Impact of Air Mass Conditions and Aerosol Properties on Ice Nucleating Particle Concentrations at the High Altitude Research Station Jungfraujoch

Lacher, Larissa; Steinbacher, Martin; Bukowiecki, Nicolas; Herrmann, Erik; Zipori, Assaf; Kanji, Zamin A.

doi:10.3390/atmos9090363

Cited by 28 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 85 publications

(79 reference statements)

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“…The reasons are two-fold; first the more active INP nucleate ice at warmer temperatures and are therefore removed earlier and lower in the 30 clouds (Stopelli et al, 2015) or second, due to the presence of INP in the boundary layer that are advected into the cloud due to orographic lifting or turbulence at the top of the boundary layer. Indeed, (Lacher et al, 2018b) saw an increase in INP concentrations during periods of boundary layer air at Jungfraujoch, albeit at much colder sampling conditions than measured in this study. In contrast to an altitude dependence observed at Fletschron and Pte.…”

Section: Altitude Dependencycontrasting

confidence: 47%

“…Field measurements of INPs in the Swiss Alps are largely bound to the high-altitude research station 35 Jungfraujoch (Boose et al, 2016;Chou et al, 2011;Conen et al, 2012Conen et al, , 2017Ehrman et al, 2001;Farrington et al, 2016;Hammer et al, 2018;Lacher et al, 2017Lacher et al, , 2018aLacher et al, , 2018bLloyd et al, 2015;Meola et al, 2015;Mertes et al, 2007;Nillius et al, 2013;Stopelli et al, 2016Stopelli et al, , 2017 due to its typical free tropospheric conditions. As such, measurements of INPs in the free troposphere at Jungfraujoch should be representative of INP concentrations globally.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ice nucleating particles measured in Swiss alpine snow samples are spatially, temporarily and chemically heterogeneous

Brennan

David

Borduas-Dedekind

2019

Preprint

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Ice nucleating particles (INPs) produce ice from supercooled water droplets through heterogeneous 10 freezing in the atmosphere. Since the concentration of ice crystals affects the radiative properties of clouds as well as precipitation, constraining the liquid water to ice ratio could help reduce aerosol-cloud interaction uncertainties. INPs have been collected at the Jungfraujoch research station (at 3500 m a.s.l.) in central Switzerland; yet spatially diverse data on INP occurrence in the Swiss Alps are scarce and remain uncharacterized. We address this scarcity through our Swiss Alpine snow sample study which 15 took place during the winter of 2018. We collected a total of 88 fallen snow samples across the Alps at different locations, altitudes, terrains, times since last snowfall and depths. The INP concentrations were measured using the homebuilt DRoplet Ice Nuclei Counter Zurich (DRINCZ) and were then compared to spatial, meteorological and physiochemical parameters. We also extend an alternative way of displaying frozen fraction (FF) versus temperature data through visualizing freezing temperatures as a 20boxplot to field collected samples. This plotting method displays the freezing temperature in one dimension, instead of the former two dimensions of FF vs temperature, allowing a condensed display of freezing temperature measurements. In the collected snow samples, large variability in INP occurrence was found, even for samples collected 10 m apart on a plain and 1 m apart in depth. Furthermore, undiluted samples had INP concentrations ranging between 1 and 100 INP ml -1 of snow water over a 25 temperature range of −5 to −19 C. From this field-collected data set, we parameterize the INP concentrations per milliliter of meltwater as a function of temperature with the following equation * ( ) = − . − . , comparing well with previously reported precipitation data presented in Petters and Wright, 2015. 30 When assuming a cloud water content of 0.4 g m -3 and a critical INP concentration for glaciation of 10 m -3 , the majority of the snow precipitated from clouds with glaciation temperatures between −5 and −20 °C. Based on the observed variability in INP concentrations, we conclude that studies conducted at the high-altitude research station Jungfraujoch are representative for INP measurements in the Swiss Alps. Furthermore, the INP concentration precipitation estimates allow us to extrapolate the 35 concentrations to a cloud frozen fraction. Indeed, this approach for estimating the liquid water to ice ratio in mixed phase clouds compares well with aircraft measurements, ground-based lidar and satellite retrievals of cloud frozen fractions. In all, the generated parameterization for INP concentrations in meltwater could help estimate cloud glaciation temperatures.

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Section: Altitude Dependencycontrasting

confidence: 47%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ice nucleating particles measured in Swiss alpine snow samples are spatially, temporarily and chemically heterogeneous

Brennan

David

Borduas-Dedekind

2019

Preprint

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“…The glaciation temperature of a cloud further depends on the supersaturation within the cloud and is highly sensitive to updraft velocity (Korolev et al, 2017;Korolev and Isaac, 2003;Korolev, 2008). As ice crystal concentrations in clouds can be several orders of magnitude higher than INP concentrations (Wex et al, 2010), secondary ice processes can play an important role in the evolution of supercooled clouds (Beck et al, 2018;Hallett and Mossop, 1974;Lauber et al, 2018;Mignani et al, 2019;Petters and Wright, 2015). However, the process of ice multiplication is not fully understood, with multiplication factors ranging from 1 to multiple orders of magnitude Wang, 2013).…”

