Cloud droplets form when supersaturated water condenses on tiny seed particles, called aerosol particles. Properties of aerosol, including the sizes, compostion and concentration of aerosol particles largely determine the optical properties and lifetime of clouds affecting Earhts radiation budget andprecipitation patterns and thereby climate. Aerosol particles are emitted to atmosphere as primary particles - including dust, sea salt, soot, pollen etc - or are formed from atmospheric condensable vapours via gas-to-particle conversion.
Vapours responsible on gas-to-particle conversion are only vaguely known. Also the chemical pathways forming those condensable vapours are not fully understood. The gases, which are converted to condensable vapours have both natural and anthoropogenic sources. Understanding the role of different gases and vapours, their sources, their chemical reactions in the atmosphere as well as details of the physical mechanisms leading to production of small nanometer sized clusters and cluster growth above ca 100 nanometer sizes where they can act as cloud seeds is crucial. Why it is crucial, is because aerosol - cloud interactions form the largest uncertainty in climate predictions. This project aims to resolve the mechanisms of aerosol formation around the Globe in different environments from Antarctica to oceans, forests, agricultural areas, urban areas, up to Arctic, sea ice covered regions.
New knowldge produced in this project can be utilized in Global Climate models currently lacking for correct description of secondary aerosol formation processes. This, at time, will enable more accurate model description how cloud properties, and thus radiative budget and climate will change in the future. Crucial information for societies and the future of Earths ecosystems including mankind.
Overal objectives are to develope state-of-art detection techniques for atmospheric vapour and cluster detection, beyond the capabilities of present day commercial technology and to deploy these techniques in laboratory and field studies around the globe to resolve mechanisms and chemical compounds involved in secondary aerosol and cloud condensation nuclei formation in different atmospheric environments around the world.
