Organic aerosol volatility parameterizations and their impact on atmospheric composition and climate

Abstract:

Despite their importance and ubiquity in the atmosphere, organic aerosols are still very poorly parameterized in global models. This can be explained by two reasons: first, a very large number of unconstrained parameters are involved in accurate parameterizations, and second, a detailed description of semi-volatile organics is computationally very expensive. Even organic aerosol properties that are known to play a major role in the atmosphere, namely volatility and aging, are poorly resolved in global models, if at all. Studies with different models and different parameterizations have not been conclusive on whether the additional complexity improves model simulations, but the added diversity of the different host models used adds an unnecessary degree of variability in the evaluation of results that obscures solid conclusions.

Here we will present a thorough study of the most popular organic aerosol parameterizations with regard to volatility in global models, studied within the same host global model, the GISS ModelE2: primary and secondary organic aerosols both being non-volatile, secondary organic aerosols semi-volatile (2-product model), and all organic aerosols semi-volatile (volatility-basis set). We will also present results on the role aerosol microphysical calculations play on organic aerosol concentrations. The changes in aerosol distribution as a result of the different parameterizations, together with their role on gas-phase chemistry and climate, will be presented.