HR: 1340h
AN: A13C-1376    [Abstracts]
TI: Sub-micron Aerosol Size Distributions in the Tropics: Implications for Stratospheric Aerosol Abundance
AU: * Wilson, J C
EM: jwilson@du.edu
AF: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Denver, 2390 s. York St, Denver, CO 80208-0177, United States
AU: Reeves, J M
EM: jreeves@du.edu
AF: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Denver, 2390 s. York St, Denver, CO 80208-0177, United States
AU: Lafleur, B G
EM: blafleur@du.edu
AF: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Denver, 2390 s. York St, Denver, CO 80208-0177, United States
AU: Bui, T P
EM: pbui@mail.arc.nasa.gov
AF: NASA Ames Research Center, MS 245-5, Moffett Field, CA 94035, United States
AU: Mahoney, M J
EM: michael.j.mahoney@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive M/S 246-101, Pasadena, CA 91109-8099, United States
AB: Dry aerosol size distributions in the diameter range from 4 to 1000 nm were measured in the NASA TC4 mission in Costa Rica in August 2007 from the NASA WB 57F to altitudes of approximately 18.3 km. Aerosol size distributions and profiles of integral parameters such as dry aerosol volume are compared with those measured from Costa Rica and Hawaii in the tropics in different seasons. Above the tropopause, the dry particles are assumed to be sulfuric acid, and the sulfuric acid mass loading is calculated and compared with the sulfuric acid mass loading in the mid and high latitude stratosphere. The scatter in the profile of dry aerosol volume below the tropopause is much greater than that above the tropopause, and the mixing ratio of sulfate aerosol mass increases with potential temperature above the tropopause. Stratospheric aerosol particles provide surface for heterogeneous chemistry important in determining the abundance of HOx, NOx and Clx in the stratosphere. These observations provide information on aerosol formation and transport in air entering the stratosphere in the tropics. Thus they contribute to our understanding of stratospheric aerosol abundance.
DE: 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801, 4906)
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting