Search Results

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
  • Item
    Modelling mineral dust emissions and atmospheric dispersion with MADE3 in EMAC v2.54
    (Katlenburg-Lindau : Copernicus, 2020) Beer, Christof G.; Hendricks, Johannes; Righi, Mattia; Heinold, Bernd; Tegen, Ina; Groß, Silke; Sauer, Daniel; Walser, Adrian; Weinzierl, Bernadett
    It was hypothesized that using mineral dust emission climatologies in global chemistry climate models (GCCMs), i.e. prescribed monthly-mean dust emissions representative of a specific year, may lead to misrepresentations of strong dust burst events. This could result in a negative bias of model dust concentrations compared to observations for these episodes. Here, we apply the aerosol microphysics submodel MADE3 (Modal Aerosol Dynamics model for Europe, adapted for global applications, third generation) as part of the ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) general circulation model. We employ two different representations of mineral dust emissions for our model simulations: (i) a prescribed monthly-mean climatology of dust emissions representative of the year 2000 and (ii) an online dust parametrization which calculates wind-driven mineral dust emissions at every model time step. We evaluate model results for these two dust representations by comparison with observations of aerosol optical depth from ground-based station data. The model results show a better agreement with the observations for strong dust burst events when using the online dust representation compared to the prescribed dust emissions setup. Furthermore, we analyse the effect of increasing the vertical and horizontal model resolution on the mineral dust properties in our model. We compare results from simulations with T42L31 and T63L31 model resolution (2.8∘×2.8∘ and 1.9∘×1.9∘ in latitude and longitude, respectively; 31 vertical levels) with the reference setup (T42L19). The different model versions are evaluated against airborne in situ measurements performed during the SALTRACE mineral dust campaign (Saharan Aerosol Long-range Transport and Aerosol-Cloud Interaction Experiment, June–July 2013), i.e. observations of dust transported from the Sahara to the Caribbean. Results show that an increased horizontal and vertical model resolution is able to better represent the spatial distribution of airborne mineral dust, especially in the upper troposphere (above 400 hPa). Additionally, we analyse the effect of varying assumptions for the size distribution of emitted dust but find only a weak sensitivity concerning these changes. The results of this study will help to identify the model setup best suited for future studies and to further improve the representation of mineral dust particles in EMAC-MADE3.
  • Item
    Coupling aerosols to (cirrus) clouds in the global EMAC-MADE3 aerosol–climate model
    (Katlenburg-Lindau : Copernicus, 2020) Righi, Mattia; Hendricks, Johannes; Lohmann, Ulrike; Beer, Christof Gerhard; Hahn, Valerian; Heinold, Bernd; Heller, Romy; Krämer, Martina; Ponater, Michael; Rolf, Christian; Tegen, Ina; Voigt, Christiane
    A new cloud microphysical scheme including a detailed parameterization for aerosol-driven ice formation in cirrus clouds is implemented in the global ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) chemistry–climate model and coupled to the third generation of the Modal Aerosol Dynamics model for Europe adapted for global applications (MADE3) aerosol submodel. The new scheme is able to consistently simulate three regimes of stratiform clouds – liquid, mixed-, and ice-phase (cirrus) clouds – considering the activation of aerosol particles to form cloud droplets and the nucleation of ice crystals. In the cirrus regime, it allows for the competition between homogeneous and heterogeneous freezing for the available supersaturated water vapor, taking into account different types of ice-nucleating particles, whose specific ice-nucleating properties can be flexibly varied in the model setup. The new model configuration is tuned to find the optimal set of parameters that minimizes the model deviations with respect to observations. A detailed evaluation is also performed comparing the model results for standard cloud and radiation variables with a comprehensive set of observations from satellite retrievals and in situ measurements. The performance of EMAC-MADE3 in this new coupled configuration is in line with similar global coupled models and with other global aerosol models featuring ice cloud parameterizations. Some remaining discrepancies, namely a high positive bias in liquid water path in the Northern Hemisphere and overestimated (underestimated) cloud droplet number concentrations over the tropical oceans (in the extratropical regions), which are both a common problem in these kinds of models, need to be taken into account in future applications of the model. To further demonstrate the readiness of the new model system for application studies, an estimate of the anthropogenic aerosol effective radiative forcing (ERF) is provided, showing that EMAC-MADE3 simulates a relatively strong aerosol-induced cooling but within the range reported in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessments.
