Research Area A: Aerosols, clouds and chemistry

Research Questions (A)

RQ-A1: Is transport of boundary layer aerosol in WCBs or convection a dominant source of UT aerosol and ice particles and how does this transport affect their radiative properties?

RQ-A2: What is the importance of non-sulfur aerosol components (e.g. meteoric material, organic matter, pollution) for the aerosol properties and their effects in the UTLS?

RQ-A3: Can organic particles be freshly formed in the UT? Is this a main source region for CCN in the tropical lower troposphere? Does the aerosol in the extratropical lower stratosphere originate in the tropical UT?

Projects in Research Area A

A01 Impact of aircraft emissions and convection on the composition of the UTLS 

A02 Long-term evolution of mid-latitude ice and mixed-phase cloud properties and their radiative effects from geostationary satellite observations

A03 Aerosol nucleation in the upper troposphere

A04 Composition and transport of aerosol particles in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) and their interactions with cirrus clouds

A05 Chemical characterisation of organic aerosol in the UTLS

A06 Composition and variability of UTLS refractory aerosol and ice-nucleating particles