Application of the CAM/CARMA Aerosol Model to Simulate Smoke, Dust and Sea Salt Aerosol

该项目正在创建一个经过仔细验证的全球模型，以解决海洋中的海盐，主要沙漠中的土壤尘埃以及自然火灾产生的烟雾颗粒如何进入大气，运输并影响气候。这项工作利用了美国国家大气研究中心（NCAR）的全球气候模型，以及一个局部微物理模型，对真实事件进行模拟。它将模拟结果与卫星和地面数据进行比较，以确定该模型能在多大程度上模拟这些粒子的特性。正在调查海洋气溶胶，包括硫酸盐和有机物，以及主要来自热带非洲和北方森林火灾的烟雾，以及主要来自亚洲的灰尘。这项工作补充了首席研究员之前对南美和南非的烟雾以及撒哈拉沙漠的尘埃的研究。在项目结束时，这三种气溶胶类型将与硫酸盐、硝酸盐以及陆地和人为来源的有机物一起合并成一个全面的气溶胶剖面模型，该模型将提供给更广泛的社区。这项工作有许多更广泛的影响。大部分工作是由来自代表性不足群体的研究生完成的。每个学生的论文委员会都有来自NCAR的指导老师，这样她就有了与大学以外的科学家一起工作的难得机会。该项目还将通过在社区大气模式（CAM）和全大气社区气候模式（WACCM）框架内开发社区大气气溶胶和辐射模式（CARMA）气溶胶模式，加强研究和/或教育的基础设施。CARMA已经是一个社区模型，其先前的版本已经发布了几十年。它在美国国家航空航天局、美国空军以及美国、加拿大和欧洲的许多大学拥有庞大的用户群。它用于云和气溶胶物理学，也用于行星研究。该项目还通过帮助减少气溶胶造成的气候强迫的不确定性，以及帮助创建解决此类问题的国家工具，为整个社会带来益处。该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。

This project is creating a carefully validated global model that addresses how sea salt from the oceans, soil dust from major deserts, and smoke particles from natural fires enter the atmosphere, are transported and then impact the climate. The work makes use of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) global climate models, together with a sectional microphysical model, to perform simulations of real events. It compares the simulations with satellite and ground-based data to determine how well the model can simulate the properties of these particles. Marine aerosols, including sulfates and organics are being investigated, as is smoke primarily from tropical African and boreal forest fires, as well as dust mainly from Asian sources. This work complements the principal investigator's previous work on smoke from South America and South Africa, and dust from the Sahara Desert. Toward the end of the project these three aerosol types will be merged along with sulfates, nitrates and organics of terrestrial and anthropogenic origin into a comprehensive sectional model for aerosols that will become available to the wider community.The work has a number of broader impacts. Much of the work is being done by graduate students from underrepresented groups. Each student has advisors from NCAR on her thesis committee so that she has the unusual chance to work with scientists beyond the university. The project will also enhance the infrastructure for research and/or education by developing the Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA) aerosol model within the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) and Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) frameworks. CARMA is already a community model, previous versions of which have been distributed for decades. It has a large user base at NASA, in the U.S. Air Force, and at numerous universities in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. It is used for cloud and aerosol physics, and also for planetary studies. The project also provides benefits to society at large by helping reduce the uncertainty in climate forcing due to aerosols and by helping create national tools to address such issues. This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).