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1.
Variability in sediment particle size, mineralogy, and Fe mode of occurrence across dust-source inland drainage basins : the case of the lower Drâa Valley, Morocco
Adolfo Gonzalez-Romero, Cristina González-Flórez, Agnesh Panta, Jesús Yus-Díez, Cristina Reche, Patricia Córdoba, Natalia Moreno, Andrés Alastuey, Konrad Kandler, Martina Klose, 2023, original scientific article

Abstract: The effects of desert dust upon climate and ecosystems depend strongly on its particle size and size-resolved mineralogical composition. However, there is very limited quantitative knowledge on the particle size and composition of the parent sediments along with their variability within dust-source regions, particularly in dust emission hotspots. The lower Drâa Valley, an inland drainage basin and dust hotspot region located in the Moroccan Sahara, was chosen for a comprehensive analysis of sediment particle size and mineralogy. Different sediment type samples (n= 42) were collected, including paleo-sediments, paved surfaces, crusts, and dunes, and analysed for particle-size distribution (minimally and fully dispersed samples) and mineralogy. Furthermore, Fe sequential wet extraction was carried out to characterise the modes of occurrence of Fe, including Fe in Fe (oxyhydr)oxides, mainly from goethite and hematite, which are key to dust radiative effects; the poorly crystalline pool of Fe (readily exchangeable ionic Fe and Fe in nano-Fe oxides), relevant to dust impacts upon ocean biogeochemistry; and structural Fe. Results yield a conceptual model where both particle size and mineralogy are segregated by transport and deposition of sediments during runoff of water across the basin and by the precipitation of salts, which causes a sedimentary fractionation. The proportion of coarser particles enriched in quartz is higher in the highlands, while that of finer particles rich in clay, carbonates, and Fe oxides is higher in the lowland dust emission hotspots. There, when water ponds and evaporates, secondary carbonates and salts precipitate, and the clays are enriched in readily exchangeable ionic Fe, due to sorption of dissolved Fe by illite. The results differ from currently available mineralogical atlases and highlight the need for observationally constrained global high-resolution mineralogical data for mineral-speciated dust modelling. The dataset obtained represents an important resource for future evaluation of surface mineralogy retrievals from spaceborne spectroscopy.
Keywords: mineral dust, aerosols, geology
Published in RUNG: 12.01.2024; Views: 428; Downloads: 3
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2.
Optical properties and simple forcing efficiency of the organic aerosols and black carbon emitted by residential wood burning in rural Central Europe
Andrea Cuesta-Mosquera, Kristina Glojek, Griša Močnik, Luka Drinovec, Asta Gregorič, Martin Rigler, Matej Ogrin, Baseerat Romshoo, Kay Weinhold, Maik Merkel, 2024, original scientific article

Abstract: Abstract. Recent years have seen an increase in the use of wood for energy production of over 30 %, and this trend is expected to continue due to the current energy crisis and geopolitical instability. At present, residential wood burning (RWB) is one of the most important sources of organic aerosols (OA) and black carbon (BC). While BC is recognized for its large light absorption cross-section, the role of OA in light absorption is still under evaluation due to their heterogeneous composition and source-dependent optical properties. Studies that characterize wood-burning aerosol emissions in Europe typically focus on urban and background sites and only cover BC properties. However, RWB is more prevalent in rural areas, and the present scenario indicates that an improved understanding of the RWB aerosol optical properties and their subsequent connection to climate impacts is necessary for rural areas. We have characterized atmospheric aerosol particles from a central European rural site during wintertime in the village of Retje in Loški Potok, Slovenia, from 01.12.2017 to 07.03.2018. The village experienced extremely high aerosol concentrations produced by RWB and near-ground temperature inversion. The isolated location of the site and the substantial local emissions made it an ideal laboratory-like place for characterizing RWB aerosols with low influence from non-RWB sources under ambient conditions. The mean mass concentrations of OA and BC were 34.8 µg m-3 (max = 271.8 µg m-3) and 3.1 µg m-3 (max = 24.3 µg m-3), respectively. The mean total particle number concentration (10–600 nm) was 9.9 x 103 particles cm-3 (max = 53.5 x 103 particles cm-3). The mean total light absorption coefficient at 370 nm and 880 nm measured by an Aethalometer AE33 were 122.8 Mm-1 and 15.3 Mm-1 and had maximum values of 1103.9 Mm-1 and 179.1 Mm-1, respectively. The aerosol concentrations and absorption coefficients measured during the campaign in Loški Potok were significantly larger than those reported values for several urban areas in the region with larger populations and extent of aerosol sources. Here, considerable contributions from brown carbon (BrC) to the total light absorption were identified, reaching up to 60 % and 48 % in the near UV (370 nm) and blue (470 nm) wavelengths. These contributions are up to three times higher than values reported for other sites impacted by wood-burning emissions. The calculated mass absorption cross-section and the absorption Ångström exponent for RWB OA were MACOA, 370 nm= 2.4 m2 g-1, and AAEBrC, 370–590 nm= 3.9, respectively. Simple forcing efficiency (SFE) calculations were performed as a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the climate impact of the RWB aerosols produced at the study site by integrating the optical properties measured during the campaign. The SFE results show a considerable forcing capacity from the local RWB aerosols, with a high sensitivity to OA absorption properties and a more substantial impact over bright surfaces like snow, typical during the coldest season with higher OA emissions from RWB. Our study's results are highly significant regarding air pollution, optical properties, and climate impact. The findings suggest that there may be an underestimation of RWB emissions in rural Europe and that further investigation is necessary.
Keywords: wood-burning aerosols, optical characterization, black carbon, rural areas
Published in RUNG: 10.01.2024; Views: 425; Downloads: 6
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3.
Identification and detailed characterization of ▫$PM_10$▫ sources in an Alpine valley influenced by a cement plant
Kristina Glojek, Katja Džepina, Griša Močnik, 2023, published scientific conference contribution abstract

