Resolving Changing Chemical and Physical Properties of SSA Particle Types during Laboratory Phytoplankton Blooms using Online Single Particle Analysis

Abstract:

Changes in the chemical composition of sea spray aerosols (SSA) can modify their climate-relevant properties. Recent studies have shown a diverse set of distinct SSA particle types, however there are conflicting reports on how and whether biological activity controls the organic fraction and mixing state of SSA. This study leverages an aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer to give an accounting of the temporally resolved mixing state of primary SSA (0.4 – 3 µm vacuum aerodynamic diameter), encompassing 97% of particles detected over the course of laboratory phytoplankton blooms. The influence of biological activity on the climate relevant properties of defined particle types is also investigated. Spatial chemical particle heterogeneity and particularly the surface chemical composition of particles are described along with particle type specific water-particle interactions. These online measurements in tandem with chemical composition could give new insight on the link between seawater chemistry, marine aerosols, and climate properties.