensive residential wood combustion but also wildfires in Portugal and Spain. The intermediate volatility compounds (IVOCs) with effective saturation concentration values of 105 and 106 µg m−3 are predicted to contribute around one third of the BBOA during the summer and 15 % during the winter by forming secondary OA (SOA). The uncertain emissions of these compounds and their SOA formation potential require additional attention. Evaluation of PMCAMx-SR predictions against aerosol mass spectrometer measurements in several sites around Europe suggests reasonably good performance for OA (fractional bias less than 35 % and fractional error less than 50 %). The performance was weaker during the winter suggesting uncertainties in residential heating emissions and the simulation of the resulting BBOA in this season.

scholarly journals Sources and production of organic aerosol in Mexico City: insights from the combination of a chemical transport model (PMCAMx-2008) and measurements during MILAGRO

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 5153-5168 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. Tsimpidi ◽  
V. A. Karydis ◽  
M. Zavala ◽  
W. Lei ◽  
N. Bei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mexico City ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Chemical Transport ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Basis Set ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
Aerosol Mass

Abstract. Urban areas are large sources of organic aerosols and their precursors. Nevertheless, the contributions of primary (POA) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) to the observed particulate matter levels have been difficult to quantify. In this study the three-dimensional chemical transport model PMCAMx-2008 is used to investigate the temporal and geographic variability of organic aerosol in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) during the MILAGRO campaign that took place in the spring of 2006. The organic module of PMCAMx-2008 includes the recently developed volatility basis-set framework in which both primary and secondary organic components are assumed to be semi-volatile and photochemically reactive and are distributed in logarithmically spaced volatility bins. The MCMA emission inventory is modified and the POA emissions are distributed by volatility based on dilution experiments. The model predictions are compared with observations from four different types of sites, an urban (T0), a suburban (T1), a rural (T2), and an elevated site in Pico de Tres Padres (PTP). The performance of the model in reproducing organic mass concentrations in these sites is encouraging. The average predicted PM1 organic aerosol (OA) concentration in T0, T1, and T2 is 18 μg m−3, 11.7 μg m−3, and 10.5 μg m−3 respectively, while the corresponding measured values are 17.2 μg m−3, 11 μg m−3, and 9 μg m−3. The average predicted locally-emitted primary OA concentrations, 4.4 μg m−3 at T0, 1.2 μg m−3 at T1 and 1.7 μg m−3 at PTP, are in reasonably good agreement with the corresponding PMF analysis estimates based on the Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) observations of 4.5, 1.3, and 2.9 μg m−3 respectively. The model reproduces reasonably well the average oxygenated OA (OOA) levels in T0 (7.5 μg m−3 predicted versus 7.5 μg m−3 measured), in T1 (6.3 μg m−3 predicted versus 4.6 μg m−3 measured) and in PTP (6.6 μg m−3 predicted versus 5.9 μg m−3 measured). The rest of the OA mass (6.1 μg m−3 and 4.2 μg m−3 in T0 and T1 respectively) is assumed to originate from biomass burning activities and is introduced to the model as part of the boundary conditions. Inside Mexico City (at T0), the locally-produced OA is predicted to be on average 60 % locally-emitted primary (POA), 6 % semi-volatile (S-SOA) and intermediate volatile (I-SOA) organic aerosol, and 34 % traditional SOA from the oxidation of VOCs (V-SOA). The average contributions of the OA components to the locally-produced OA for the entire modelling domain are predicted to be 32 % POA, 10 % S-SOA and I-SOA, and 58 % V-SOA. The long range transport from biomass burning activities and other sources in Mexico is predicted to contribute on average almost as much as the local sources during the MILAGRO period.

scholarly journals A global perspective on aerosol from low-volatility organic compounds

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 4377-4401 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. O. T. Pye ◽  
J. H. Seinfeld
Keyword(s):  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Wet Deposition ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
Global Estimate ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Primary Emissions ◽  
Aerosol Source

Abstract. Global production of organic aerosol from primary emissions of semivolatile (SVOCs) and intermediate (IVOCs) volatility organic compounds is estimated using the global chemical transport model, GEOS-Chem. SVOC oxidation is predicted to be a larger global source of net aerosol production than oxidation of traditional parent hydrocarbons (terpenes, isoprene, and aromatics). Using a prescribed rate constant and reduction in volatility for atmospheric oxidation, the yield of aerosol from SVOCs is predicted to be about 75% on a global, annually-averaged basis. For IVOCs, the use of a naphthalene-like surrogate with different high-NOx and low-NOx parameterizations produces a global aerosol yield of about 30%, or roughly 5 Tg/yr of aerosol. Estimates of the total global organic aerosol source presented here range between 60 and 100 Tg/yr. This range reflects uncertainty in the parameters for SVOC volatility, SVOC oxidation, SVOC emissions, and IVOC emissions, as well as wet deposition. The highest estimates result if SVOC emissions are significantly underestimated (by more than a factor of 2) or if wet deposition of the gas-phase semivolatile species is less effective than previous estimates. A significant increase in SVOC emissions, a reduction of the volatility of the SVOC emissions, or an increase in the enthalpy of vaporization of the organic aerosol all lead to an appreciable reduction of prediction/measurement discrepancy. In addition, if current primary organic aerosol (POA) inventories capture only about one-half of the SVOC emission and the Henrys Law coefficient for oxidized semivolatiles is on the order of 103 M/atm, a global estimate of OA production is not inconsistent with the top-down estimate of 140 Tg/yr by (Goldstein and Galbally, 2007). Additional information is needed to constrain the emissions and treatment of SVOCs and IVOCs, which have traditionally not been included in models.

