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    Original Research Papers

    ‘How to find bananas in the atmospheric aerosol’: new approach for analyzing atmospheric nucleation and growth events

    Authors:

    Jost Heintzenberg ,

    Leibniz-Institute for Tropospheric Research, DE
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    Birgit Wehner,

    Leibniz-Institute for Tropospheric Research, DE
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    Wolfram Birmili

    Leibniz-Institute for Tropospheric Research, DE
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    Abstract

    We have devised a new search algorithm for secondary particle formation events, or ‘nucleation events’ in data sets of atmospheric particle size distributions. The search algorithm is simple and based on the investigation of 18 integral parameters of the particle size distribution, three of which were found to be most relevant for identifying nucleation events. The algorithm is tested using long-term size distribution data sets of high-size resolution observed at Melpitz, Hohenpeissenberg, and Leipzig, Germany, and Beijing, China, thereby covering a wide range of clean and polluted conditions. By specifying the particular training sets, the method can be used by other researchers with different data sets or different research goals. The same search approach could be applied to identify and analyze other systematic changes in size distribution such as during frontal passages or sand storms. As an example application of the new algorithm, the 50 strongest nucleation events (‘bananas’) at each of the four sites are analyzed statistically in terms of average changes of integral parameters of the particle size distribution.

    How to Cite: Heintzenberg, J., Wehner, B. and Birmili, W., 2007. ‘How to find bananas in the atmospheric aerosol’: new approach for analyzing atmospheric nucleation and growth events. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 59(2), pp.273–282. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0889.2007.00249.x
      Published on 01 Jan 2007
    Peer Reviewed
     CC BY 4.0
     Accepted on 8 Jan 2007            Submitted on 23 Oct 2006

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