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A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Aerosols".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (23 December 2022) | Viewed by 9194

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Patricia K. Quinn

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Guest Editor

NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Regional Office, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Seattle, WA, USA
Interests: radiative effects of aerosols; effects of aerosol on air quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that Atmosphere is now compiling a collection of outstanding papers in the field of aerosol research. We welcome contributions from the aerosol research community as well as recommendations from Editorial Board Members.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to publish a set of insightful and influential papers composed of either original contributions or reviews. All papers in this Special Issue will be collected into a printed edition book.

Contributions from all fields of aerosol science are welcome including, but not limited to, observational and modelling studies related to atmospheric processing of aerosols, air quality and climate impacts, and new methodoligies.

Short proposals of Feature Papers may be sent to our Editorial Office (nataliia.jiao@mdpi.com) before submission.

Dr. Patricia K. Quinn
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

aerosols
air quality
climate
aerosol measurement techniques, instruments, and modeling
aerosol natural and anthropogenic sources
aerosol processing
secondary aerosol formation
aerosol removal
aerosol vertical and spatial distribution

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Impacts of a Prescribed Fire on Air Quality in Central New Mexico

Christian M. Carrico

and

Jaimy Karacaoglu

Atmosphere 2023, 14(2), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14020316 - 05 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 943

Abstract

A short-duration but high-impact air quality event occurred on 28 November 2018 along the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico. This fire occurred outside the typical wildfire season, and greatly impacted the air quality in Socorro, NM, and the surroundings. Measurements were taken during the event using an aerosol light scattering technique (integrating nephelometer) and a particulate mass concentration monitor (DustTrak PM optical monitor). The instruments sampled the ambient air during the event on the campus of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro, New Mexico. The peak values on a 5-min basis of light scattering and the PM mass concentration reached 470 Mm⁻¹ and 270 µg/m³, respectively. We examined the meteorological context of the event using local meteorological data and back trajectories using the NOAA HYSPLIT model to determine atmospheric transport and possible sources. Several fires, both prescribed and wildfires, occurred in the region including a prescribed burn at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (17 km south-southeast of the receptor site). The data suggest that the prescribed burn at Bosque del Apache was the dominant contributor due to transport evidence and the event’s narrow spatiotemporal extent. The increasing importance of restoring ecosystem function using prescribed fire in wildland fire management will likely lead to more frequent air quality impacts and sets up policy tradeoffs that require a balance between these public goals. This study examines the evidence of the effects of a prescribed fire in a protected wildland area impacting the air quality in a nearby populated area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Aerosol Research)

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Open AccessArticle

Vertical Distribution of Atmospheric Ice Nucleating Particles in Winter over Northwest China Based on Aircraft Observations

and

Atmosphere 2022, 13(9), 1447; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13091447 - 07 Sep 2022

Viewed by 923

Abstract

The concentration of ice nucleating particles (INPs) in the cloud layer affects cloud processes more importantly than at the ground level. To make up for deficiencies in the observation of the vertical distribution of INPs over different background regions of China, airborne sampling of INPs was carried out at the altitudes of 2000–5500 m over Turpan, Xinjiang, northwest China on 29 December 2019, and the samples were analyzed in a static vacuum water vapor diffusion chamber. The sources and relationships of the INPs with meteorological conditions and the variation of the concentrations of aerosol particles of different sizes were explored. The results indicate that the concentration of INPs varies from 0.25 to 15.7 L

^{- 1}

when the nucleation temperature changes from −17 to −26 °C and the relative humidity with respect to water (RH

_{w}

) varies from 95 to 105%. The existence of an inversion layer near the planetary boundary layer (PBL) inhibits the vertical transport of aerosols, thus affecting the vertical distribution of INP concentration. INPs in the free atmosphere mainly originate from fine-mode aerosol particles transported from long distances by westerly winds and do not change significantly with height. The air mass in the PBL is short-range transported, and the INP concentration reaches 15.7 L

^{- 1}

at T =−26 °C and RH

_{w}

= 105%, which is obviously higher than that above the PBL. The analyses provide evidence that the meteorological conditions played an important part in regulating the vertical distribution of INPs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Aerosol Research)

