Abstract
Abstract. Aerosol particles were collected at various altitudes in the Arctic during the Polar Airborne Measurements and Arctic Regional Climate Model Simulation Project 2018 (PAMARCMiP 2018) conducted in the early spring of 2018. The composition, size, number fraction, and mixing state of individual aerosol particles were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and their sources and transport were evaluated by numerical model simulations. We found that sulfate, sea-salt, mineral-dust, K-bearing, and carbonaceous particles were the major aerosol constituents. Many particles were composed of two or more compositions that had coagulated and were coated with sulfate, organic materials, or both. The number fraction of mineral-dust and sea-salt particles decreased with increasing altitude. The K-bearing particles increased within a biomass burning (BB) plume at altitudes > 3900 m, which originated from Siberia. Chlorine in sea-salt particles was replaced with sulfate at high altitudes. These results suggest that the sources, transport, and aging of Arctic aerosols largely vary depending on the altitude and air-mass history. We also provide the occurrences of solid-particle inclusions (soot, fly-ash, and Fe-aggregate particles), some of which are light-absorbing particles. They were mainly emitted from anthropogenic and biomass burning sources and were embedded within other relatively large host particles. Our TEM measurements revealed the detailed mixing state of individual particles at various altitudes in the Arctic. This information facilitates the accurate evaluation of the aerosol influences on Arctic haze, radiation balance, cloud formation, and snow/ice albedo when deposited.
Highlights
The Arctic is sensitive to climate change
Based on the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations and model simulations, we found that the above Kbearing particle-rich samples were collected from air masses influenced by biomass burning (BB), and we denoted them as BB samples
This study reveals that the aerosol particles in the Arctic troposphere exhibit various composition, shape, and mixing state depending on the sampling altitude and air-mass history
Summary
The Arctic is sensitive to climate change. The surface air temperature in this region is rising more rapidly than the global average, resulting in decreases in seasonal sea ice coverage and thickness (Stroeve et al, 2012). Aerosol particles are an important factor influencing the Arctic climate (Abbatt et al, 2019). They scatter and absorb solar radiation and affect cloud formation. Light-absorbing aerosol particles decrease the snow albedo when deposited on snow surfaces (Hansen and Nazarenko et al, 2004). Understanding their chemical and physical properties, such as size, abundance, composition, and mixing state, is required to accurately evaluate the influence of aerosol particles on the climate in this region
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