FORCeS participants Liine Heikkinen, Daniel Partridge, Sara Blichner, Rahul Ranjan, Tuukka Petäjä, Claudia Mohr, and Ilona Riipinen just published a study investigating cloud response to co-condensation of water and organic vapors over the boreal forest in EGU Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.
In this paper, Heikkinen et al. have used advanced measurement technology to look at how organic vapors from forests can influence cloud formation over the boreal forest of Finland. They found that when these organic vapors condense along with water vapor, they increase the number of aerosol particles that form cloud droplets.
Through simulations, Heikkinen et al. were able to understand how various factors such as temperature, humidity, and aerosol size affect cloud droplet formation. They observed that accounting for organic vapor condensation increases cloud droplet concentration by around 16% to 22%. This effect is most significant in environments with new particle formation processes. However, simulations using a global model show limited accuracy compared to observed data from the boreal forest.
Heikkinen emphasizes the importance of accurately representing aerosol size distribution for predicting cloud formation effects. She explains that “Further research [is needed] to gather observational evidence for these processes in real-world conditions.”
Access the publication here: https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-5117-2024
