Surfactant effects in global simulations of cloud droplet activation

N. L. Prisle; A. Asmi; D. Topping; A. I. Partanen; S. Romakkaniemi; M. Dal Maso; M. Kulmala; A. Laaksonen; K. E J Lehtinen; G. McFiggans; H. Kokkola

doi:10.1029/2011GL050467

Surfactant effects in global simulations of cloud droplet activation

N. L. Prisle, A. Asmi, D. Topping, A. I. Partanen, S. Romakkaniemi, M. Dal Maso, M. Kulmala, A. Laaksonen, K. E J Lehtinen, G. McFiggans, H. Kokkola

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Abstract

Atmospheric aerosols often contain surface active organics. We study the influence of these surfactants on predictions of particle cloud activation potential and aerosol indirect climate effects, by implementing different parametrizations of surfactant effects in the global circulation model ECHAM5.5-HAM2. A parametrization based only on droplet surface tension reduction produces significantly larger effects on predicted cloud droplet numbers than novel parametrizations based on detailed considerations of organic surface activity. It seems better to disregard surfactant effects altogether than employing parametrizations accounting only for effects on surface tension. We strongly recommend not using only the surface tension reduction to represent the surfactant effects in climate models. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.

Original language	English
Article number	L05802
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	39
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GL050467
Publication status	Published - 2012

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title = "Surfactant effects in global simulations of cloud droplet activation",

abstract = "Atmospheric aerosols often contain surface active organics. We study the influence of these surfactants on predictions of particle cloud activation potential and aerosol indirect climate effects, by implementing different parametrizations of surfactant effects in the global circulation model ECHAM5.5-HAM2. A parametrization based only on droplet surface tension reduction produces significantly larger effects on predicted cloud droplet numbers than novel parametrizations based on detailed considerations of organic surface activity. It seems better to disregard surfactant effects altogether than employing parametrizations accounting only for effects on surface tension. We strongly recommend not using only the surface tension reduction to represent the surfactant effects in climate models. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.",

author = "Prisle, {N. L.} and A. Asmi and D. Topping and Partanen, {A. I.} and S. Romakkaniemi and {Dal Maso}, M. and M. Kulmala and A. Laaksonen and Lehtinen, {K. E J} and G. McFiggans and H. Kokkola",

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doi = "10.1029/2011GL050467",

language = "English",

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journal = "Geophysical Research Letters",

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T1 - Surfactant effects in global simulations of cloud droplet activation

AU - Prisle, N. L.

AU - Asmi, A.

AU - Topping, D.

AU - Partanen, A. I.

AU - Romakkaniemi, S.

AU - Dal Maso, M.

AU - Kulmala, M.

AU - Laaksonen, A.

AU - Lehtinen, K. E J

AU - McFiggans, G.

AU - Kokkola, H.

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - Atmospheric aerosols often contain surface active organics. We study the influence of these surfactants on predictions of particle cloud activation potential and aerosol indirect climate effects, by implementing different parametrizations of surfactant effects in the global circulation model ECHAM5.5-HAM2. A parametrization based only on droplet surface tension reduction produces significantly larger effects on predicted cloud droplet numbers than novel parametrizations based on detailed considerations of organic surface activity. It seems better to disregard surfactant effects altogether than employing parametrizations accounting only for effects on surface tension. We strongly recommend not using only the surface tension reduction to represent the surfactant effects in climate models. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.

AB - Atmospheric aerosols often contain surface active organics. We study the influence of these surfactants on predictions of particle cloud activation potential and aerosol indirect climate effects, by implementing different parametrizations of surfactant effects in the global circulation model ECHAM5.5-HAM2. A parametrization based only on droplet surface tension reduction produces significantly larger effects on predicted cloud droplet numbers than novel parametrizations based on detailed considerations of organic surface activity. It seems better to disregard surfactant effects altogether than employing parametrizations accounting only for effects on surface tension. We strongly recommend not using only the surface tension reduction to represent the surfactant effects in climate models. Copyright 2012 by the American Geophysical Union.

U2 - 10.1029/2011GL050467

DO - 10.1029/2011GL050467

M3 - Article

SN - 0094-8276

VL - 39

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 5

M1 - L05802

ER -

Surfactant effects in global simulations of cloud droplet activation

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