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

Brief Summary

Project A04 focusses on the interactions between aerosol particles in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) and the formation of cirrus clouds. This project contains three work packages (WP). In WP1, led by the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, we will use mass spectrometer data from past and upcoming aircraft-based measurements to extend the available data set on UTLS aerosol composition. This data set will allow for a better understanding of the aerosol properties, sources, and transport pathways in the UTLS. Additionally, the TPChange consortium will conduct a dedicated aircraft campaign with a small research aircraft (Learjet) equipped with a towed sensor shuttle. Here, A04 will measure small scale gradients of trace gases including water vapour, temperature, aerosol particles, and cirrus occurrence in the mid-latitude UTLS. In WP2, led by the Research Center Jülich, we will analyze these data with respect to cirrus occurrence, supporting modelling studies which up to now have difficulties resolving such a small vertical range. To achieve a better understanding of the interactions between aerosol particles and cirrus clouds, WP3 (led by the Goethe University Frankfurt) will study the chemical processing and the ice nucleation ability of typical UTLS aerosol components during a laboratory campaign at the renewed cloud simulation chamber of KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology). These measurements will specifically focus on particle emissions from aircraft, such as lubrication oil, under temperature conditions relevant for the UTLS.

Schematic overview on sources for aerosol particles in the UTLS and their interactions with cirrus clouds.

Project Poster

Evaluation Poster Phase I in 2025

Members

Publications

Bozem, H., P. Joppe, Y. Li, N. Emig, A. Afchine, A. Breuninger, J. Curtius, S. Hofmann, S. Ismayil, K. Kandler, D. Kunkel, A. Kutschka, H.-C. Lachnitt, A. Petzold, S. Richter, T. Röschenthaler, C. Rolf, L. Schneider, J. Schneider, A. Vogel, and P. Hoor (2025): The TropoPause Composition TOwed Sensor Shuttle (TPC-TOSS): A new airborne dual platform approach for atmospheric composition measurements at the tropopause. EGUsphere 2025, [Preprint], 1–34. doi: 10.5194/egusphere-2025-3175

Breuninger, A., P. Joppe, J. Wilsch, C. Schwenk, H. Bozem, N. Emig, L. Merkel, R. Rossberg, T. Keber, A. Kutschka, P. Waleska, S. Hofmann, S. Richter, F. Ungeheuer, K. Dörholt, T. Hoffmann, A. Miltenberger, J. Schneider, P. Hoor, and A. L. Vogel (2025): Organic aerosols mixing across the tropopause and its implication for anthropogenic pollution of the UTLS. EGUsphere 2025, [Preprint], 1–30. doi: 10.5194/egusphere-2025-3129.

Ehrlich, A., S. Crewell, A. Herber, M. Klingebiel, C. Lüpkes, M. Mech, S. Becker, S. Borrmann, H. Bozem, M. Buschmann, H.-C. Clemen, E. De La Torre Castro, H. Dorff, R. Dupuy, O. Eppers, F. Ewald, G. George, A. Giez, S. Grawe, C. Gourbeyre, J. Hartmann, E. Jäkel, P. Joppe, O. Jourdan, Z. Jurányi, B. Kirbus, J. Lucke, A. E. Luebke, M. Maahn, N. Maherndl, C. Mallaun, J. Mayer, S. Mertes, G. Mioche, M. Moser, H. Müller, V. Pörtge, N. Risse, G. Roberts, S. Rosenburg, J. Röttenbacher, M. Schäfer, J. Schaefer, A. Schäfler, I. Schirmacher, J. Schneider, S. Schnitt, F. Stratmann, C. Tatzelt, C. Voigt, A. Walbröl, A. Weber, B. Wetzel, M. Wirth, and M. Wendisch (2025): A comprehensive in situ and remote sensing data set collected during the HALO–(AC)3 aircraft campaign. Earth System Science Data 17 (3), 1295–1328. doi: 10.5194/essd-17-1295-2025.

