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https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2159
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2159
25 Jul 2024
 | 25 Jul 2024

Wind-driven Emission of Marine Ice Nucleating Particles in the Scripps Ocean-Atmosphere Research Simulator (SOARS)

Kathryn A. Moore, Thomas C. J. Hill, Samantha Greeney, Chamika K. Madawala, Raymond J. Leibensperger III, Christopher D. Cappa, M. Dale Stokes, Grant B. Deane, Christopher Lee, Alexei V. Tivanski, Kimberly A. Prather, and Paul J. DeMott

Abstract. Sea spray aerosol (SSA) represent one of the most abundant natural aerosol types, contributing significantly to global aerosol mass and aerosol optical depth, as well as to both the magnitude and uncertainty of aerosol radiative forcing. In addition to their direct effects, SSA can also serve as ice nucleating particles (INPs), which are required for the initiation of cloud glaciation at temperatures warmer than ∼-36 °C. This study presents initial results from the CHaracterizing Atmosphere-Ocean parameters in SOARS (CHAOS) mesocosm campaign, which was conducted in the new Scripps Ocean-Atmosphere Research Simulator (SOARS) wind-wave channel at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. SOARS allows for isolation of individual factors, such as wave height, wind speed, water temperature, or biological state, and can carefully vary them in a controlled manner. Here, we focus on the influence of wind speed on the emission of SSA and INPs. Unlike recent measurements from the Southern Ocean, real-time and offline INP observations during CHAOS exhibited opposite relationships with wind speed, which may be related to sampling inlet differences. Changes in the INP activated fraction, dominant INP particle morphology, and INP composition were seen to vary with wind. Seawater ice nucleating entity concentrations during CHAOS were stable over time, indicating changes in atmospheric INPs were driven by wind speed and wave-breaking mechanics rather than variations in seawater chemistry or biology. While specific emission mechanisms remain elusive, these observations may help explain some of the variability in INP concentration and composition that have been seen in ambient measurements.

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Journal article(s) based on this preprint

14 Mar 2025
Wind-driven emission of marine ice-nucleating particles in the Scripps Ocean-Atmosphere Research Simulator (SOARS)
Kathryn A. Moore, Thomas C. J. Hill, Chamika K. Madawala, Raymond J. Leibensperger III, Samantha Greeney, Christopher D. Cappa, M. Dale Stokes, Grant B. Deane, Christopher Lee, Alexei V. Tivanski, Kimberly A. Prather, and Paul J. DeMott
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3131–3159, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3131-2025,https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3131-2025, 2025
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The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.

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This article presents results from the first study in a new wind-wave channel at the Scripps...
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