Abstract: The contribution of traffic and wood burning to particulate matter (PM) across the Alps is widely recognized and studied (Herich et al., 2014 and references therein; Glojek et al., 2020). However, studies on valleys with cement production are scarce (Kim et al., 2003; Rovira et al., 2018) despite its large PM emissions and potential toxic properties (Erik et al., 2022; Weinbruch et al., 2023). We aim to identify and characterize sources’ contribution to the complex mixture of carbonaceous and mineral PM10 in a representative Alpine valley. Quartz filter samples of PM10 were collected daily from December 2020 to December 2021 and analyzed using different chemical techniques. In the same period equivalent black carbon (eBC) measurements were taken with the Aethalometer AE43. The measured species were analyzed using Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model (EPA PMF 5.0) with newly added tracers, i. e. source-specific eBC (Sandradewi et al., 2008) and organic species (2-MT, 3-MBTCA, phtalic acid, MSA and oxalate). The final PMF results were compared to online PMF-factors (SoFi Pro) derived from PM10 and PM2.5 elemental measurements (Cooper Xact 625i). Ten factors were identified at the site, including commonly detected biomass burning, traffic, nitrate- and sulfate-rich, aged sea salt and mineral dust. With the added additional organic traces, primary biogenic and secondary oxidation were recognized as well. In addition, two unusual factors were disclosed, contributing 10% to annual PM10. Namely, Cl-rich and a mineral dust-rich factor, which we name the cement kiln factor. We associate these two factors to different processes in the cement plant. The outputs of the study provide vital information about the influence of cement production on PM10 concentrations in complex environments and are useful for PM control strategies and actions.
Keywords: PM pollution, carbonaceous aerosols, source apportionment, industry
Published in RUNG: 10.01.2024; Views: 499; Downloads: 0
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4.
Anthropic settlementsʹ impact on the light-absorbing aerosol concentrations and heating rate in the arctic
Niccolò Losi, Piotr Markuszewski, Martin Rigler, Asta Gregorič, Griša Močnik, Violetta Drozdowska, Przemek Makuch, Tymon Zielinski, Paulina Pakszys, Małgorzata Kitowska, 2023, original scientific article

Abstract: Light-absorbing aerosols (LAA) impact the atmosphere by heating it. Their effect in the Arctic was investigated during two summer Arctic oceanographic campaigns (2018 and 2019) around the Svalbard Archipelago in order to unravel the differences between the Arctic background and the local anthropic settlements. Therefore, the LAA heating rate (HR) was experimentally determined. Both the chemical composition and high-resolution measurements highlighted substantial differences between the Arctic Ocean background (average eBC concentration of 11.7 ± 0.1 ng/m3) and the human settlements, among which the most impacting appeared to be Tromsø and Isfjorden (mean eBC of 99.4 ± 3.1 ng/m3). Consequently, the HR in Isfjorden (8.2 × 10−3 ± 0.3 × 10−3 K/day) was one order of magnitude higher than in the pristine background conditions (0.8 × 10−3 ± 0.9 × 10−5 K/day). Therefore, we conclude that the direct climate impact of local LAA sources on the Arctic atmosphere is not negligible and may rise in the future due to ice retreat and enhanced marine traffic.
Keywords: light-absorbing aerosols, black carbon, climate change, heating rate
Published in RUNG: 21.12.2023; Views: 497; Downloads: 5
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Satellite Data for Atmospheric Monitoring at the Pierre Auger Observatory
A. Puyleart, Andrej Filipčič, Jon Paul Lundquist, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, Lukas Zehrer, 2022, published scientific conference contribution

