BLACARAT

Duration: 2014-2019
Funding: European Research Council, consolidator grant
Contact: Martin Gysel-Beer, martin.gysel@psi.ch
Atmospheric black carbon affects climate and causes adverse health effects.
Atmospheric black carbon affects climate and causes adverse health effects.
Atmospheric black carbon aerosol - so-called soot - originates from incomplete combustion processes. Present-day sources of black carbon particles are dominated by anthropogenic activities, and black carbon affects climate through aerosol-radiation and aerosol-cloud interactions. This project aims at a better understanding of the climate impacts of black carbon aerosol by characterizing its emissions, optical properties, cloud condensation nuclei activity and its potential to trigger heterogeneous ice nucleation.
  • The unexpected discovery of tar in marine ship engine exhaust led to a refined classification of light-absorbing carbon in atmospheric aerosol.
  • The "lensing effect" caused by organic and inorganic coatings around black carbon cores was shown to be the main driver of variations in the mass-specific light-absorption by black carbon particles.
  • The scavenging of black carbon in liquid clouds was shown to be mainly driven by cloud peak supersaturation.
  • The activation of black carbon particles to cloud droplets was successfully explained based on black carbon particle size and mixing state with water-soluble particulate matter and with using simplified κ-Köhler theory.
  • Black carbon aerosol particles were shown to be unimportant as heterogeneous ice nuclei in mixed-phase clouds.

European Research Council, consolidator grant: ERC-CoG-615922-BLACARAT (EU FP7-IDEAS-ERC)

Funding Logos

EOS reasearch spotlight (DOI:10.1029/2018EO103263):

European Youth Event (EYE2018):

Auf der Spur von Russ – auf dem Jungfraujoch

Der Staubsauger der Sphinx:

Droplet activation behaviour of atmospheric black carbon particles in fog as a function of their size and mixing state.
Motos, G., J. Schmale, J. C. Corbin, M. Zanatta, U. Baltensperger, and M. Gysel-Beer, 2019
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 2183-2207.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-19-2183-2019

Production of particulate brown carbon during atmospheric aging of residential wood-burning emissions.
Kumar, N. K., J. C. Corbin, E. A. Bruns, D. Massabó, J. G. Slowik, L. Drinovec, G. Močnik, P. Prati, A. Vlachou, U. Baltensperger, M. Gysel, I. El-Haddad, and A. S. H. Prévôt, 2018
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 17843-17861.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-18-17843-2018

Effects of mixing state on optical and radiative properties of black carbon in the European Arctic.
Zanatta, M., P. Laj, M. Gysel, U. Baltensperger, S. Vratolis, K. Eleftheriadis, Y. Kondo, P. Dubuisson, V. Winiarek, S. Kazadzis, P. Tunved, and H. W. Jacobi, 2018
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 14037-14057.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-18-14037-2018

Brown and black carbon emitted by a marine engine operated on heavy fuel oil and distillate fuels: optical properties, size distributions, and emission factors.
Corbin, J. C., S. M. Pieber, H. Czech, M. Zanatta, G. Jakobi, D. Massabò, J. Orasche, I. El Haddad, A. A. Mensah, B. Stengel, L. Drinovec, G. Mocnik, R. Zimmermann, A. S. H. Prévôt, and M. Gysel, 2018a
J. Geophys. Res., 123, 6175-6195.
DOI: 10.1029/2017JD027818


Trace metals in soot and PM2.5 from heavy-fuel-oil combustion in a marine engine.
Corbin, J. C., A. A. Mensah, S. M. Pieber, J. Orasche, B. Michalke, M. Zanatta, H. Czech, D. Massabò, F. Buatier de Mongeot, C. Mennucci, I. El Haddad, N. K. Kumar, B. Stengel, Y. Huang, R. Zimmermann, A. S. H. Prévôt, and M. Gysel, 2018b
Environ. Sci. Technol., 52, 6714-6722.
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b01764

Insights into organic-aerosol sources via a novel laser-desorption/ionization mass spectrometry technique applied to one year of PM10 samples from nine sites in central Europe.
Daellenbach, K. R., I. El-Haddad, L. Karvonen, A. Vlachou, J. C. Corbin, J. G. Slowik, M. F. Heringa, E. A. Bruns, S. M. Luedin, J. L. Jaffrezo, S. Szidat, A. Piazzalunga, R. Gonzalez, P. Fermo, V. Pflueger, G. Vogel, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt, 2018
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 2155-2174.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-18-2155-2018

