M. Bangert’s research while affiliated with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and other places

Ultrafine particles in the atmosphere may have important climate and health effects. As they are below visible size and not visible for remote sensing techniques, the majority of observations thus come from ground-based measurements. Some of those observations indicate elevated sources for ultrafine particles. Here we present for the first time airborne measurements of number concentration and size distributions of ultrafine particles along defined flight paths across Germany, allowing to derive background concentrations and to identify major single sources. A significant impact of fossil fuelÁrelated emissions on background and maximum concentrations was found. Maxima reaching up to 90 000 particles cm (3 were encountered in plumes of single large sources extending over more than 200 km. Modelling shows that about 10Á40 % of Germany were continuously affected by such plumes. Regional-scale transport and boundary layer dynamics were identified as major factors controlling spatial and temporal patterns of size and number distributions.

The area of the Dead Sea valley and the adjacent regions are often affected by mineral dust. This study focuses on an extreme dust episode occurring on 22 March 2013, where near-surface dust concentrations of up to 7000 mu gm(-3) were encountered in the Dead Sea region. This episode is of great interest as it was accompanied by high wind speeds and a gust front that rapidly passed the Judean Mountains. Wind was even accelerated on the lee side of the Judean Mountains leading to a severe downslope wind. We simulated this situation with the comprehensive online-coupled weather forecast model COSMO-ART. Fair agreement was found between the simulated meteorological variables and the observations. The model was capable of producing a reasonable spatiotemporal distribution of near-surface dust concentration, consistent with available measurements in this area. With respect to the time of the maximum near-surface dust concentration in the Dead Sea valley, the model captured it almost perfectly compared to the observed total suspended particle (TSP) concentrations. COSMO-ART showed that the high near-surface dust concentration in the Dead Sea valley was mainly determined by local emissions. These emissions were caused by strong winds on the lee side of the Judean Mts. The model showed that an ascending airflow in the Dead Sea valley lifted dust particles, originating mainly from the upwind side of the Judean Mts., up to approximately 7 km. These dust particles contributed to the pronounced maximum in modelled dust aerosol optical depth (AOD) over the valley. Here we highlight the important point that the simulated maximum dust AOD was reached in the eastern part of the Dead Sea valley, while the maximum near-surface dust concentration was reached in the western part of the valley.

We present the first stage of a new online-coupled global to regional-scale modeling framework for the simulation of the spatiotemporal evolution of aerosols and trace gases. The underlying meteorological model is the new nonhydrostatic model system ICON (ICOsahedral Nonhydrostatic) which allows a local grid refinement with two-way interactions between the grids. We develop the extension ART (Aerosol and Reactive Trace gases) with the goal of simulating interactions between trace substances and the state of the atmosphere. Within this paper, we present the basic equations and give an overview of the physical parameterizations as well as numerical methods we use. First applications of the new model system for trace gases, monodisperse particles and polydisperse particles are shown. The simulated distribution of two very short-lived substances (VSLS), bromoform (CHBr3) and dibromomethane (CH2Br2) reflecting the fast upward transport shows a good agreement with observations and previous model studies. Also, the shape of the simulated tropical profiles is well reproduced. As an example for the treatment of monodisperse particles we present the simulated ash plume of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in April 2010. Here, a novel approach for the source function is applied. The pattern of the simulated distribution of volcanic ash particles shows a good agreement with previous studies. As an example for the treatment of a polydisperse aerosol, where number densities and mass concentrations are accounted for, we simulated the annual emissions of sea salt. We obtain a total emission flux of 26.0 Pg yr−1 and an emission flux of particles with diameter less than 10 μm of 7.36 Pg yr−1.

