Airborne measurements of submicron aerosols across the coastline at Bhubaneswar during ICARB

Abstract

Airborne measurements of the number concentration and size distribution of aerosols from 13 to 700 nm diameter have been made at four vertical levels across a coastline at Bhubaneswar (20°25′N, 85°83′E) during the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB) programme conducted in March–April 2006. The measurements made during the constant-level flights at 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 km altitude levels extend ∼100 km over land and ∼150km over ocean. Aerosol number concentrations vary from 2200 to 4500 cm−3 at 0.5 km level but are almost constant at ∼ 6000 cm−3 and ∼ 800 cm−3 at 2 and 3 km levels, respectively. At 1km level, aerosol number concentration shows a peak of 18,070 cm−3 around the coastline. Most of the aerosol size distribution curves at 0.5 km and 1 km levels are monomodal with a maxima at 110nm diameter which shifts to 70 nm diameter at 2 and 3 km levels. However, at the peak at 1 km level, number concentration has a bimodal distribution with an additional maximum appearing in nucleation mode. It is proposed that this maxima in nucleation mode at 1 km level may be due to the formation and transport of new particles from coastal regions.