Moallemi, Alireza, Alberello, Alberto ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7957-4012, Thurnherr, Iris, Li, Guangyu, Kanji, Zamin A., Bergamasco, Filippo, Pohorsky, Roman, Nelli, Filippo, Toffoli, Alessandro and Schmale, Julia (2024) Links between atmospheric aerosols and sea state in the Arctic Ocean. Atmospheric Environment, 338. ISSN 1352-2310
Preview |
PDF (1-s2.0-S1352231024005193-main)
- Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (6MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Sea spray emission is the largest mass flux of aerosols to the atmosphere with important impact on atmospheric radiative transfer. However, large uncertainties still exit in constraining this mass flux and its climate forcing, in particular in the Arctic, where sea ice and relatively low wind speed in summer constitute a significantly different regime compared to the global ocean. Sea state conditions and marine boundary layer stability are also critical variables, but their contribution is often overlooked. Here we present concurrent observations of sea state using a novel stereo camera system, of sea spray through coarse mode aerosols, and of meteorological variables to determine boundary layer stability in the Barents and Kara Seas during the 2021 Arctic Century Expedition. Our findings reveal that aerosol concentrations were highest over open waters, closely correlating with wave height, followed by wind speed, wave steepness, and wave age. Notably, these correlations were stronger under unstable marine boundary layer conditions, reflecting immediate sea spray generation. By analysing various combinations of sea and atmospheric variables, we identified the wave height Reynolds number as the most effective indicator of atmospheric sea spray concentration, explaining 57% of its variability in unstable conditions. Our study underscores the need to consider sea state, wind, and boundary layer conditions together to accurately estimate atmospheric sea spray concentrations in the Arctic.
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Additional Information: | Funding information: This work was funded by the EPFL Center for Imaging [3D EarthNavigation, 2022]. This research used samples and data provided by the Arctic Century Expedition, a joint initiative led by the Swiss Polar Institute (SPI), the Antarctic and Arctic Research Institute (AARI) and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) and funded by the Swiss Polar Foundation. JS holds the Ingvar Kamprad Chair for Extreme Environments Research. AA acknowledges support from EPSRC [EP/Y02012X/1]. |
Uncontrolled Keywords: | sea spray aerosols,wave height,arctic ocean,stereo imaging,wave height,stereo imaging,arctic ocean,environmental science(all),atmospheric science,sdg 13 - climate action ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300 |
Faculty \ School: | Faculty of Science > School of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics |
UEA Research Groups: | Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Fluid and Solid Mechanics |
Related URLs: | |
Depositing User: | LivePure Connector |
Date Deposited: | 01 Oct 2024 16:30 |
Last Modified: | 07 Oct 2024 08:30 |
URI: | https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/96853 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2024.120844 |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year
Actions (login required)
View Item |