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Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

Aerosol Detection from the Cloud–Aerosol Transport System on the International Space Station: Algorithm Overview and Implications for Diurnal Sampling

and

Atmosphere 2022, 13(9), 1439; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13091439 - 06 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1308

Abstract

Concentrations of particulate aerosols and their vertical placement in the atmosphere determine their interaction with the Earth system and their impact on air quality. Space-based lidar, such as the Cloud–Aerosol Transport System (CATS) technology demonstration instrument, is well-suited for determining the vertical structure of these aerosols and their diurnal cycle. Through the implementation of aerosol-typing algorithms, vertical layers of aerosols are assigned a type, such as marine, dust, and smoke, and a corresponding extinction-to-backscatter (lidar) ratio. With updates to the previous aerosol-typing algorithms, we find that CATS, even as a technology demonstration, observed the documented seasonal cycle of aerosols, comparing favorably with the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) space-based lidar and the NASA Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) model reanalysis. By leveraging the unique orbit of the International Space Station, we find that CATS can additionally resolve the diurnal cycle of aerosol altitude as observed by ground-based instruments over the Maritime Continent of Southeast Asia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Aerosol Research)

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Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Propane Fueled Flames: A Significant Source of Brown Carbon

and

Atmosphere 2022, 13(8), 1270; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13081270 - 10 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1150

Abstract

In this study, we developed a framework for interpreting the in situ morphological properties of black carbon (BC, also referred to as “soot” due to combustion relevance) mixed with primary organic aerosol. Integration of the experiment considering primary organic aerosol (POA) evaporation from the soot particles was examined using a Differential mass–mobility analyzer (DMA) and showed the untold story of the mixing of BC and POA. We also hypothesize that morphological transformation of soots and determined such as (i) the evaporation of externally and internally mixed POA led to a decline in the particle number and size of monodisperse aerosol; (ii) presence of externally mixed BC was interpreted from the occurrence of two peaks of soot upon heating; (iii) heat-induced collapse of the BC core possibly resulted from the evaporation of material from the voids and effect of heat; (iv) volume equivalent to changes in the mobility diameter represented evaporation of POA from the surface and collapse upon heating. POA constituted a high fraction (20–40% by mass) of aerosol mass from these flames and was predominantly (i.e., 92–97% by mass) internally mixed with BC. POA was found to be highly light absorptive, i.e., an Ångström absorption exponent (AAE) value of (in general) >1.5 was estimated for BC + POA at 405/781 nm wavelengths. Interestingly, a much more highly absorptive POA [mass absorption cross-section (MAC)-5 m² g⁻¹] at 405 nm was discovered under a specific flame setting, which was comparable to MACs of BC particles (8–9 m² g⁻¹). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Aerosol Research)

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Open AccessArticle

A Spatio-Temporal Weighted Filling Method for Missing AOD Values

Rongfeng Gao

Xiaoping Rui

and

Jiakui Tang

Atmosphere 2022, 13(7), 1080; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13071080 - 08 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1181

Abstract

Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is a key parameter in defining the characteristics of atmospheric aerosols, evaluating atmospheric pollution, and studying aerosol radiative climate effects. However, a large amount of the AOD data obtained by satellite remote sensing are missing due to cloud cover and other factors. To obtain AOD data with continuous distribution in space, this study considers the spatial and temporal correlation of AOD and proposes a spatio-temporal weighted filling method based on a sliding window to supply the missing AOD data blocks. The method uses the semivariogram and autocorrelation function to judge the spatial and temporal correlation of AOD and uses the AOD spatial autocorrelation threshold as the sliding window size, and then it builds a spatio-temporal weighted model for each window to fill in the missing values. We selected the area with full values for simulation. The results show that the accuracy of this method has been significantly improved compared with the mean filling method. The

R^{2}

reaches 0.751, the

R M S E

is 0.021, and the filling effect is smoother. Finally, this method was used to fill in the missing values of the MultiAngle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) AOD in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region in 2019, and AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) AOD was used as the true value for testing. The results show that the filled AOD has a high correlation with AERONET AOD, the

