Aerosol composition and properties in Antarctica: Optical, microphysical, and radiative characteristics

IF 4 1区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY, PHYSICAL

Global and Planetary Change Pub Date : 2025-06-11 DOI:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2025.104935

Mikalai Filonchyk , Michael P. Peterson , Volha Hurynovich , Lifeng Zhang , Yi He

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Antarctica's unique climate and pristine environment make it a critical region for understanding the role of aerosols in global climate change. This study utilizes data from the AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) and MERRA-2 (Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications) reanalysis system to investigate the optical, microphysical, and radiative properties of aerosols in the Antarctic atmosphere. Data from seven AERONET stations across Antarctica are analyzed to provide insights into aerosol optical depth (AOD), aerosol volume size distribution (VSD), and direct aerosol radiative forcing (DARF). The study's findings indicate that the primary sources of aerosols in Antarctica are natural, such as sea salt from ocean spray and sulfates from marine phytoplankton. The AOD values at a wavelength of 500 nm range from 0.027 ± 0.019 to 0.082 ± 0.042, have the lowest values at inland sites and the highest at coastal sites like Escudero_Station. Fine-mode aerosols dominate across most sites, with peaks in the volume size distribution between 0.09 and 0.76 μm, which is clearly associated with stable meteorological dynamics. The study also examines the radiative properties of aerosols, finding that DARF at the bottom of the atmosphere (BOA) indicates a cooling effect, with negative values ranging from −14.3 ± 4 to −3 ± 0.5 W/m². DARF at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) varies, with both positive and negative values, indicating the complex role of aerosols in the Antarctic climate. The atmospheric heating rate (HR), a measure of the impact of aerosols on temperature, showed variations across AERONET sites and seasons, with averages ranging from 0.03 ± 0.005 K day⁻¹ to 0.25 ± 0.03 K day⁻¹. These results highlight Antarctica's significance in studying the impact on aerosols on climate processes. Despite low aerosol concentrations compared to other world regions, Antarctica's unique environmental conditions provide valuable insights into climate change mechanisms. The study underscores the need for further research to understand aerosol properties, sources, and their broader impact on global climate.

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南极洲气溶胶的组成和性质：光学、微物理和辐射特征

南极洲独特的气候和原始环境使其成为了解气溶胶在全球气候变化中的作用的关键地区。本研究利用AERONET（气溶胶机器人网络）和MERRA-2（现代回顾性研究与应用分析）再分析系统的数据，研究了南极大气中气溶胶的光学、微物理和辐射特性。研究人员分析了来自南极洲7个AERONET站点的数据，以深入了解气溶胶光学深度（AOD）、气溶胶体积大小分布（VSD）和直接气溶胶辐射强迫（DARF）。这项研究的发现表明，南极洲气溶胶的主要来源是天然的，比如来自海洋喷雾的海盐和来自海洋浮游植物的硫酸盐。500 nm AOD值范围为0.027±0.019 ~ 0.082±0.042，内陆站点AOD值最低，Escudero_Station等沿海站点AOD值最高。细态气溶胶在大多数站点中占主导地位，其体积大小分布在0.09 ~ 0.76 μm之间，这与稳定的气象动力学明显相关。该研究还考察了气溶胶的辐射特性，发现大气底部的DARF （BOA）显示出冷却效应，其负值范围为- 14.3±4至- 3±0.5 W/m2。大气顶部的DARF （TOA）既有正值，也有负值，表明气溶胶在南极气候中的复杂作用。大气升温速率（HR）是衡量气溶胶对温度影响的一种指标，在AERONET站点和季节之间存在差异，平均值在0.03±0.005 K day - 1到0.25±0.03 K day - 1之间。这些结果突出了南极洲在研究气溶胶对气候过程的影响方面的重要性。尽管与世界其他地区相比，气溶胶浓度较低，但南极洲独特的环境条件为了解气候变化机制提供了宝贵的见解。这项研究强调需要进一步研究，以了解气溶胶的特性、来源及其对全球气候的广泛影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Global and Planetary Change 地学天文-地球科学综合

CiteScore

7.40

自引率

10.30%

发文量

226

审稿时长

63 days

期刊介绍： The objective of the journal Global and Planetary Change is to provide a multi-disciplinary overview of the processes taking place in the Earth System and involved in planetary change over time. The journal focuses on records of the past and current state of the earth system, and future scenarios , and their link to global environmental change. Regional or process-oriented studies are welcome if they discuss global implications. Topics include, but are not limited to, changes in the dynamics and composition of the atmosphere, oceans and cryosphere, as well as climate change, sea level variation, observations/modelling of Earth processes from deep to (near-)surface and their coupling, global ecology, biogeography and the resilience/thresholds in ecosystems. Key criteria for the consideration of manuscripts are (a) the relevance for the global scientific community and/or (b) the wider implications for global scale problems, preferably combined with (c) having a significance beyond a single discipline. A clear focus on key processes associated with planetary scale change is strongly encouraged. Manuscripts can be submitted as either research contributions or as a review article. Every effort should be made towards the presentation of research outcomes in an understandable way for a broad readership.