Measurement report: Ice nucleating particles active ≥ −15 °C in free tropospheric air over western Europe

Abstract

Abstract. Ice nucleating particles (INP) initiate ice formation in supercooled clouds, typically starting at a few km above ground. However, little is known about the concentration and composition of INP in the lower free troposphere (FT). Here, we analysed INP active at −10 °C (INP−10) and −15 °C (INP−15) collected during FT conditions at the high-altitude observatory Jungfraujoch. We relied on continuous radon measurements to distinguish FT conditions from those influenced by the planetary boundary layer. Median concentrations in the FT were 2.4 INP−10 m−3 and 9.8 INP−15 m−3, with a multiplicative standard deviation of 2.0 and 1.6, respectively. A majority of INP was deactivated after exposure to 60 °C, thus probably originated from certain epiphytic bacteria or fungi. Subsequent heating to 95 °C deactivated another 15 % to 20 % of the initial INP, likely other types of fungal INP that might be associated with soil organic matter or with decaying leaves. Very few INP−10 withstood heating to 95 °C, but on average 20 % of INP−15 in FT samples did so. This percentage doubled during Saharan dust intrusions, which had practically no influence on INP−10. Overall, the results suggest that aerosolised epiphytic microorganisms, or parts thereof, are responsible for the majority of primary ice formation in moderately supercooled clouds above western Europe.