Cloud‐Nucleating Particles Over the Southern Ocean in a Changing Climate. Issue 3 (26th March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Twohy, Cynthia H.; DeMott, Paul J.; Russell, Lynn M.; Toohey, Darin W.; Rainwater, Bryan; Geiss, Roy; Sanchez, Kevin J.; Lewis, Savannah; Roberts, Gregory C.; Humphries, Ruhi S.; McCluskey, Christina S.; Moore, Kathryn A.; Selleck, Paul W.; Keywood, Melita D.; Ward, Jason P.; McRobert, Ian M.
• Is Part Of: Earth's future. Volume 9:Issue 3(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-03-26
• Subjects: aerosol particles -- Antarctica -- climate change -- clouds -- phytoplankton -- Southern Ocean; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences; Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1029/2020EF001673
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2328-4277

Abstract

Abstract: Stratocumulus clouds over the Southern Ocean have fewer droplets and are more likely to exist in the predominately supercooled phase than clouds at similar temperatures over northern oceans. One likely reason is that this region has few continental and anthropogenic sources of cloud‐nucleating particles that can form droplets and ice. In this work, we present an overview of aerosol particle types over the Southern Ocean, including new measurements made below, in and above clouds in this region. These measurements and others indicate that biogenic sulfur‐based particles >0.1 μm diameter contribute the majority of cloud condensation nuclei number concentrations in summer. Ice nucleating particles tend to have more organic components, likely from sea‐spray. Both types of cloud nucleating particles may increase in a warming climate likely to have less sea ice, more phytoplankton activity, and stronger winds over the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. Taken together, clouds over the Southern Ocean may become more reflective and partially counter the region's expected albedo decrease due to diminishing sea ice. However, detailed modeling studies are needed to test this hypothesis due to the complexity of ocean‐cloud‐climate feedbacks in the region. Plain Language Summary: Clouds over the Southern Ocean tend to have less droplets and ice crystals than similar clouds over northern oceans due to fewer sources of cloud‐nucleating aerosol particles in the region. In this work, we present an overview of aerosol particle types over the Southern Ocean, including new measurements made below, in and above clouds. These measurements indicate that while sea‐spray‐derived salts do provide cloud nuclei, the majority of aerosol particles that influence summertime clouds in this region are biogenic—that is, derived from ocean microorganisms, with the ocean region near Antarctica being a large summertime source. These cloud‐nucleating particles may increase in a warming climate likely to have less sea ice and more phytoplankton activity near Antarctica. These additional particles could make low clouds reflect more light and offset a portion of the warming expected due to diminishing sea ice in a future climate. Key Points: Biogenic sulfate dominates the number concentration of 0.1–0.5 microns diameter particles and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) over the summertime Southern Ocean Biogenic organics are a key component of ice nucleating particles over the Southern Ocean As Antarctic climate changes, increased biological activity could partially offset warming effects of sea‐ice loss via influences on CCN