Section: Atmospheric Implications For Mixed-phase Cloud Glaciationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial and temporal variability in the ice-nucleating ability of alpine snowmelt and extension to frozen cloud fraction

2020

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Abstract. Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) produce ice from supercooled water droplets through heterogeneous freezing in the atmosphere. INPs have often been collected at the Jungfraujoch research station (at 3500 m a.s.l.) in central Switzerland; yet spatially diverse data on INP occurrence in the Swiss Alps are scarce and remain uncharacterized. We address this scarcity through our Swiss alpine snow sample study which took place during the winter of 2018. We collected a total of 88 fallen snow samples across the Alps at 17 different locations and investigated the impact of altitude, terrain, time since last snowfall and depth upon freezing temperatures. The INP concentrations were measured using the home-built DRoplet Ice Nuclei Counter Zurich (DRINCZ) and were then compared to spatial, temporal and physicochemical parameters. Boxplots of the freezing temperatures showed large variability in INP occurrence, even for samples collected 10 m apart on a plain and 1 m apart in depth. Furthermore, undiluted samples had cumulative INP concentrations ranging between 1 and 200 INP mL−1 of snowmelt over a temperature range of −5 to −19 ∘C. From this field-collected dataset, we parameterized the cumulative INP concentrations per cubic meter of air as a function of temperature with the following equation cair*(T)=e-0.7T-7.05, comparing well with previously reported precipitation data presented in Petters and Wright (2015). When assuming (1) a snow precipitation origin of the INPs, (2) a cloud water content of 0.4 g m−3 and (3) a critical INP concentration for glaciation of 10 m−3, the majority of the snow precipitated from clouds with glaciation temperatures between −5 and −20 ∘C. Based on the observed variability in INP concentrations, we conclude that studies conducted at the high-altitude research station Jungfraujoch are representative for INP measurements in the Swiss Alps. Furthermore, the INP concentration estimates in precipitation allow us to extrapolate the concentrations to a frozen cloud fraction. Indeed, this approach for estimating the liquid water-to-ice ratio in mixed-phase clouds compares well with aircraft measurements, ground-based lidar and satellite retrievals of frozen cloud fractions. In all, the generated parameterization for INP concentrations in snowmelt could help estimate cloud glaciation temperatures.

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“…Following sample preparation, a sterile, single-use syringe was used to draw 0.25 mL of the suspension, and 100 drops were pipetted onto the petrolatum-coated copper disc, creating an array of ∼ 2.5 µL aliquots. Drops were visually inspected for size; however, it is possible not all drops were the same exact volume, which could lead to a small level of uncertainty (Hader et al, 2014;Bigg, 1953;Langham and Mason, 1958;Creamean et al, 2018b). The copper disc was then placed on a thermoelectric cold plate (Aldrich ® ) and covered with a transparent plastic dome.…”

Section: Ice Nucleation Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using freezing spectra characteristics to identify ice-nucleating particle populations during the winter in the Alps

et al. 2019

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Abstract. One of the least understood cloud processes is modulation of their microphysics by aerosols, specifically of cloud ice by ice-nucleating particles (INPs). To investigate INP impacts on cloud ice and subsequent precipitation formation, measurements in cloud environments are necessary but difficult given the logistical challenges associated with airborne measurements and separating interstitial aerosol from cloud residues. Additionally, determining the sources of INPs is important given the dependency of glaciation temperatures on the mineral or biological components and diversity of such INP populations. Here, we present results from a comparison of INP spectral characteristics in air, cloud rime, and fresh fallen snow at the High Altitude Research Station, Jungfraujoch. The goal of the study was twofold: (1) to assess variability in wintertime INP populations found in cloud based on wind and air mass direction during snowfall and (2) to evaluate possible INP sources between different sample types using a combination of cumulative INP (K(T)) and differential INP (k(T)) spectra. INP freezing temperatures and concentrations were consistently higher on average from the southeast as compared to the northwest for rime, snow, and especially aerosol samples, which is likely a result of air mass influence from predominantly boundary layer terrestrial and marine sources in southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and North Africa. For all three sample types combined, average onset freezing temperatures were −8.0 and −11.3 ∘C for southeasterly and northwesterly days, respectively, while K(T) were 3 to 20 times higher when winds arrived from the southeast. Southeasterly aerosol samples typically had a clear mode in the warm-temperature regime (i.e., ≥-15 ∘C) in the k(T) spectra – indicating a putative influence from biological sources – while the presence of a warm mode in the rime and snow varied. Evaluating K(T) concert with k(T) spectra exhibited variable modality and shape – depending on the types of INPs present – and may serve as a useful method for comparing different sampled substances and assessing the possible relative contributions of mixed mineral and biological versus only biological INP sample populations.

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Impact of Air Mass Conditions and Aerosol Properties on Ice Nucleating Particle Concentrations at the High Altitude Research Station Jungfraujoch

Cited by 28 publications

References 85 publications

Ice nucleating particles measured in Swiss alpine snow samples are spatially, temporarily and chemically heterogeneous

Ice nucleating particles measured in Swiss alpine snow samples are spatially, temporarily and chemically heterogeneous

Spatial and temporal variability in the ice-nucleating ability of alpine snowmelt and extension to frozen cloud fraction

Using freezing spectra characteristics to identify ice-nucleating particle populations during the winter in the Alps

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