Journal
ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT
Volume 127, Issue -, Pages 1-5Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.12.009
Keywords
Biological ice nuclei; Immersion freezing; Precipitation; Relative humidity
Funding
- Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology [24810008]
- Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research [26304003, 26340049, 16H02703, 24810008, 15K01328] Funding Source: KAKEN
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Biological ice nuclei (IN) such as certain species of bacteria and fungi are believed to have impacts on ice nucleation in mixed-phase clouds at temperatures warmer than -15 degrees C. Recent studies have indicated that rain is closely related to increases of biological IN in the near-surface atmosphere. However, variations of IN concentrations during rain and snowfall have not been compared. In the present study, field measurements of atmospheric IN were carried out under fine, cloudy, rain and snow at a local forested site in Japan. IN concentrations at -7 degrees C in spring were dramatically increased by rain, and concentrations associated with rain (0.86-2.2 m(-3)) were greater than 2.6 times higher than the mean concentration during fine weather (0.33 m(-3)). In winter, concentrations associated with rain (1.6 to >5.7 m(-3)) were also higher than those under cloudy sky (1.1 m(-3)), but increases were not observed during snowfall (0.21-0.4 m(-3)). Detectable IN concentrations associated with rain considerably decreased after heat treatment at 90 degrees C, indicating that IN increased during rain were likely biological substances such as heat-sensitive ice nucleation active proteins. Consequently, different types of precipitation may have varying effects on IN concentration associated with biological substances. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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