Open AccessA parameterization of aerosol activation: 2. Multiple aerosol types
Author(s) -
AbdulRazzak Hayder,
Ghan Steven J.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/1999jd901161
Subject(s) - supersaturation , aerosol , log normal distribution , particle size , particle size distribution , radius , distribution function , particle (ecology) , particle number , mass fraction , mechanics , thermodynamics , statistical physics , physics , materials science , chemistry , meteorology , mathematics , statistics , volume (thermodynamics) , geology , computer security , oceanography , computer science
A parameterization of the activation of a lognormal size distribution of aerosols to form cloud droplets is extended to the case of multiple externally mixed lognormal modes, each composed of a uniform internal mixture of soluble and insoluble material. The Köhler theory is used to relate the aerosol size distribution and composition to the number activated as a function of maximum supersaturation. The supersaturation balance is used to determine the maximum supersaturation, accounting for particle growth both before and after the particles are activated. Comparison of the parameterized activation of two competing aerosol modes with detailed numerical simulations of the activation process yields agreement to within 10% under a wide variety of conditions, including diverse size distributions, number concentrations, compositions, and updraft velocities. The parametization error exceeds 10% only when the mode radius of the two size distributions differs by an order of magnitude. Errors for the mass fraction activated are always much less than errors for the number fraction activated.