Collaborative Research: Chemical, Physical, and Radiative Properties of North Atlantic Free Tropospheric Aerosol after Long-range Transport

该项目将加强北大西洋中部的皮科山大气观测站正在进行的气溶胶和共同污染物的测量，皮科山大气观测站位于亚速尔群岛皮科岛上，海拔2.2公里。天文台位于海洋边界层上方，大部分时间接收具有低层自由对流层特征的空气。该地点被发现在研究大陆外流方面具有极高的价值，这些外流自三周前离开非洲大陆以来，一直没有受到海洋和当地排放的影响。因此，这个地点是调查源自北美人类活动、北部地区火灾和偶尔撒哈拉沙尘入侵的污染输送事件的理想地点。以前对扩散和化学输送的测量和模拟研究了北美洲外流对北大西洋对流层臭氧及其前体的影响。在这个项目中，将在目前测量的参数中增加新的测量，以解决气溶胶及其共同污染物的辐射特性。这些数据将有助于研究远距离传输的气溶胶的光学性质和组成。在皮科天文台监测的正在进行长距离输送的气团中吸收光的碳及其共污染物的辐射强迫将由三维化学输送和化学气候模式和弥散模拟相结合来确定。结果将有助于理解与长距离输送和气溶胶老化有关的气溶胶的化学、物理和辐射性质。它将首次提供对北大西洋自由对流层气溶胶的多年详细化学和光学测量。将建立皮科山长距离输送光吸收气溶胶的频率和发生的气候学。这些观测、模拟的化学传输和辐射强迫模拟将为进一步研究全球光吸收气溶胶特性及其分布提供基础，为改进遥感数据解释奠定基础。该项目将汇集来自三所美国大学和一所葡萄牙大学的研究人员。来自密歇根理工大学教师教育部门的两名参与者将参与其中。这些实习教师将参与Pico的实地研究，并为高中生制定新的教育计划。随着一个新的皮科山研究网页和皮科山国家公园游客中心的展示，进一步的扩展将是可能的。

This project will augment ongoing measurements of aerosols and co-pollutants at the Pico Mountain Atmospheric Observatory in the central North Atlantic, at 2.2 kilometers above sea level on Pico Island in the Azores archipelago. The Observatory resides well above the marine boundary layer and receives air characteristic of the lower free troposphere during most times. The site has been found to be highly valuable for studying continental outflow that has not been affected by the ocean and local emissions since leaving the continent up to three weeks earlier. Consequently, this site is an ideal location to investigate pollution transport events originating from human activities in North America, from fires in the boreal regions, and occasionally from Saharan dust intrusions. Previous measurements and simulations of dispersion and chemical transport have examined the impacts of outflow from North America on tropospheric ozone and its precursors over the North Atlantic Ocean. In this project, new measurements will be added to the parameters presently measured to address the radiative properties of aerosols and its co-pollutants. These data will allow study of the optical properties and composition of long-range transported aerosols. Radiative forcing of light-absorbing carbon and its co-pollutants in air masses undergoing long-range transport and monitored at the Pico Observatory will be determined by a combination of 3-dimensional chemistry-transport and chemistry-climate models and dispersion modeling.The results will contribute to understanding of aerosol chemical, physical and radiative properties with respect to long-range transport and aerosol aging. It will provide the first detailed multi-year chemical and optical measurements of North Atlantic free tropospheric aerosol. A climatology of the frequency and occurrence of long-range transported light absorbing aerosol at Pico Mountain will be developed. The observations, modeled chemical transport, and radiative forcing simulations will provide a foundation for further research on global light-absorbing aerosol properties and on its distribution, for improved remote sensing data interpretations. The project will bring together investigators from three U.S. universities and one Portuguese university. Two participants from the Teachers Education Division at Michigan Technological University will be involved. These student teachers will participate in the field research at Pico and develop new education plans for high school students. Further outreach will be possible with a new Pico Mountain research web page and a display in the Pico Mountain National Park visitor center.