Abstract
Ice nucleating particles active at −8 °C or warmer (INP−8) are produced by plants and by microorganisms living from and on them. Laboratory studies have shown that large numbers of INP−8 are produced by decaying leaves. At three widely dispersed locations in Northwestern Eurasia, we saw, from an analysis of PM10 filter samples, that seasonal median concentrations of INP−8 in the boundary layer doubled from summer to autumn. Concentrations of INP−8 increased in autumn soon after the normalized differential vegetation index had started to decrease. Whether the large-scale phenological event of leaf senescence and shedding in autumn has an impact on ice formation in clouds is a justified question.
Highlights
Ice nucleating particles active at −8 ◦ C or warmer (INP−8 ) are produced by a range of microorganisms
We know increasingly more about which organisms produce INP−8, we know very little about their impact on atmospheric concentrations of INP−8
INP−8 are emitted from vegetated landscapes to the atmosphere and concentrations of INP−8 seem to increase when leaves are shed in autumn (NDVI starts to decrease)
Summary
Ice nucleating particles active at −8 ◦ C or warmer (INP−8 ) are produced by a range of microorganisms. Pseudomonas syringae was the first such organism discovered [1]. At mixed-phase cloud height, P. syringae probably constitutes only a minor fraction of the total INP−8 population [4]. Several other potential contributors of INP−8 to the atmosphere are identified, including other bacteria, fungi, lichens, pollen, algae, and plankton (summarized by [5]). They produce macromolecules capable of remaining ice-nucleation active after cell death [6], or even when detached from the cell [7]. We know increasingly more about which organisms produce INP−8 , we know very little about their impact on atmospheric concentrations of INP−8
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