Abstract: Atmospheric monitoring over the 3000 km^2 of the Pierre Auger Observatory can be supplemented by satellite data. Methods for night-time cloud detection and aerosol cross-checking were created using the GOES-16 and Aeolus satellites, respectively. The geostationary GOES-16 satellite provides a 100% up-time view of the cloud cover over the observatory. GOES-13 was used until the end of 2017 for cloud monitoring, but with its retirement a method based on GOES-16 data was developed. The GOES-16 cloud detection method matches the observatory’s vertical laser cloud detection method at a rate of ∼90%. The Aeolus satellite crosses the Pierre Auger Observatory several times throughout the year firing UV-laser shots. The laser beams leave a track of scattered light in the atmosphere that can be observed by the light sensors of the observatory fluorescence telescopes. Using a parametric model of the aerosol concentration, the laser shots can be reconstructed with different combinations of the aerosol parameters. A minimization procedure then yields the parameter set that best describes the aerosol attenuation. Furthermore, the possibility of studying horizontal homogeneity of aerosols across the array is being investigated.
Keywords: Pierre Auger Observatory, indirect detection, fluorescence detection, ultra-high energy, cosmic rays, atmospheric monitoring, satellite monitoring, cloud detection, aerosols, UV laser shots
Published in RUNG: 04.10.2023; Views: 688; Downloads: 6
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7.
8.
Equal abundance of summertime natural and wintertime anthropogenic Arctic organic aerosols
Vaios Moschos, Katja Dzepina, Deepika Bhattu, Houssni Lamkaddam, Roberto Casotto, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Francesco Canonaco, Pragati Rai, Wenche Aas, Silvia Becagli, Giulia Calzolai, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Claire E. Moffett, Jürgen Schnelle-Kreis, Mirko Severi, Sangeeta Sharma, Henrik Skov, Mika Vestenius, Wendy Zhang, Hannele Hakola, Heidi Hellén, Lin Huang, Jean-Luc Jaffrezo, Andreas Massling, Jakob K. Nøjgaard, Tuuka Petäjä, Olga Popovicheva, Rebecca J. Sheesley, Rita Traversi, Karl Espen Yttri, Julia Schmale, André S. H. Prévôt, Urs Baltensperger, Imad El Haddad, 2022, original scientific article

Abstract: Aerosols play an important yet uncertain role in modulating the radiation balance of the sensitive Arctic atmosphere. Organic aerosol is one of the most abundant, yet least understood, fractions of the Arctic aerosol mass. Here we use data from eight observatories that represent the entire Arctic to reveal the annual cycles in anthropogenic and biogenic sources of organic aerosol. We show that during winter, the organic aerosol in the Arctic is dominated by anthropogenic emissions, mainly from Eurasia, which consist of both direct combustion emissions and long-range transported, aged pollution. In summer, the decreasing anthropogenic pollution is replaced by natural emissions. These include marine secondary, biogenic secondary and primary biological emissions, which have the potential to be important to Arctic climate by modifying the cloud condensation nuclei properties and acting as ice-nucleating particles. Their source strength or atmospheric processing is sensitive to nutrient availability, solar radiation, temperature and snow cover. Our results provide a comprehensive understanding of the current pan-Arctic organic aerosol, which can be used to support modelling efforts that aim to quantify the climate impacts of emissions in this sensitive region.
Keywords: Arctic, Organic aerosols, Emission sources, Climate change
Published in RUNG: 01.03.2022; Views: 1502; Downloads: 0
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10.
Measuring how light-absorbing aerosols heat the atmosphere
Griša Močnik, 2021, published scientific conference contribution abstract (invited lecture)

Keywords: aerosols, climate change
Published in RUNG: 27.09.2021; Views: 1544; Downloads: 0
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