New particle formation in the Svalbard region 2006-2015 ...

• Main Authors: Heintzenberg, Jost, Tunved, Peter, Galí, Martí, Leck, Caroline
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau : EGU 2017
• Subjects: aerosol formation; algorithm; concentration composition; haze; particle size; seasonal variation; size distribution; Arctic; Greenland; Spitsbergen; Svalbard; Svalbard and Jan Mayen; Mink enteritis virus; 550; Jan Mayen
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.34657/11099; https://oa.tib.eu/renate/handle/123456789/12065

Events of new particle formation (NPF) were analyzed in a 10-year data set of hourly particle size distributions recorded on Mt. Zeppelin, Spitsbergen, Svalbard. Three different types of NPF events were identified through objective search algorithms. The first and simplest algorithm utilizes short-term increases in particle concentrations below 25 nm (PCT (percentiles) events). The second one builds on the growth of the sub-50 nm diameter median (DGR (diameter growth) events) and is most closely related to the classical "banana type" of event. The third and most complex, multiple-size approach to identifying NPF events builds on a hypothesis suggesting the concurrent production of polymer gel particles at several sizes below ca. 60 nm (MEV (multisize growth) events). As a first and general conclusion, we can state that NPF events are a summer phenomenon and not related to Arctic haze, which is a late winter to early spring feature. The occurrence of NPF events appears to be somewhat sensitive to the ...