TY - JOUR
T1 - Simulation of the size-composition distribution of atmospheric nanoparticles over Europe
AU - Patoulias, David
AU - Fountoukis, Christos
AU - Riipinen, Ilona
AU - Asmi, Ari
AU - Kulmala, Markku
AU - Pandis, Spyros N.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Author(s).
PY - 2018/9/27
Y1 - 2018/9/27
N2 - PMCAMx-UF, a three-dimensional chemical transport model focusing on the simulation of the ultrafine particle size distribution and composition has been extended with the addition of the volatility basis set (VBS) approach for the simulation of organic aerosol (OA). The model was applied in Europe to quantify the effect of secondary semi-volatile organic vapors on particle number concentrations. The model predictions were evaluated against field observations collected during the PEGASOS 2012 campaign. The measurements included both ground and airborne measurements, from stations across Europe and a zeppelin measuring above Po Valley. The ground level concentrations of particles with a diameter larger than 100 nm (N/100) were reproduced with a daily normalized mean error of 40 % and a daily normalized mean bias of-20 %. PMCAMx-UF tended to overestimate the concentration of particles with a diameter larger than 10 nm (N/10) with a daily normalized mean bias of 75 %. The model was able to reproduce, within a factor of 2, 85 % of the N/10 and 75 % of the N/100 zeppelin measurements above ground. The condensation of organics led to an increase (50 %-120 %) in the N/100 concentration mainly in central and northern Europe, while the N/10 concentration decreased by 10 %-30 %. Including the VBS in PMCAMx-UF improved its ability to simulate aerosol number concentration compared to simulations neglecting organic condensation on ultrafine particles.
AB - PMCAMx-UF, a three-dimensional chemical transport model focusing on the simulation of the ultrafine particle size distribution and composition has been extended with the addition of the volatility basis set (VBS) approach for the simulation of organic aerosol (OA). The model was applied in Europe to quantify the effect of secondary semi-volatile organic vapors on particle number concentrations. The model predictions were evaluated against field observations collected during the PEGASOS 2012 campaign. The measurements included both ground and airborne measurements, from stations across Europe and a zeppelin measuring above Po Valley. The ground level concentrations of particles with a diameter larger than 100 nm (N/100) were reproduced with a daily normalized mean error of 40 % and a daily normalized mean bias of-20 %. PMCAMx-UF tended to overestimate the concentration of particles with a diameter larger than 10 nm (N/10) with a daily normalized mean bias of 75 %. The model was able to reproduce, within a factor of 2, 85 % of the N/10 and 75 % of the N/100 zeppelin measurements above ground. The condensation of organics led to an increase (50 %-120 %) in the N/100 concentration mainly in central and northern Europe, while the N/10 concentration decreased by 10 %-30 %. Including the VBS in PMCAMx-UF improved its ability to simulate aerosol number concentration compared to simulations neglecting organic condensation on ultrafine particles.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85054154016&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5194/acp-18-13639-2018
DO - 10.5194/acp-18-13639-2018
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85054154016
SN - 1680-7316
VL - 18
SP - 13639
EP - 13654
JO - Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
JF - Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
IS - 18
ER -