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Particulate Oxalate-to-Sulfate Ratio as an Aqueous Processing Marker: Similarity Across Field Campaigns and Limitations
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  • Miguel Ricardo Hilario,
  • Ewan Crosbie,
  • Paola Angela Banaga,
  • Grace Betito,
  • Rachel Braun,
  • Maria Obiminda Cambaliza,
  • Andrea Corral,
  • Melliza Templonuevo Cruz,
  • Jack Dibb,
  • Genevieve Rose Lorenzo,
  • Alexander MacDonald,
  • Claire Robinson,
  • Michael Shook,
  • James Simpas,
  • Connor Stahl,
  • Edward Winstead,
  • Luke Ziemba,
  • Armin Sorooshian
Miguel Ricardo Hilario
University of Arizona

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Ewan Crosbie
Science Systems and Applications, Inc.
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Paola Angela Banaga
Manila Observatory
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Grace Betito
Manila Observatory
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Rachel Braun
University of Arizona
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Maria Obiminda Cambaliza
Ateneo de Manila University
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Andrea Corral
University of Arizona
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Melliza Templonuevo Cruz
Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology
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Jack Dibb
University of New Hampshire
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Genevieve Rose Lorenzo
University of Arizona
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Alexander MacDonald
University of Arizona
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Claire Robinson
Science Systems and Applications, Inc.
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Michael Shook
NASA Langley Research Center
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James Simpas
Manila Observatory
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Connor Stahl
University of Arizona
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Edward Winstead
Science Systems and Applications, Inc.
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Luke Ziemba
NASA Langley Research Center
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Armin Sorooshian
University of Arizona
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Abstract

Leveraging aerosol data from multiple airborne and surface-based field campaigns encompassing diverse environmental conditions, we calculate statistics of the oxalate-sulfate mass ratio (median: 0.0217; 95% confidence interval: 0.0154 – 0.0296; R = 0.76; N = 2948). Ground-based measurements of the oxalate-sulfate ratio fall within our 95% confidence interval, suggesting the range is robust within the mixed layer for the submicrometer particle size range. We demonstrate that dust and biomass burning emissions can separately bias this ratio towards higher values by at least one order of magnitude. In the absence of these confounding factors, the 95% confidence interval of the ratio may be used to estimate the relative extent of aqueous processing by comparing inferred oxalate concentrations between air masses, with the assumption that sulfate primarily originates from aqueous processing.
16 Dec 2021Published in Geophysical Research Letters volume 48 issue 23. 10.1029/2021GL096520