Ice nucleating particles in the atmosphere : laboratory and field studies ...

• Main Author: Yun, Jingwei
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2021
• Subjects: Nunavut
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0401918; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0401918

Aerosol particles can indirectly affect climate by acting as ice nucleating particles (INPs). Although INPs are only a small subset of atmospheric particles, they can have a significant impact on the hydrological cycle and climate by initiating ice formation in clouds and by modifying the lifetime and optical properties of clouds. Nevertheless, the properties of atmospheric INPs are not yet fully understood. Two important types of atmospheric INPs are mineral dust and biological particles. This dissertation focuses on these two types of INPs. During atmospheric transport, mineral dust particles can acquire water-soluble coatings, such as coatings containing alkali metal nitrates, inorganic acids, and organic solutes. As a result, the effects of alkali metal nitrates, inorganic acids, polyols, and carboxylic acids on the ice nucleation properties of potassium-rich feldspar (K-feldspar), a type of mineral dust INP in the atmosphere, were examined. In addition, daily INP concentrations at Alert, Nunavut, a ...