We present the first stage of a new online-coupled global to regional scale modelling framework for the simulation of the spatiotemporal evolution of aerosols and trace gases. The underlying meteorological model is the new nonhydrostatic model system ICON (ICOsahedral Nonhydrostatic) which allows a local grid refinement with two-way interactions between the grids. We develop the extension ART (Aerosol and Reactive Trace gases) with the goal to simulate interactions between trace substances and the state of the atmosphere. Within this paper, we present the basic equations and give an overview of the physical parameterizations as well as numerical methods we use. First applications of the new model system for trace gases, monodisperse particles and polydisperse particles are shown. The simulated distribution of two very short-lived substances, Bromoform (CHBr3) and Dibrommethane (CH2Br2) reflecting the fast upward transport shows a good agreement with observations and previous model studies. Also, the shape of the simulated tropical profiles is well reproduced. As an example for the treatment of monodisperse particles we present the simulated ash plume of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in April 2010. Here, a novel approach for the source function is applied. The pattern of the simulated distribution of volcanic ash particles shows an agreement with previous studies. As an example for the treatment of a polydisperse aerosol, where number densities and mass concentrations are accounted for, we simulated the annual emissions of sea salt. We obtain a total emission flux of 26.0 Pg yr−1 and an emission flux of particles with diameter less than 10 μm of 7.36 Pg yr−1.

We carried out simulations with predefined and simulated aerosol distributions in order to investigate the improvement in the forecasting capabilities of an operational weather forecast model by the use of an improved aerosol representation. This study focuses on convective cumulus clouds developing after the passage of a cold front on 25 April 2008 over Germany. The northerly flow after the cold front leads to increased sea salt aerosol concentrations compared to prefrontal conditions. High aerosol number concentrations are simulated in the interactive scenario representing typically polluted conditions. Nevertheless, due to the presence of sea salt particles, effective radii of cloud droplets reach values typical of pristine clouds (between 7μm and 13 μm) at the same time. Compared to the predefined continental and maritime aerosol scenarios, the simulated aerosol distribution leads to a significant change in cloud properties such as cloud droplet radii and number concentrations. Averaged over the domain covered by the convective cumuli clouds, we found a systematic decrease in precipitation with increasing aerosol number concentrations. Differences in cloud cover, short wave radiation and cloud top heights are buffered by systematic differences in precipitation and the related diabatic effects. Comparisons with measured precipitation show good agreement for the interactive aerosol scenario as well as for the extreme maritime aerosol scenario.

Gas-cleaning technologies used in modern coal-fired power plants cause an unintended nucleation of H2SO4 aerosol droplets during the cleaning process. As a result, high concentrations of ultra-fine aerosol droplets are emitted into the atmosphere. In this study, the impact of these emissions on the atmospheric aerosol distribution, on the cloud condensation nuclei number concentration, and consequently on cloud properties is investigated. Therefore, a sophisticated modeling framework is used combining regional simulations of the atmospheric aerosol distribution and its impact on cloud properties with detailed process simulations of the nucleation during the cleaning process inside the power plant. Furthermore, the simulated aerosol size distributions downwind of the coal-fired power plants are compared with airborne aerosol measurements performed inside the plumes.

The impact of aerosol on clouds and precipitation varies depending on the cloud type. This case study focusses on convective clouds developing after the passage of a frontal system from the North Sea over Germany. In contrast to deep convection, the precipitation amount formed in the postfrontal cummuli is thought to show a systematic sensitivity to the natural and anthropogenic aerosol burden. During the front passage, the preexisting anthropogenic aerosol is replaced to a large extent by seasalt aerosol. To quantify the influence of aerosol on these postfrontal cummuli and their precipitation simulations with a comprehensive online coupled model system are performed. As precipitation reacts sensitive to disturbances of any atmospheric state variable, also simulations with slightly and randomly disturbed temperature fields were performed to contrast these effects with the aerosol effect.

