Elucidating new particle formation in complex terrain during the winter 2022 Cold Fog Amongst Complex Terrain (CFACT) campaign

Carrillo‐Cardenas, G., Hoch, S. W., Pardyjak, E., Garcia, M., Brown, W. O.J., et al. (2025). Elucidating new particle formation in complex terrain during the winter 2022 Cold Fog Amongst Complex Terrain (CFACT) campaign. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, doi:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JD042307

Title Elucidating new particle formation in complex terrain during the winter 2022 Cold Fog Amongst Complex Terrain (CFACT) campaign
Genre Article
Author(s) G. Carrillo‐Cardenas, S. W. Hoch, E. Pardyjak, M. Garcia, William O.J. Brown, Z. Pu, A. G. Hallar
Abstract New particle formation (NPF) is a complex atmospheric phenomenon defined by the gas‐to‐particle conversion that leads to the sudden burst and growth in aerosol particles. Although chemical mechanisms for aerosol nucleation and growth are well established, the role of physical processes, such as turbulent mixing, within the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is beginning to emerge with recent studies. This study, based on the observations from the 2022 CFACT (Cold Fog Amongst Complex Terrain) field study in the Heber Valley of northern Utah, demonstrates an interconnection between turbulence and the occurrence of NPF. Using a spatially distributed boundary layer instrumentation, a novel feature of CFACT, three case studies depict unique boundary layer conditions that modulate the development of NPF characterized by sustained turbulence and weak intermittent turbulence. Quantitative analysis using in situ measurements and derived variables demonstrate that periods of weak intermittent turbulence hinder particle growth, whereas sustained turbulence helps modulate NPF. These findings provide new insights into the physical drivers of NPF, underscoring the role of turbulence in impacting particle formation with the ABL.
Publication Title Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
Publication Date Apr 28, 2025
Publisher's Version of Record https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JD042307
OpenSky Citable URL https://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d7cz3ckh
OpenSky Listing View on OpenSky
EOL Affiliations ISF, APG

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