Cloud condensation nuclei production associated with atmospheric nucleation: a synthesis based on existing literature and new results

By V. Kerminen, M. Paramonov, T. Anttila, I. Riipinen, C. Fountoukis, H. Korhonen, E. Asmi, Lauri Laakso, Heikki Lihavainen, E. Swietlicki and 5 more. 2012

314 citations recorded by the source corpus.

This paper synthesizes the available scientific information connecting atmospheric nucleation with subsequent cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) formation. We review both observations and model studies related to this topic, and discuss the potential climatic implications. We conclude that CCN production associated with atmospheric nucleation is both frequent and widespread phenomenon in many types of continental boundary layers, and probably also over a large fraction of the free troposphere. The contribution of nucleation to the global CCN budget spans a relatively large uncertainty range, which, together with our poor understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions, results in major uncertainties in the radiative forcing by atmospheric aerosols. In order to better quantify the role of atmospheric nucleation in CCN formation and Earth System behavior, more information is needed on (i) the factors controlling atmospheric CCN production and (ii) the properties of both primary and secondary CCN and their interconnections. In future investigations, more emphasis should be put on combining field measurements with regional and large-scale model studies.

Subfields: Atmospheric Science, Global and Planetary Change

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/5a79f095e54b0f318bc6f49c10fc983361738ce6

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Atmospheric Science

1. Markku Kulmala
2. K. Carslaw
3. Fangqun Yu
4. Steven Ghan
5. V. Kerminen
6. G. Luo
7. Xiaohong Liu
8. Tuukka Petäjä

In Global and Planetary Change

1. Markku Kulmala
2. K. Carslaw
3. Steven Ghan
4. G. Luo
5. Fangqun Yu
6. Xiaohong Liu
7. V. Kerminen
8. P. Stier

Citations in the corpus

• Intercomparison and evaluation of global aerosol microphysical properties among AeroCom models of a range of complexity (2014, background): “However, studies suggest (e.g. Dusek et al., 2006) that the particle number size distribution is the most important quantity in determining atmospheric CCN concentrations (Kerminen et al., 2012).”
• Atmospheric new particle formation and growth: review of field observations (2018, background): “Table 2 summarizes these studies and shows that, depending on the location, from about 10% to 60 % of the observed NPF events led to the production of new CCN.”