Examining the vertical heterogeneity of aerosols over the Southern Great Plains

作者：Yang Wang, Chanakya Bagya Ramesh, S. Giangrande, J. Fast, Xianda Gong, Jiaoshi Zhang, Ahmet Tolga Odabasi, Marcus Vinicius Batista Oliveira, A. Matthews, F. Mei, J. Shilling, J. Tomlinson, Dié Wang, Jian Wang · 发表于：Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.5194/acp-23-15671-2023 · 被引用次数：19

Abstract. Atmospheric aerosols affect the global energy budget by scattering and absorbing sunlight (direct effects) and by changing the microphysical structure, lifetime, and coverage of clouds (indirect effects). Both aerosol direct and indirect effects are affected by the vertical distribution of aerosols in the atmosphere, which is further influenced by a range of processes, such as aerosol dynamics, long-range transport, and entrainment. However, many observations of these processes are based on ground measurements, limiting our ability to understand the vertical distribution of aerosols and simulate their impact on clouds and climate. In this work, we examined the vertical heterogeneity of aerosols over the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) using data collected from the Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols and Land Ecosystems (HI-SCALE) campaign. The vertical profiles of meteorological and aerosol physiochemical properties up to 2500 m above are examined based on the 38 flights conducted during the HI-SCALE campaign. The aerosol properties over the SGP show strong vertical heterogeneity and seasonal variabilities. The aerosol concentrations at the surface are the highest due to strong emissions at ground level. In general, the mode diameter of aerosols during summer (∼ 100 nm) is larger than that during spring (∼ 30 nm), a result of enhanced condensational growth due to enriched volatile organic compounds in summer. The con...