The interplay between air quality and regional climate has become a focal point in recent atmospheric research. The treatment of the interaction of the involved processes requires a new class of air quality models. The model system COSMO-ART (Vogel et al., 2009, Bangert et al., 2012) is a comprehensive online coupled model system to simulate the spatial and temporal distributions of reactive gaseous and particulate matter. It is used to quantify the feedback processes between aerosols and the state of the atmosphere on the continental to the regional scale with two-way interactions between different atmospheric processes. To simulate the impact of the various aerosol particles on the cloud microphysics and precipitation COSMO-ART was coupled with the two-moment cloud microphysics scheme of Seifert and Beheng (2006) by using parameterisations for aerosol activation and ice nucleation. The model system was applied for different model domains and meteorological situations to quantify the direct and the indirect impact of the natural and anthropogenic aerosol particles. The simulation of the 2007 wild fire events in Greece reveals that the high aerosol concentrations cause a decrease of the short wave radiation at the surface and consequently a change of temperature throughout the whole atmosphere. Temperature changes with different sign over land and surface occur. Results of the simulations of the heat wave of 2003 show the influence of soot particles in different mixing state on radiation. The soot content of the atmosphere modifies the thermal stability and therefore the mixing capabilities of the atmosphere. Laboratory experiments have identified primary biological aerosol particles as efficient ice nuclei at relatively high temperatures. However, simulations with COSMO-ART show that the contribution of pollen grains to cloud ice formation is low due to low number concentrations at cloud altitude.

Shallow postfrontal convective clouds are thought to be sensitive to the aerosol burden. In our case study we present results of model runs, simulating April 25, 2008. On this day a cold front passes Germany from north to south. During this situation the sea salt aerosol transported by the northerly flow into the model domain replaces the preexisting anthropogenic aerosol. We quantify the effect of the aerosol on the microphysical properties of the convective clouds that develop after the passage of the cold front. The model system COSMO-ART (Vogel et al., 2009, Bangert et al., 2010) is a comprehensive online coupled model system to simulate the spatial and temporal distribution of reactive gaseous and particulate matter. It is used to quantify the feedback processes between aerosols and the. state of the atmosphere on the continental to the regional scale with two-way interactions between different atmospheric processes. The model system enables further investigations of the aerosol-cloud-interactions and associated feedback processes. The model framework contains a two-moment cloud microphysics scheme (Seifert and Beheng, 2006) in combination with sophisticated activation parameterizations (Bangert et al., 2012). We carried out sensitivity runs. One applies a bulk microphysics scheme as used in the operational forecasts of the German weather service. In two of them the aerosol was. prescribed (continental, maritime) and kept constant in space and time. In the fourth one we used the full capabilities of COSMO-ART to simulate the dynamic behavior of aerosol and its feedback with radiation and cloud microphysics. We compare our model results with radar data, satellite IR images, and rain gauges.

We investigated the impact of mineral dust particles on clouds, radiation and atmospheric state during a strong Saharan dust event over Europe in May 2008, applying a comprehensive online-coupled regional model framework that explicitly treats particle microphysics and chemical composition. Sophisticated parameterizations for aerosol activation and ice nucleation, together with two-moment cloud microphysics are used to calculate the interaction of the different particles with clouds depending on their physical and chemical properties. The impact of dust on cloud droplet number concentration was found to be low, with just a slight increase in cloud droplet number concentration for both uncoated and coated dust. For temperatures lower than the level of homogeneous freezing, no significant impact of dust on the number and mass concentration of ice crystals was found, though the concentration of frozen dust particles reached up to 100 l⁻¹ during the ice nucleation events. Mineral dust particles were found to have the largest impact on clouds in a temperature range between freezing level and the level of homogeneous freezing, where they determined the number concentration of ice crystals due to efficient heterogeneous freezing of the dust particles and modified the glaciation of mixed phase clouds. Our simulations show that during the dust events, ice crystals concentrations were increased twofold in this temperature range (compared to if dust interactions are neglected). This had a significant impact on the cloud optical properties, causing a reduction in the incoming short-wave radiation at the surface up to −75 W m⁻². Including the direct interaction of dust with radiation caused an additional reduction in the incoming short-wave radiation by 40 to 80 W m⁻², and the incoming long-wave radiation at the surface was increased significantly in the order of +10 W m⁻². The strong radiative forcings associated with dust caused a reduction in surface temperature in the order of −0.2 to −0.5 K for most parts of France, Germany, and Italy during the dust event. The maximum difference in surface temperature was found in the East of France, the Benelux, and Western Germany with up to −1 K. This magnitude of temperature change was sufficient to explain a systematic bias in numerical weather forecasts during the period of the dust event.