Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Item
    Measurement report: Long-range transport and the fate of dimethyl sulfide oxidation products in the free troposphere derived from observations at the high-altitude research station Chacaltaya (5240ma.s.l.) in the Bolivian Andes
    (Katlenburg-Lindau : EGU, 2023) Scholz, Wiebke; Shen, Jiali; Aliaga, Diego; Wu, Cheng; Carbone, Samara; Moreno, Isabel; Zha, Qiaozhi; Huang, Wei; Heikkinen, Liine; Jaffrezo, Jean Luc; Uzu, Gaelle; Partoll, Eva; Leiminger, Markus; Velarde, Fernando; Laj, Paolo; Ginot, Patrick; Artaxo, Paolo; Wiedensohler, Alfred; Kulmala, Markku; Mohr, Claudia; Andrade, Marcos; Sinclair, Victoria; Bianchi, Federico; Hansel, Armin
    Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is the primary natural contributor to the atmospheric sulfur burden. Observations concerning the fate of DMS oxidation products after long-range transport in the remote free troposphere are, however, sparse. Here we present quantitative chemical ionization mass spectrometric measurements of DMS and its oxidation products sulfuric acid (H2SO4), methanesulfonic acid (MSA), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylsulfone (DMSO2), methanesulfinic acid (MSIA), methyl thioformate (MTF), methanesulfenic acid (MSEA, CH3SOH), and a compound of the likely structure CH3S(O)2OOH in the gas phase, as well as measurements of the sulfate and methanesulfonate aerosol mass fractions. The measurements were performed at the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) station Chacaltaya in the Bolivian Andes located at 5240m above sea level (a.s.l.). DMS and DMS oxidation products are brought to the Andean high-altitude station by Pacific air masses during the dry season after convective lifting over the remote Pacific ocean to 6000-8000ma.s.l. and subsequent long-range transport in the free troposphere (FT). Most of the DMS reaching the station is already converted to the rather unreactive sulfur reservoirs DMSO2 in the gas phase and methanesulfonate (MS-) in the particle phase, which carried nearly equal amounts of sulfur to the station. The particulate sulfate at Chacaltaya is however dominated by regional volcanic emissions during the time of the measurement and not significantly affected by the marine air masses. In one of the FT events, even some DMS was observed next to reactive intermediates such as methyl thioformate, dimethylsulfoxide, and methanesulfinic acid. Also for this event, back trajectory calculations show that the air masses came from above the ocean (distance >330km) with no local surface contacts. This study demonstrates the potential impact of marine DMS emissions on the availability of sulfur-containing vapors in the remote free troposphere far away from the ocean.
  • Item
    Biomass burning and urban emission impacts in the Andes Cordillera region based on in situ measurements from the Chacaltaya observatory, Bolivia (5240a.s.l.)
    (Katlenburg-Lindau : EGU, 2019) Chauvigné, Aurélien; Aliaga, Diego; Sellegri, Karine; Montoux, Nadège; Krejci, Radovan; Močnik, Griša; Moreno, Isabel; Müller, Thomas; Pandolfi, Marco; Velarde, Fernando; Weinhold, Kay; Ginot, Patrick; Wiedensohler, Alfred; Andrade, Marcos; Laj, Paolo
    This study documents and analyses a 4-year continuous record of aerosol optical properties measured at the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) station of Chacaltaya (CHC; 5240a.s.l.), in Bolivia. Records of particle light scattering and particle light absorption coefficients are used to investigate how the high Andean Cordillera is affected by both long-range transport and by the fast-growing agglomeration of La Paz-El Alto, located approximately 20km away and 1.5km below the sampling site. The extended multi-year record allows us to study the properties of aerosol particles for different air mass types, during wet and dry seasons, also covering periods when the site was affected by biomass burning in the Bolivian lowlands and the Amazon Basin. The absorption, scattering, and extinction coefficients (median annual values of 0.74, 12.14, and 12.96Mm-1 respectively) show a clear seasonal variation with low values during the wet season (0.57, 7.94, and 8.68Mm-1 respectively) and higher values during the dry season (0.80, 11.23, and 14.51Mm-1 respectively). The record is driven by variability at both seasonal and diurnal scales. At a diurnal scale, all records of intensive and extensive aerosol properties show a pronounced variation (daytime maximum, night-time minimum), as a result of the dynamic and convective effects. The particle light absorption, scattering, and extinction coefficients are on average 1.94, 1.49, and 1.55 times higher respectively in the turbulent thermally driven conditions than the more stable conditions, due to more efficient transport from the boundary layer. Retrieved intensive optical properties are significantly different from one season to the other, reflecting the changing aerosol emission sources of aerosol at a larger scale. Using the wavelength dependence of aerosol particle optical properties, we discriminated between contributions from natural (mainly mineral dust) and anthropogenic (mainly biomass burning and urban transport or industries) emissions according to seasons and local circulation. The main sources influencing measurements at CHC are from the urban area of La Paz-El Alto in the Altiplano and from regional biomass burning in the Amazon Basin. Results show a 28% to 80% increase in the extinction coefficients during the biomass burning season with respect to the dry season, which is observed in both tropospheric dynamic conditions. From this analysis, long-term observations at CHC provide the first direct evidence of the impact of biomass burning emissions of the Amazon Basin and urban emissions from the La Paz area on atmospheric optical properties at a remote site all the way to the free troposphere. © Author(s) 2019.