Eppers, O., F. Köllner, O. Appel, P. Brauner, F. Ekinci, S. Molleker, A. Dragoneas, W. Smith, R. Ueyama, S. Bucci, B. Legras, C. Williamson, L. Pan, and S. Borrmann (2025b): Contribution of different source regions to the chemical composition of the Asian tropopause aerosol layer (ATAL). ESS Open Archive, [Preprint]. doi: 10.22541/essoar.175130383.35260852/v1.

Joppe, P., J. Schneider, J. Wilsch, H. Bozem, A. Breuninger, J. Curtius, M. Ebert, N. Emig, P. Hoor, S. Ismayil, K. Kandler, D. Kunkel, I. Kurth, H.-C. Lachnitt, Y. Li, A. Miltenberger, S. Richter, C. Rolf, L. Schneider, C. Schwenk, N. Spelten, A. L. Vogel, Y. Cheng, and S. Borrmann (2025): Transport of Biomass Burning Aerosol into the Extratropical Tropopause Region over Europe via Warm Conveyor Belt Uplift. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 25 (21), 15077–15103. doi: 10.5194/acp-25-15077-2025.

Moser, M., C. Voigt, O. Eppers, J. Lucke, E. De La Torre Castro, J. Mayer, R. Dupuy, G. Mioche, O. Jourdan, H.-C. Clemen, J. Schneider, P. Joppe, S. Mertes, B. Wetzel, S. Borrmann, M. Klingebiel, M. Mech, C. Lüpkes, S. Crewell, A. Ehrlich, A. Herber, and M. Wendisch (2025a): The Arctic Low-Level Mixed-Phase Haze Regime and its Microphysical Differences to Mixed-Phase Clouds. EGUsphere 2025, [Preprint], 1–33. doi: 10.5194/egusphere-2025-3876.

Schneider, J., C. Schulz, F. Rubach, A. Ludwig, J. Wilsch, P. Joppe, C. Gurk, S. Molleker, L. Poulain, F. Obersteiner, T. Gehrlein, H. Bönisch, A. Zahn, P. Hoor, N. Emig, H. Bozem, S. Borrmann, and M. Hermann (2025): CARIBIC-AMS: A fully automated aerosol mass spectrometer for operation on routine passenger flights (IAGOS- CARIBIC) – instrument description and first flight application. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 18 (19), 5103–5128. doi: 10.5194/amt-18-5103-2025.

Smith, W. P., S. Tilmes, B. Gaubert, C. Granier, Y. Zhu, O. Eppers, F. Köllner, P. Brauner, A. Rollins, E. Waxman, G. Schill, C. Gurganus, L. G. Huey, D. Tanner, Y.-R. Lee, and C. Bekemeier (2025): Implications of Recent Chinese SO2 Emission Reduction on Global Sulfate Concentration and Radiative Forcing. ESS Open Archive, [Preprint]. doi: 10.22541/essoar.175682819.92297398/v1.

Curtius, J., M. Heinritzi, L. J. Beck, M. L. Pöhlker, N. Tripathi, B. E. Krumm, P. Holzbeck, C. M. Nussbaumer, L. Hernández Pardo, T. Klimach, K. Barmpounis, S. T. Andersen, R. Bardakov, B. Bohn, M. A. Cecchini, J.-P. Chaboureau, T. Dauhut, D. Dienhart, R. Dörich, A. Edtbauer, A. Giez, A. Hartmann, B. A. Holanda, P. Joppe, K. Kaiser, T. Keber, H. Klebach, O. O. Krüger, A. Kürten, C. Mallaun, D. Marno, M. Martinez, C. Monteiro,
C. Nelson, L. Ort, S. S. Raj, S. Richter, A. Ringsdorf, F. Rocha, M. Simon, S. Sreekumar, A. Tsokankunku, G. R. Unfer, I. D. Valenti, N. Wang, A. Zahn, M. Zauner-Wieczorek, R. I. Albrecht, M. O. Andreae, P. Artaxo, J. N. Crowley, H. Fischer, H. Harder, D. L. Herdies, L. A. T. Machado, C. Pöhlker, U. Pöschl, A. Possner, A. Pozzer, J. Schneider, J. Williams, and J. Lelieveld (2024): Isoprene nitrates drive new particle formation in Amazon’s upper troposphere. Nature 636, 124–130. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08192-4.