  • Item
    The impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on the Indian summer monsoon
    (Bristol : IOP Publ., 2021-7-16) Fadnavis, Suvarna; Sabin, T. P.; Rap, Alexandru; Müller, Rolf; Kubin, Anne; Heinold, Bernd
    Aerosol concentrations over Asia play a key role in modulating the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) rainfall. Lockdown measures imposed to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic led to substantial reductions in observed Asian aerosol loadings. Here, we use bottom-up estimates of anthropogenic emissions based on national mobility data from Google and Apple, along with simulations from the ECHAM6-HAMMOZ state-of-the-art aerosol-chemistry-climate model to investigate the impact of the reduced aerosol and gases pollution loadings on the ISM. We show that the decrease in anthropogenic emissions led to a 4 W m−2 increase in surface solar radiation over parts of South Asia, which resulted in a strengthening of the ISM. Simultaneously, while natural emission parameterizations are kept the same in all our simulations, the anthropogenic emission reduction led to changes in the atmospheric circulation, causing accumulation of dust over the Tibetan plateau (TP) during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons. This accumulated dust has intensified the warm core over the TP that reinforced the intensification of the Hadley circulation. The associated cross-equatorial moisture influx over the Indian landmass led to an enhanced amount of rainfall by 4% (0.2 mm d−1) over the Indian landmass and 5%–15% (0.8–3 mm d−1) over central India. These estimates may vary under the influence of large-scale coupled atmosphere–ocean oscillations (e.g. El Nino Southern Oscillation, Indian Ocean Dipole). Our study indicates that the reduced anthropogenic emissions caused by the unprecedented COVID-19 restrictions had a favourable effect on the hydrological cycle over South Asia, which has been facing water scarcity during the past decades. This emphasizes the need for stringent measures to limit future anthropogenic emissions in South Asia for protecting one of the world's most densely populated regions.
  • Item
    ICONGETM v1.0 – flexible NUOPC-driven two-way coupling via ESMF exchange grids between the unstructured-grid atmosphere model ICON and the structured-grid coastal ocean model GETM
    (Katlenburg-Lindau : Copernicus, 2021) Bauer, Tobias Peter; Holtermann, Peter; Heinold, Bernd; Radtke, Hagen; Knoth, Oswald; Klingbeil, Knut
    Two-way model coupling is important for representing the mutual interactions and feedbacks between atmosphere and ocean dynamics. This work presents the development of the two-way coupled model system ICONGETM, consisting of the atmosphere model ICON and the ocean model GETM. ICONGETM is built on the latest NUOPC coupling software with flexible data exchange and conservative interpolation via ESMF exchange grids. With ICON providing a state-of-the-art kernel for numerical weather prediction on an unstructured mesh and GETM being an established coastal ocean model, ICONGETM is especially suited for high-resolution studies. For demonstration purposes the newly developed model system has been applied to a coastal upwelling scenario in the central Baltic Sea.
  • Item
    Editorial: Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the atmosphere
    (Lausanne : Frontiers Media, 2022) Fadnavis, Suvarna; Roxy, M.K.; Griessbach, Sabine; Heinold, Bernd; Kaskaoutis, Dimitris G.; Gautam, Ritesh
    [no abstract available]
  • Item
    The Importance of the Representation of DMS Oxidation in Global Chemistry‐Climate Simulations
    (Hoboken, NJ : Wiley, 2021) Hoffmann, Erik Hans; Heinold, Bernd; Kubin, Anne; Tegen, Ina; Herrmann, Hartmut
    The oxidation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is key for the natural sulfate aerosol formation and its climate impact. Multiphase chemistry is an important oxidation pathway but neglected in current chemistry-climate models. Here, the DMS chemistry in the aerosol-chemistry-climate model ECHAM-HAMMOZ is extended to include multiphase methane sulfonic acid (MSA) formation in deliquesced aerosol particles, parameterized by reactive uptake. First simulations agree well with observed gas-phase MSA concentrations. The implemented formation pathways are quantified to contribute up to 60% to the sulfate aerosol burden over the Southern Ocean and Arctic/Antarctic regions. While globally the impact on the aerosol radiative forcing almost levels off, a significantly more positive solar radiative forcing of up to +0.1 W m−2 is computed in the Arctic (>60°N). The findings imply the need of both further laboratory and model studies on the atmospheric multiphase oxidation of DMS.
  • Item
    Knowledge Transfer with Citizen Science: Luft-Leipzig Case Study
    (Basel : MDPI, 2021) Tõnisson, Liina; Voigtländer, Jens; Weger, Michael; Assmann, Denise; Käthner, Ralf; Heinold, Bernd; Macke, Andreas
    Community-based participatory research initiatives such as “hackAir”, “luftdaten.info”, “senseBox”, “CAPTOR”, “CurieuzeNeuzen Vlaanderen”, “communityAQ”, and “Healthy Air, Healthier Children” campaign among many others for mitigating short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and improving air quality have reported progressive knowledge transfer results. These research initiatives provide the research community with the practical four-element state-of-the-art method for citizen science. For the preparation-, measurements-, data analysis-, and scientific support-elements that collectively present the novel knowledge transfer method, the Luft-Leipzig project results are presented. This research contributes to science by formulating a novel method for SLCP mitigation projects that employ citizen scientists. The Luft-Leipzig project results are presented to validate the four-element state-of-the-art method. The method is recommended for knowledge transfer purposes beyond the scope of mitigating short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and improving air quality.