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An Observational Case Study on the Influence of Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Dynamics on New Particle Formation

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Abstract

We analyze the influence of atmospheric boundary-layer development on new particle formation (NPF) during the morning transition. Continuous in-situ measurements of vertical profiles of temperature, humidity and aerosol number concentrations were quasi-continously measured near Melpitz, Germany, by unmanned aerial systems to investigate the potential connection between NPF and boundary-layer dynamics in the context of turbulence, temperature and humidity fluctuations. On 3 April 2014 high number concentrations of nucleation mode particles up to \(6.0 \times 10^4~\text {cm}^{-3}\) were observed in an inversion layer located about 450 m above ground level. The inversion layer exhibited a spatial temperature structure parameter \(C_T^2\) 15 times higher and a spatial humidity structure parameter \(C_q^2\) 5 times higher than in the remaining part of the vertical profile. The study provides hints that the inversion layer is responsible for creating favorable thermodynamic conditions for a NPF event. In addition, this layer showed a strong anti-correlation of humidity and temperature fluctuations. Using estimates of the turbulent mixing and dissipation rates, it is concluded that the downward transport of particles by convective mixing was also the reason of the sudden increase of nucleation mode particles measured on ground. This work supports the hypothesis that many of the NPF events that are frequently observed near the ground may, in fact, originate at elevated altitude, with newly formed particles subsequently being mixed down to the ground.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the UAS pilots Lutz Bretschneider and Markus Auer for flying ALADINA and MASC safely over Melpitz. We thank Achim Grüner for technical support during preparing and conducting the campaigns in Melpitz. Thanks also to Johannes Größ for providing the NAIS-data from Melpitz. We thank Joe Smith and Ralf Käthner for the ground-crew support. This work is supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (LA 2907/5-1, WI 1449/22-1, BA 1988/14-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zentrum für Angewandte Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, Hölderlinstr. 12, 72074, Tübingen, Germany

    Andreas Platis, Norman Wildmann & Jens Bange

  2. Leibniz-Institut für Troposphärenforschung e.V. (TROPOS), Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany

    Birgit Wehner, Markus Hermann & Wolfram Birmili

  3. Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Flugführung Institute of Flight Guidance, Hermann-Blenk-Str. 27, 38108, Braunschweig, Germany

    Barbara Altstädter & Astrid Lampert

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  1. Andreas Platis
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  2. Barbara Altstädter
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  3. Birgit Wehner
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  4. Norman Wildmann
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Correspondence to Andreas Platis.

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Platis, A., Altstädter, B., Wehner, B. et al. An Observational Case Study on the Influence of Atmospheric Boundary-Layer Dynamics on New Particle Formation. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 158, 67–92 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-015-0084-y

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