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Comparison of Characteristics of New Particle Formation (NPF) in the Arctic (Ny-Alesund, Norway) and Urban (Gwangju, Korea) Environments
HAEBUM LEE, Kihong Park, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology
Abstract Number: 350
Working Group: Aerosol Physics
Abstract
New particle formation (NPF), which significantly increases the number of sub-micrometer particles in the ambient atmosphere, has been observed in various environments. The newly formed nanoparticles have the potential to form CCN affecting cloud formation. It has been reported that the NPF was affected by preexisting aerosols, RH, precursor gases. The sulfuric acid (H2SO4) which is one of the precursor gases plays a key role of nucleation and subsequent growth of particles with being formed as binary nucleation (H2SO4-H2O), ternary nucleation (H2O-H2SO4-NH3). The NPF occurred regardless of pollution level (e.g. a clean or a highly/moderately polluted environment). This study compares the characteristics of NPF in the Arctic (Ny-Alesund, Norway) (very clean environment) and urban (Gwangju, Korea) (moderately polluted environment) by examining the NPF occurrence frequency, occurrence criteria (LΓ), intensity (formation rate and growth rate), meteorological parameters (RH, temperature, pressure, and solar radiation), and sulfuric acid concentration. The annual NPF occurrence frequencies at Ny-Alesund and Gwangju sites were 24%/year and 42%/year, respectively. The highest percentage of NPF events in Gwangju was observed in May and April, while in May to July in Ny-Alesund. The duration of NPF was not significantly different between two regions. The average growth rate in Gwangju was about 2-3 times higher than Ny-Alesund, and the formation rate was several tens of times higher. In particular, the sulfuric acid concentration for NPF events in Gwangju was ~10 times greater than in Ny-Alesund. Both regions met the LΓ criteria for the NPF events well, however, Fuchs surface area influence in LΓ was more dominant in Gwangju than in Ny-Alesund.