scholarly journals Characterization of a large biogenic secondary organic aerosol event from eastern Canadian forests

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 2825-2845 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Slowik ◽  
C. Stroud ◽  
J. W. Bottenheim ◽  
P. C. Brickell ◽  
R. Y.-W. Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Cloud Condensation Nuclei ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Chemical Mechanism ◽  
Rural Site ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
Aerosol Composition ◽  
Aerosol Mass

Abstract. Measurements of aerosol composition, volatile organic compounds, and CO are used to determine biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) concentrations at a rural site 70 km north of Toronto. These biogenic SOA levels are many times higher than past observations and occur during a period of increasing temperatures and outflow from Northern Ontario and Quebec forests in early summer. A regional chemical transport model approximately predicts the event timing and accurately predicts the aerosol loading, identifying the precursors as monoterpene emissions from the coniferous forest. The agreement between the measured and modeled biogenic aerosol concentrations contrasts with model underpredictions for polluted regions. Correlations of the oxygenated organic aerosol mass with tracers such as CO support a secondary aerosol source and distinguish biogenic, pollution, and biomass burning periods during the field campaign. Using the Master Chemical Mechanism, it is shown that the levels of CO observed during the biogenic event are consistent with a photochemical source arising from monoterpene oxidation. The biogenic aerosol mass correlates with satellite measurements of regional aerosol optical depth, indicating that the event extends across the eastern Canadian forest. This regional event correlates with increased temperatures, indicating that temperature-dependent forest emissions can significantly affect climate through enhanced direct optical scattering and higher cloud condensation nuclei numbers.

scholarly journals A simplified parameterization of isoprene-epoxydiol-derived secondary organic aerosol (IEPOX-SOA) for global chemistry and climate models: a case study with GEOS-Chem v11-02-rc

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2983-3000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duseong S. Jo ◽  
Alma Hodzic ◽  
Louisa K. Emmons ◽  
Eloise A. Marais ◽  
Zhe Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Models ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Basis Set ◽  
Chemical Transport Model ◽  
Computationally Efficient ◽  
So2 Emissions ◽  
Emission Changes

Abstract. Secondary organic aerosol derived from isoprene epoxydiols (IEPOX-SOA) is thought to contribute the dominant fraction of total isoprene SOA, but the current volatility-based lumped SOA parameterizations are not appropriate to represent the reactive uptake of IEPOX onto acidified aerosols. A full explicit modeling of this chemistry is however computationally expensive owing to the many species and reactions tracked, which makes it difficult to include it in chemistry–climate models for long-term studies. Here we present three simplified parameterizations (version 1.0) for IEPOX-SOA simulation, based on an approximate analytical/fitting solution of the IEPOX-SOA yield and formation timescale. The yield and timescale can then be directly calculated using the global model fields of oxidants, NO, aerosol pH and other key properties, and dry deposition rates. The advantage of the proposed parameterizations is that they do not require the simulation of the intermediates while retaining the key physicochemical dependencies. We have implemented the new parameterizations into the GEOS-Chem v11-02-rc chemical transport model, which has two empirical treatments for isoprene SOA (the volatility-basis-set, VBS, approach and a fixed 3 % yield parameterization), and compared all of them to the case with detailed fully explicit chemistry. The best parameterization (PAR3) captures the global tropospheric burden of IEPOX-SOA and its spatiotemporal distribution (R2=0.94) vs. those simulated by the full chemistry, while being more computationally efficient (∼5 times faster), and accurately captures the response to changes in NOx and SO2 emissions. On the other hand, the constant 3 % yield that is now the default in GEOS-Chem deviates strongly (R2=0.66), as does the VBS (R2=0.47, 49 % underestimation), with neither parameterization capturing the response to emission changes. With the advent of new mass spectrometry instrumentation, many detailed SOA mechanisms are being developed, which will challenge global and especially climate models with their computational cost. The methods developed in this study can be applied to other SOA pathways, which can allow including accurate SOA simulations in climate and global modeling studies in the future.

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