We are excited to share that the first PAREMPI article, titled “Implementing Detailed Nucleation Predictions in the Earth System Model EC-Earth3.3.4: Sulfuric Acid–Ammonia Nucleation”, has been published on Geoscientific Model Development scientific journal. This publication is a significant milestone, reflecting the collaborative efforts of multiple projects, including contributions from PAREMPI.
The article has been written by Pontus Roldin, Carl Svenhag, Moa K. Sporre, Tinja Olenius, Daniel Yazgi, Sara M. Blichner and Lars P. Nieradzik.
Abstract
Accurately representing atmospheric aerosol processes in global Earth system models (ESMs) is a complex challenge. Simplifications often necessary to save computational costs can lead to a loss of detail in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation and new particle formation (NPF). This new study tackles these challenges head-on, proposing an innovative approach to improve NPF process descriptions in the ESM EC-Earth3 (ECE3).
The current nucleation scheme in EC-Earth3.3.4, which includes low-volatility organic vapours and sulfuric acid (H2SO4), has been expanded. By introducing a new lookup table method, the study incorporates detailed formation rate predictions through molecular modelling of sulfuric acid–ammonia (H2SO2–NH3) nucleation. This enhanced model accounts for variables such as temperature, atmospheric ion production rate, and molecular cluster scavenging sink.
The study found significant improvements with the new nucleation scheme. Sub-100 nm aerosol concentrations increased by 12%–28%, and although changes in aerosols above 100 nm and direct radiative effects were minor, the new scheme resulted in a global cooling effect of 0.28–1 W m−2 due to cloud radiative impacts. These results were validated against observed measurements, showing improved accuracy, especially at stations where previous models underestimated aerosol concentrations.
This publication underscores the importance of detailed aerosol process representation in ESMs and highlights the potential of innovative approaches to enhance model accuracy without significant computational burden. The collaborative efforts behind this study demonstrate the impact of integrated research initiatives.
📖 Read the full article and explore the detailed findings here.