Chemical composition and source analysis of carbonaceous aerosol particles at a mountaintop site in central Sweden.
Franke, V., P. Zieger, U. Wideqvist, J. C. Acosta Navarro, C. Leck, P. Tunved, B. Rosati, M. Gysel, M. E. Salter, and J. Ström, 2017
Tellus B, 69, 1353387.
DOI: 10.1080/16000889.2017.1353387

Revising the hygroscopicity of inorganic sea salt particles.
Zieger, P., O. Väisänen, J. C. Corbin, D. G. Partridge, S. Bastelberger, M. Mousavi-Fard, B. Rosati, M. Gysel, U. K. Krieger, C. Leck, A. Nenes, I. Riipinen, A. Virtanen, and M. E. Salter, 2017
Nat. Commun., 8, 15883.
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15883

Evaluation of the absorption Ångström exponents for traffic and wood burning in the Aethalometer-based source apportionment using radiocarbon measurements of ambient aerosol.
Zotter, P., H. Herich, M. Gysel, I. El-Haddad, Y. Zhang, G. Močnik, C. Hüglin, U. Baltensperger, S. Szidat, and A. S. H. Prévôt, 2017
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 4229-4249.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-17-4229-2017

A European aerosol phenomenology-5: Climatology of black carbon optical properties at 9 regional background sites across Europe.
Zanatta, M., M. Gysel, N. Bukowiecki, T. Müller, E. Weingartner, H. Areskoug, M. Fiebig, K. E. Yttri, N. Mihalopoulos, G. Kouvarakis, D. Beddows, R. M. Harrison, F. Cavalli, J. P. Putaud, G. Spindler, A. Wiedensohler, A. Alastuey, M. Pandolfi, K. Sellegri, E. Swietlicki, J. L. Jaffrezo, U. Baltensperger, and P. Laj, 2016
Atmos. Environ., 145, 346-364.
DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2016.09.035

Contribution of new particle formation to the total aerosol concentration at the high-altitude site Jungfraujoch (3580 m asl, Switzerland).
Tröstl, J., E. Herrmann, C. Frege, F. Bianchi, U. Molteni, N. Bukowiecki, C. R. Hoyle, M. Steinbacher, E. Weingartner, J. Dommen, M. Gysel, and U. Baltensperger, 2016
J. Geophys. Res., 121, 11,692-11,711.
DOI: 10.1002/2015JD024637

Ice residual properties in mixed-phase clouds at the high-alpine Jungfraujoch site.
Kupiszewski, P., M. Zanatta, S. Mertes, P. Vochezer, G. Lloyd, J. Schneider, L. Schenk, M. Schnaiter, U. Baltensperger, E. Weingartner, and M. Gysel, 2016
J. Geophys. Res., 121, 12343-12362.
DOI: 10.1002/2016JD024894

Vertical profiling of aerosol hygroscopic properties in the planetary boundary layer during the PEGASOS campaigns.
Rosati, B., M. Gysel, F. Rubach, T. F. Mentel, B. Goger, L. Poulain, P. Schlag, P. Miettinen, A. Pajunoja, A. Virtanen, H. Klein Baltink, J. S. B. Henzing, J. Größ, G. P. Gobbi, A. Wiedensohler, A. Kiendler-Scharr, S. Decesari, M. C. Facchini, E. Weingartner, and U. Baltensperger, 2016a
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 7295-7315.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-16-7295-2016

New particle formation in the free troposphere: A question of chemistry and timing.
Bianchi, F., J. Tröstl, H. Junninen, C. Frege, S. Henne, C. R. Hoyle, U. Molteni, E. Herrmann, A. Adamov, N. Bukowiecki, X. Chen, J. Duplissy, M. Gysel, M. Hutterli, J. Kangasluoma, J. Kontkanen, A. Kürten, H. E. Manninen, S. Münch, O. Peräkylä, T. Petäjä, L. Rondo, C. Williamson, E. Weingartner, J. Curtius, D. R. Worsnop, M. Kulmala, J. Dommen, and U. Baltensperger, 2016
Science, 352, 1109-1112.
DOI: 10.1126/science.aad5456

Studying the vertical aerosol extinction coefficient by comparing in situ airborne data and elastic backscatter lidar.
Rosati, B., E. Herrmann, S. Bucci, F. Fierli, F. Cairo, M. Gysel, R. Tillmann, J. Größ, G. P. Gobbi, L. Di Liberto, G. Di Donfrancesco, A. Wiedensohler, E. Weingartner, A. Virtanen, T. F. Mentel, and U. Baltensperger, 2016b
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 4539-4554.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-16-4539-2016