R^{2}

is 0.785, and the

R M S E

is 0.120. A summary of the AOD values of the 13 cities in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region shows that the values in the first and third quarters are higher than those in the second and fourth quarters, with the highest AOD value in March and the second highest in August; among the 13 cities, the AOD values in Chengde and Zhangjiakou are lower than those in the other cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Aerosol Research)

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Open AccessArticle

Australian Bushfires (2019–2020): Aerosol Optical Properties and Radiative Forcing

Christina-Anna Papanikolaou

Panagiotis Kokkalis

Ourania Soupiona

Stavros Solomos

Alexandros Papayannis

and

Atmosphere 2022, 13(6), 867; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13060867 - 25 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1704

Abstract

In the present study, we present the aerosol optical properties and radiative forcing (RF) of the tropospheric and stratospheric smoke layers, observed by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite, during the extraordinary Australian biomass burning (BB) event in 2019–2020. These BB layers were studied and analyzed within the longitude range 140° E–20° W and the latitude band 20°–60° S, as they were gradually transported from the Australian banks to the South American continent. These layers were found to be trapped within the Andes circulation, staying for longer time periods in the same longitude region. The BB aerosols reached altitudes even up to 22 km amsl., and regarding their optical properties, they were found to be nearly spherical (particle linear depolarization ratio (PLDR) < 0.10) in the troposphere; while, in the stratosphere, they were more depolarizing with PLDR values reaching up to 0.20. Fine and ultrafine smoke particles were dominant in the stratosphere, according to the observed Ångström exponent, related to the backscatter coefficients obtained by the pair of wavelengths 532 and 1064 nm (Å_b up to 3), in contrast to the Å_b values in the troposphere (Å_b < 1) indicative of the presence of coarser particles. As the aerosols fend off the source, towards North America, a slightly descending trend was observed in the tropospheric Å_b values, while the stratospheric ones were lightly increased. A maximum aerosol optical depth (AOD) value of 0.54 was recorded in the lower troposphere over the fire spots, while, in the stratosphere, AOD values up to 0.29 were observed. Sharp changes of carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O₃) concentrations were also recorded by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) in various atmospheric heights over the study region, associated with fire smoke emissions. The tropospheric smoke layers were found to have a negative mean radiative effect, ranging from −12.83 W/m² at the top of the atmosphere (TOA), to −32.22 W/m² on the surface (SRF), while the radiative effect of the stratospheric smoke was estimated between −7.36 at the TOA to −18.51 W/m² at the SRF. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Aerosol Research)

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Open AccessArticle

Yearly Variations of Equivalent Black Carbon Concentrations Observed in Krakow, Poland

Anna Ryś

and

Lucyna Samek

Atmosphere 2022, 13(4), 539; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13040539 - 29 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1227

Abstract

The evaluation of the equivalent black carbon (eBC) concentration is very important, especially in environmental sciences. Light absorbing carbon (LAC), also presented as equivalent black carbon (eBC), is generated from the partial combustion of fossil fuels and biomass. The scientific interest in eBC is large because its contribution to the PM_2.5 fraction is high, especially in urban areas. This study presents yearly variations in eBC concentrations observed in Krakow, Poland. The transmissions of light at different wavelengths were measured by a multi-wavelength absorption black carbon instrument (MABI). Absorption coefficients and concentrations of eBC were calculated. Samples of the PM_2.5 fraction were collected from 1 February 2020 to 27 March 2021 every third day in Krakow, Poland. The concentrations of eBC from fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning were in the range of 0.82–11.64

{μ g m}^{- 3}

and 0.007–0.84

{μ g m}^{- 3}

, respectively. At the same time, PM_2.5 concentrations varied from 3.14 to 55.24

{μ g m}^{- 3}

. The eBC contribution was a significant part of PM_2.5 mass and we observed a seasonal variation in eBC concentrations during the year, with the peak in winter (5.3 ± 1.8 µg m⁻³). The contribution of BC from biomass burning to PM_2.5 mass was in the range of 4%–5% with the highest value for winter. The eBC concentration during workdays was 21% higher than during weekend days. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Aerosol Research)

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