AAAR 31st Annual Conference
October 8-12, 2012
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Spatial Extent of New Particle Formation and Growth Events
JAMES SCHWAB, G. Garland Lala, Kenneth Demerjian, Brian P. Frank, H. Dirk Felton, Oliver Rattigan, University at Albany, SUNY
Abstract Number: 187 Working Group: Remote and Regional Atmospheric Aerosols
Abstract We measured particle number concentrations and size distributions at two locations in New York State separated by a little over 300 km. The sites are Pinnacle State Park in Addison, NY in southwestern upstate New York, and Queens College in the borough of Queens, New York City. Relevant measurements at the Addison site consisted of paired nano- and long-tube SMPS systems to cover the size range from 5 to ~700 nm mobility size, and a 3783 water-based Enviromental Particle Counter (EPC) for concentrations of particles greater than 7 nm diameter. At the Queens College site the size distributions were measured with a Fast Mobility Particle Sizer, and an identical 3783 EPC. Simultaneous measurements at the two sites were planned from April through September 2012.
The simultaneous nature of the measurements, combined with the mid-range separation distance between the sites allow us to pose and address a number of questions related to the spatial extent of new particle formation and growth events. For example, how well correlated (if at all) are particle formation and growth events at these two sites? If they are related, do they tend to occur simultaneously, or separated by some “transit” time? What are the frequencies of rural versus urban events? These and other questions will be addressed in this presentation.