Chemical and physical influences on aerosol activation in liquid clouds: a study based on observations from the Jungfraujoch, Switzerland.
Hoyle, C. R., C. S. Webster, H. E. Rieder, A. Nenes, E. Hammer, E. Herrmann, M. Gysel, N. Bukowiecki, E. Weingartner, M. Steinbacher, and U. Baltensperger, 2016
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 4043-4061.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-16-4043-2016

A synthesis of cloud condensation nuclei counter (CCNC) measurements within the EUCAARI network.
Paramonov, M., V.-M. Kerminen, M. Gysel, P. P. Aalto, M. O. Andreae, E. Asmi, U. Baltensperger, A. Bougiatioti, D. Brus, G. P. Frank, N. Good, S. S. Gunthe, L. Hao, M. Irwin, A. Jaatinen, Z. Jurányi, S. M. King, A. Kortelainen, A. Kristensson, H. Lihavainen, M. Kulmala, U. Lohmann, S. T. Martin, G. McFiggans, N. Mihalopoulos, A. Nenes, C. D. O'Dowd, J. Ovadnevaite, T. Petäjä, U. Pöschl, G. C. Roberts, D. Rose, B. Svenningsson, E. Swietlicki, E. Weingartner, J. Whitehead, A. Wiedensohler, C. Wittbom, and B. Sierau, 2015
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 12211-12229.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-15-12211-2015

Fourteen months of on-line measurements of the non-refractory submicron aerosol at the Jungfraujoch (3580 m a.s.l.) – chemical composition, origins and organic aerosol sources.
Fröhlich, R., M. J. Cubison, J. G. Slowik, N. Bukowiecki, F. Canonaco, P. L. Croteau, M. Gysel, S. Henne, E. Herrmann, J. T. Jayne, M. Steinbacher, D. R. Worsnop, U. Baltensperger, and A. S. H. Prévôt, 2015
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 11373-11398.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-15-11373-2015

Analysis of long-term aerosol size distribution data from Jungfraujoch with emphasis on free tropospheric conditions, cloud influence, and air mass transport.
Herrmann, E., E. Weingartner, S. Henne, V. L., N. Bukowiecki, M. Steinbacher, F. Conen, M. Collaud Coen, E. Hammer, Z. Jurányi, U. Baltensperger, and M. Gysel, 2015
J. Geophys. Res., 120, 9459–9480.
DOI: 10.1002/2015JD023660

The Ice Selective Inlet: a novel technique for exclusive extraction of pristine ice crystals in mixed-phase clouds.
Kupiszewski, P., E. Weingartner, P. Vochezer, M. Schnaiter, A. Bigi, M. Gysel, B. Rosati, E. Toprak, S. Mertes, and U. Baltensperger, 2015
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 3087-3106.
DOI: 10.5194/amt-8-3087-2015

Fast and precise measurement in the sub-20 nm size range using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer.
Tröstl, J., T. Tritscher, O. F. Bischof, H.-G. Horn, T. Krinke, U. Baltensperger, and M. Gysel, 2015
J. Aerosol Sci., 87, 75-87.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaerosci.2015.04.001

The white-light humidified optical particle spectrometer (WHOPS) – a novel airborne system to characterize aerosol hygroscopicity.
Rosati, B., G. Wehrle, M. Gysel, P. Zieger, U. Baltensperger, and E. Weingartner, 2015
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 921-939.
DOI: 10.5194/amt-8-921-2015

Size-dependent particle activation properties in fog during the ParisFog 2012/13 field campaign.
Hammer, E., M. Gysel, G. C. Roberts, T. Elias, J. Hofer, C. R. Hoyle, N. Bukowiecki, J.-C. Dupont, F. Burnet, U. Baltensperger, and E. Weingartner, 2014
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 10517-10533.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-14-10517-2014

Predicting hygroscopic growth using single particle chemical composition estimates.
Healy, R. M., G. J. Evans, M. Murphy, Z. Jurányi, T. Tritscher, M. Laborde, E. Weingartner, M. Gysel, L. Poulain, K. A. Kamilli, A. Wiedensohler, I. P. O'Connor, E. McGillicuddy, J. R. Sodeau, and J. C. Wenger, 2014
J. Geophys. Res., 119, 9567–9577.
DOI: 10.1002/2014JD021888

The Pagami Creek smoke plume after long-range transport to the upper troposphere over Europe – aerosol properties and black carbon mixing state.
Dahlkötter, F., M. Gysel, D. Sauer, A. Minikin, R. Baumann, P. Seifert, A. Ansmann, M. Fromm, C. Voigt, and B. Weinzierl, 2014
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 6111-6137.
DOI: 10.5194/acp-14-6111-2014