Ebert, M., R. Weigel, S. Weinbruch, L. Schneider, K. Kandler, S. Lauterbach, F. Köllner, F. Plöger, G. Günther, B. Vogel, and S. Borrmann (2024): Characterization of refractory aerosol particles collected in the tropical upper troposphere-lower stratosphere (UTLS) within the Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer (ATAL). Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 24 (8), 4771-4788. doi: 10.5194/acp-24-4771-2024.

Joppe, P., J. Schneider, K. Kaiser, H. Fischer, P. Hoor, D. Kunkel, H.-C. Lachnitt, A. Marsing, L. Röder, H. Schlager, L. Tomsche, C. Voigt, A. Zahn, and S. Borrmann (2024): The influence of extratropical cross- tropopause mixing on the correlation between ozone and sulfate aerosol in the lowermost stratosphere. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 24 (13), 7499–7522. doi: 10.5194/acp-24-7499-20

Wendisch, M., S. Crewell, A. Ehrlich, A. Herber, B. Kirbus, C. Lüpkes, M. Mech, S. J. Abel, E. F. Akansu, F. Ament, C. Aubry, S. Becker, S. Borrmann, H. Bozem, M. Brückner, H.-C. Clemen, S. Dahlke, G. Dekoutsidis, J. Delanoë, E. De La Torre Castro, H. Dorff, R. Dupuy, O. Eppers, F. Ewald, G. George, I. V. Gorodetskaya, S. Grawe, S. Groß, J. Hartmann, S. Henning, L. Hirsch, E. Jäkel, P. Joppe, O. Jourdan, Z. Jurányi, M. Karalis, M. Kellermann, M. Klingebiel, M. Lonardi, J. Lucke, A. Luebke, M. Maahn, N. Maherndl, M. Maturilli, B. Mayer, J. Mayer, S. Mertes, J. Michaelis, M. Michalkov, G. Mioche, M. Moser, H. Müller, R. Neggers, D. Ori, D. Paul, F. Paulus, C. Pilz, F. Pithan, M. Pöhlker, V. Pörtge, M. Ringel, N. Risse, G. C. Roberts, S. Rosenburg, J. Röttenbacher, J. Rückert, M. Schäfer, J. Schäfer, V. Schemannn, I. Schirmacher, J. Schmidt, S. Schmidt, J. Schneider, S. Schnitt, A. Schwarz, H. Siebert, H. Sodemann, T. Sperzel, G. Spreen, B. Stevens, F. Stratmann, G. Svensson, C. Tatzelt, T. Tuch, T. Vihma, C. Voigt, L. Volkmer, A. Walbröl, A. Weber, B. Wehner, B. Wetzel, M. Wirth, and T. Zinner (2024): Overview: quasi-Lagrangian observations of Arctic air mass transformations – introduction and initial results of the HALO–(AC)3 aircraft campaign. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 24 (15), 8865–8892. doi: 10.5194/acp-24-8865-2024.

Tomsche, L., A. Marsing, T. Jurkat-Witschas, J. Lucke, S. Kaufmann, K. Kaiser, J. Schneider, M. Scheibe, H. Schlager, L. Röder, H. Fischer, F. Obersteiner, A. Zahn, M. Zöger, J. Lelieveld, and C. Voigt (2022): Enhanced sulfur in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere in spring 2020. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 22 (22), 15135–15151. doi: https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-15135-2022.

Yu, P., S. Lian, Y. Zhu, O. B. Toon, M. Höpfner, and S. Borrmann (2022): Abundant Nitrate and Nitric Acid Aerosol in the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere. Geophysical Research Letters 49 (18), e2022GL100258. doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL100258.

Zauner-Wieczorek, M., M. Heinritzi, M. Granzin, T. Keber, A. Kürten, K. Kaiser, J. Schneider, and J. Curtius (2022): Mass spectrometric measurements of ambient ions and estimation of gaseous sulfuric acid in the free troposphere and lowermost stratosphere during the CAFE-EU/BLUESKY campaign. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 22 (17), 11781–11794. doi: 10.5194/acp-22-11781-2022.