Aerosol particle number size distribution data collected during the Arctic Ocean 2018 expedition

Linn Karlsson, Paul Zieger

Aerosol particle number size distributions in the size range 10⁠ – 921 nm were measured with a custom built differential mobility particle sizer (DMPS) which uses a mixing condensation particle counter (MCPC; Model 1720 from Brechtel Manufacturing Inc., USA). An additional MCPC 1720 was measuring the total particle number concentration.

Atmospheric aerosol particles affect climate by scattering and absorbing solar radiation and by modifying cloud properties. The particle size distribution is an important parameter that determines for example the atmospheric residence time, the optical properties, and the interaction with atmospheric water (cloud activation).

Measurements were performed on the 4th deck of icebreaker Oden during August and September 2018 along the track of the Arctic Ocean 2018 expedition.

Citation

Linn Karlsson, Paul Zieger (2020) Aerosol particle number size distribution data collected during the Arctic Ocean 2018 expedition. Dataset version 1. Bolin Centre Database. https://doi.org/10.17043/oden-ao-2018-aerosol-dmps-1

References

Baccarini A, Karlsson L, Dommen J, Duplessis P, Vüllers J, Brooks IM, Saiz-Lopez A, Salter M, Tjernström M, Baltensperger U, Zieger P, Schmale J (2020) Frequent new particle formation over the high Arctic pack ice by enhanced iodine emissions. Nature Communications 11:4924. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18551-0

von der Weiden S-L, Drewnick F, Borrmann S (2009) Particle Loss Calculator – a new software tool for the assessment of the performance of aerosol inlet systems. Atmos. Meas. Tech. 2:479⁠ – ⁠494. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2-479-2009

Data description

Aerosol particle number size distributions in the size range 10⁠ – ⁠921nm, measured with a DMPS at a time resolution of 9 minutes per scan across 27 size bins.

File type: CSV (1 file, ~3MB)

File structure and contents:

• Column 1: Time (midpoint of scan) in UTC, format yyyy-mm-dd HH:MM:SS
• Column 2: Total number concentration (measured by MCPC) in particles per cubic centimeter
• Column 3 – 30: Number concentration, dN/dlogD per cubic centimeter at bin midpoint diameters (electrical mobility diameter)

The size distribution data have been corrected for losses due to diffusion, impaction and sedimentation using the Particle Loss Calculator (von der Weiden et al. 2009) assuming spherical particles with a density of 1 gcm⁻³. Note that periods with the possible influence of ship pollution are included as reliable data and are not removed.

Comments

The ship track with latitude and longitude information can be found in the Navigation, meteorological and surface seawater data from the Arctic Ocean 2018 expedition data set.

The data creator ORCIDs are the following:

• Paul Zieger: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7000-6879
• Linn Karlsson: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0885-7650

Data were collected during the Arctic Ocean 2018 expedition on board the Swedish icebreaker (I/B) Oden, which was organized by the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. The observations were part of the project 'Aerosol-cloud interactions in the High Arctic' (PI Paul Zieger, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University; see MOCCHA project website with updates).