Microscopic Observations of Aerosol Mixing State at the Southern Great Plains
EMSL Project ID
49230
Abstract
Changes in chemical mixing state affects large scale processes such as cloud formation and has been a source of considerable uncertainty in atmospheric models. With the development of a new parameterization of aerosol mixing state that employs entropy and diversity metrics [Riemer and West, 2013] [1], comparison with regional process models is more straightforward. This parameterization uses the masses of aerosol components to calculate two measures of diversity: a population level diversity and per-particle diversity. The population mixing state can then be described from the ratio of these two quantities. Single particle analysis provides unique and much needed experimental data and parameterization approaches for modelers. Single particle spectro-microscopy techniques such as computer controlled scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (CCSEM/EDX) have been used to characterize composition, size, and extent of internal mixing of aerosol particles from field campaigns. CCSEM/EDX provides elemental composition of aerosol particles and thus can provide a view of the composition of the inorganic fraction at the elemental level. Recently, application of this novel mixing state parameterization to CCSEM/EDX data collected from the CARES 2010 field campaign in Central California [O'Brien et al., 2014]. Results from the application of the mixing state parameterization from the CARES study provide a basis for systematic applications of these measurements at the Southern Great Plains field site.
Project Details
Project type
FICUS ARM Research
Start Date
2016-04-18
End Date
2017-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
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