New Particle Formation Events Can Reduce Cloud Droplets in Boundary Layer Clouds at the Continental Scale

Abstract New particle formation (NPF) substantially contributes to global cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), and their climate impacts. Individual NPF events are also thought to increase local CCN, cloud droplet number (CDN), and cloud albedo. High resolution simulations however go against the latter,...

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Main Authors: D. Patoulias, K. Florou, S. N. Pandis, A. Nenes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-01-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL106182
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author D. Patoulias
K. Florou
S. N. Pandis
A. Nenes
author_facet D. Patoulias
K. Florou
S. N. Pandis
A. Nenes
author_sort D. Patoulias
collection DOAJ
description Abstract New particle formation (NPF) substantially contributes to global cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), and their climate impacts. Individual NPF events are also thought to increase local CCN, cloud droplet number (CDN), and cloud albedo. High resolution simulations however go against the latter, showing that radiatively important stratiform clouds can experience a systematic and substantial decrease in CDN during and after NPF events. CDN drops because particles too small to act as CCN uptake condensable material, and stunt the growth of particles that would otherwise form droplets. Convective clouds however experience modest increases in CDN—consistent with established views on the NPF‐cloud link. Together, these results reshape our conceptual understanding of NPF impacts on clouds, as the newly discovered duality of responses would drive cloud systems in a fundamentally different manner than thought.
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institution Kabale University
issn 0094-8276
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language English
publishDate 2024-01-01
publisher Wiley
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-88c4f46976774d41bb60142de9ab72002025-08-20T03:52:32ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-01-01512n/an/a10.1029/2023GL106182New Particle Formation Events Can Reduce Cloud Droplets in Boundary Layer Clouds at the Continental ScaleD. Patoulias0K. Florou1S. N. Pandis2A. Nenes3Institute for Chemical Engineering Sciences Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas Patras GreeceInstitute for Chemical Engineering Sciences Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas Patras GreeceInstitute for Chemical Engineering Sciences Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas Patras GreeceInstitute for Chemical Engineering Sciences Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas Patras GreeceAbstract New particle formation (NPF) substantially contributes to global cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), and their climate impacts. Individual NPF events are also thought to increase local CCN, cloud droplet number (CDN), and cloud albedo. High resolution simulations however go against the latter, showing that radiatively important stratiform clouds can experience a systematic and substantial decrease in CDN during and after NPF events. CDN drops because particles too small to act as CCN uptake condensable material, and stunt the growth of particles that would otherwise form droplets. Convective clouds however experience modest increases in CDN—consistent with established views on the NPF‐cloud link. Together, these results reshape our conceptual understanding of NPF impacts on clouds, as the newly discovered duality of responses would drive cloud systems in a fundamentally different manner than thought.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL106182aerosolcloud dropletnew particle formationmodelingstratiform clouds
spellingShingle D. Patoulias
K. Florou
S. N. Pandis
A. Nenes
New Particle Formation Events Can Reduce Cloud Droplets in Boundary Layer Clouds at the Continental Scale
Geophysical Research Letters
aerosol
cloud droplet
new particle formation
modeling
stratiform clouds
title New Particle Formation Events Can Reduce Cloud Droplets in Boundary Layer Clouds at the Continental Scale
title_full New Particle Formation Events Can Reduce Cloud Droplets in Boundary Layer Clouds at the Continental Scale
title_fullStr New Particle Formation Events Can Reduce Cloud Droplets in Boundary Layer Clouds at the Continental Scale
title_full_unstemmed New Particle Formation Events Can Reduce Cloud Droplets in Boundary Layer Clouds at the Continental Scale
title_short New Particle Formation Events Can Reduce Cloud Droplets in Boundary Layer Clouds at the Continental Scale
title_sort new particle formation events can reduce cloud droplets in boundary layer clouds at the continental scale
topic aerosol
cloud droplet
new particle formation
modeling
stratiform clouds
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL106182
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AT snpandis newparticleformationeventscanreduceclouddropletsinboundarylayercloudsatthecontinentalscale
AT anenes newparticleformationeventscanreduceclouddropletsinboundarylayercloudsatthecontinentalscale