Supported by

Free Tropospheric Aerosol Measurements at the Pico MountainObservatory, Azores (2225m asl)Claudio Mazzoleni1 (cmazzoleni@mtu.edu), Lynn Mazzoleni1, Paulo Fialho2, Sumit Kumar1, Katja Dzepina1, Michael Dziobak1, Louisa Kramer1, Seth Olsen3, Robert Owen4, Detlev Helmig5, Jacques Hueber5, Swarup China1

1Atmospheric Science Program, Michigan Technological University, 2Azores University, 3University of Illinois, 4,*Michigan Tech Research Institute, 5University of Colorado, *Currently at the U.S. E.P.A.

The Pico Mountain Observatory

MeasurementsGases: 1. Carbon monoxide (NDIR-GFC) (since 2001)2. Ozone (chemiluminescence) (since 2001)3. Non Methane Hydrocarbons (GC) (2004-2006 and 2009-present) 4. Noxy (2002-2005 and 2008-2010)5. PAN (2008-2009)

Aerosol:1. Seven-wavelength aethalometer (Mass equivalent Black Carbon) (since 2001)2. PM intra-cavity Laser aerosol sizer (Aerosol optical Size from 0.09 to 1μm) (2010-2011)3. Two-channels optical particle counter (PM>0.3 μm) (since 2012) 4. Three-wavelength nephelometer (Aerosol total and back- scattering) (since 2012)5. Electron microscopy filter sampler (SEM membranes and TEM grids) (since 2012)6. Four HiVol aerosol samplers (for EC/OC and detailed chemical analysis) (since 2012)

Meteorological data1. Rh, T, P (since 2001)2. Wind speed and direction (since 2001)

The Pico Mountain Observatory is located on Pico Island in the Azores, Portugal (38.47°N, 28.40°W). The station is far from persistent local sources on the summit caldera at an altitude of 2225 m and it lays typically above the boundary layer during summertime. Air masses reaching the station are often transported from North America and seldom from Europe or North Africa. The station was installed in 2001.http://instaar.colorado.edu/groups/pico/

1. Richard Honrath for his pioneering effort in establishing thesite and building the collaboration network

2. Mark Wise for assisting in the installation of the particle sizer3. The Regional Government of Azores has supported politically and financially the Pico

Mountain observatory and operation trough the Regional Secretariat for Science, Technology and Infrastructures (Project M1.2.1/I/006/2005); (Project M1.2.1/I/001/2008); (Project M1.2.1/I/002/2008) and also the Secretariat for the Environment and the Sea.

Decadal Black Carbon Dataset

2012 Nephelometer Data

Acknowledgments

Key Points: In this poster we discuss a limited subset of the aerosol measurements performed at the Pico Mountain Observatory. The Black Carbon (BC) mass shows a clear seasonal pattern over a ten-years period. The 2012 scattering measurements show highly variable signals with events with high scattering and periods of very low aerosol loading. Dust events are clearly captured by the aethalometer ,as well the nephelometer Ångström exponents. Particles have various shapes, and mixing states, and soot particles typically are very compacted.

The Location: The Azores are located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean where airmasses flow itypically Westerly.

Electron Microscopy

BC/Dust Event 2012An aethalometer measures light attenuation through a quartz filter at 7 wavelengths. The measured attenuation is calibrated to an equivalent mass of black carbon with an assumed 1/λ dependence. Data were collected since 2001 over different periods of the year. In 2004 the instrument was operated for most of the year.

Line in the middle of the boxes represent sample median, dots represent mean, lower and upper lines of the boxes are the 25th and 75th percentiles, whiskers indicate the 10th and90th percentiles

0 2 40

50

100

150

200

250

A ngstrom exponent370-470

A ngstrom exponent470-520-660

Freq

uenc

y co

unt

B in S ize0 2 4

0

50

100

150

200

250

Angstrom exponent470-520-660

Angstrom exponent880-950

Freq

uenc

y co

unt

Bin Size

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/North_Atlantic_Ocean_laea_relief_location_map.jpg

The Pico Volcano The Pico Mt. Observatory

BC Seasonality

Paper Number: 8.RA.15

0

20

40

60

80

100

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

9/4/2012 0:00 9/5/2012 0:00 9/6/2012 0:00 9/7/2012 0:00 9/8/2012 0:00 9/9/2012 0:00 9/10/2012 0:00

(PM

0.3‐PM

0.4)/PM

0.3

[%]

PM [#

/l]

Run average 1h PM0.3Run average 1h PM0.4Normalized difference

0.000.020.04

0.060.08

0.100.120.14

9/4/2012 0:00 9/5/2012 0:00 9/6/2012 0:00 9/7/2012 0:00 9/8/2012 0:00 9/9/2012 0:00 9/10/2012 0:00

BCEq

 [g/m

3 ]

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

9/4/2012 0:00 9/5/2012 0:00 9/6/2012 0:00 9/7/2012 0:00 9/8/2012 0:00 9/9/2012 0:00 9/10/2012 0:00

Fe [

m/m

3 ]

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

9/4/2012 0:00 9/5/2012 0:00 9/6/2012 0:00 9/7/2012 0:00 9/8/2012 0:00 9/9/2012 0:00 9/10/2012 0:00

Bsca [1

/Mm]

1h run av Bsca 450nm1h run av Bsca 535nm1h run ave red Bsca 635nm

‐1

0

1

2

3

4

Angstrom

 Expon

ent

TEM Images of bare (a)Pico - 28 July2012and compacted-coated soot (b)Pico - 29 July2012

(a) (b)

SEM Images ofbare soot andirregular particles (a)Pico - 21July2012and dust particle (b)Pico - 22 July2012

(a) (b)

See also Poster by Katja Dzepina - 8RA.3 Thu 12:15-1:45 PM