Open AccessHeterogeneous nucleation of ice on surrogates of mineral dust
Author(s) -
Knopf Daniel A.,
Koop Thomas
Publication year - 2006
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 - 10.1029/2005jd006894
Subject(s) - ice nucleus , nucleation , supersaturation , mineral dust , relative humidity , cirrus , particle (ecology) , mineral , sulfuric acid , ice cloud , mineralogy , ice crystals , clear ice , materials science , aerosol , chemical engineering , chemistry , atmospheric sciences , geology , meteorology , arctic ice pack , inorganic chemistry , physics , antarctic sea ice , sea ice , oceanography , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , radiative transfer , engineering , metallurgy
Field studies have shown that mineral dust particles can act as ice nuclei in cirrus clouds. Here, we present a laboratory investigation of heterogeneous ice nucleation on surrogates of mineral dust particles, in particular pure Arizona test dust (ATD) particles, and ATD particles coated with sulfuric acid. The experiments have been performed using a new apparatus in which ice formation on the particles is determined by optical microscopy at temperatures between 197 and 260 K and relative humidities up to water saturation. The experiments reveal that pure and sulfuric acid coated ATD particles nucleate ice at considerably lower relative humidities than required for homogeneous ice nucleation in liquid aerosols. Nucleation occurred over a broad relative humidity range indicating that the different minerals contained in ATD have different ice nucleation thresholds. No significant difference in the ice nucleation ability of pure and H 2 SO 4 coated ATD particles was observed. Below 240 K, ice nucleated on ATD particles apparently by deposition nucleation. Preactivation of ATD particles, that is, a reduction in supersaturation, required for heterogeneous ice nucleation after a previous ice nucleation event on the same particle, has been observed for temperatures as low as 200 K. Differences of 10–30% in the onset RH ice values were obtained for particles with or without preactivation. The results indicate that pure and sulfuric acid coated mineral dust particles may act as efficient ice nuclei in the atmosphere. Preactivation of the particles should be considered when modeling long‐range transport of mineral dust particles and their impact on cloud formation.