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Planetary boundary layer height modulates aerosol - water interactions during winter in the megacity of Delhi
  • +19
  • Subha S Raj,
  • Ovid Krüger,
  • Amit Sharma,
  • Upasana Panda,
  • Christopher Pöhlker,
  • David Walter,
  • Jan-David Förster,
  • Rishi Pal Singh,
  • Swetha S,
  • Thomas Klimach,
  • Eoghan Darbyshire,
  • Scot T. Martin,
  • Gordon McFiggans,
  • Hugh Coe,
  • James D Allan,
  • Ravikrishna R,
  • Vijay Kumar Soni,
  • Hang Su,
  • Meinrat O. Andreae,
  • Ulrich Pöschl,
  • Mira L. Pöhlker,
  • Sachin S. Gunthe
Subha S Raj
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Corresponding Author:subhasraj89@gmail.com

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Ovid Krüger
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
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Amit Sharma
Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur
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Upasana Panda
CSIR Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, CSIR Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology
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Christopher Pöhlker
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
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David Walter
Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie, Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie
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Jan-David Förster
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
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Rishi Pal Singh
India Meteorological Department New Delhi, India Meteorological Department New Delhi
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Swetha S
CSIR Fourth Paradigm Institute, CSIR Fourth Paradigm Institute
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Thomas Klimach
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
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Eoghan Darbyshire
The Conflict and Environment Observatory, The Conflict and Environment Observatory
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Scot T. Martin
Harvard University, Harvard University
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Gordon McFiggans
University of Manchester, University of Manchester
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Hugh Coe
University of Manchester, University of Manchester
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James D Allan
University of Manchester, University of Manchester
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Ravikrishna R
Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Indian Institute of Technology Madras
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Vijay Kumar Soni
India Meteorological Department, India Meteorological Department
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Hang Su
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
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Meinrat O. Andreae
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
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Ulrich Pöschl
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
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Mira L. Pöhlker
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
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Sachin S. Gunthe
Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India., Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
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Abstract

The Indo-Gangetic Plain is one of the largest sources of air pollution worldwide, and throughout winter strong fluctuations in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) height, driven by a strong radiative thermal inversion, affect the dispersion of this pollution. To date, tie-ins into aerosol-water vapour interactions, especially cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity, and the associated implications for aerosol indirect effects and hence on regional and global climate have been little studied. We present the results of a one-month field campaign (February-March 2018) in the polluted megacity of Delhi. The composition of fine particulate matter (PM1) and size-resolved CCN properties were measured over a wide range of water vapour supersaturations. PBL modelling, backward trajectories, and fire spots were included in the analysis to elucidate the influence of PBL and air mass origins on the aerosols. The aerosol properties depended strongly on the PBL height, with enhanced PM1 concentrations, high mass fractions of organic matter and BC, and low aerosol hygroscopicity during time periods of low PBL height (<100m). The observed correlations of PM1, aerosol particle number and CCN number with PBL height were parameterized by simple power law fit. Changes in PBL height induced changes in aerosol accumulation and aging processes, as manifested in aerosol composition and hygroscopicity. In contrast, aerosol properties did not depend strongly on air mass origins or wind direction, implying that the observed aerosol and CCN represented local emissions. The relationship between CCN number and supersaturation was well described by an error function parameterization.
27 Dec 2021Published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres volume 126 issue 24. 10.1029/2021JD035681