SSB

SAIL Supermicron Bioaerosol

1 April 2022 - 15 June 2023

Lead Scientist: Allison Aiken

Observatory: AMF (ARM Mobile Facility 2) - GUC

The Surface Atmosphere Integrated Field Laboratory (SAIL) Supermicron Bioaerosol (SSB) study is designed to complement the larger ARM SAIL science goals to understand aerosol processes and aerosol-cloud interactions in the East River Watershed Basin. Supermicron aerosol and bioaerosols are important in high mountainous terrain for their interactions with clouds and the water cycle, including their ability to serve as nuclei for cloud droplets and ice crystals, and to form precipitation. Furthermore, bioaerosols can be recycled back to the surface where they can alter plant and microbial growth and/or be reemitted, forming a positive feedback loop within the Earth system known as bioprecipitation.

Despite their importance within the Earth system in mountainous regions, the seasonal and diurnal cycles of supermicron aerosol and bioaerosols are largely unknown. For this reason, SSB will characterize and quantify supermicron events and bioaerosol activity in real time using continuous measurements during SAIL. Supermicron aerosol will be measured at two locations from spring to the following summer to determine seasonality. The diurnal cycle and timing of bioaerosol events with large-scale meteorological events will be measured for three months in the biologically active spring and summer seasons to examine the prevalence, duration, and type of bioaerosol events. SBB measurements will be aligned with the Aerosol Observing System (AOS) on Crested Butte Mountain and the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement second Mobile Facility 2 (AMF2) main site in Gothic, Colorado. Our supermicron and bioaerosol data will be united with the large-scale meteorological patterns measured by the AMF2 to investigate their influence and role on bioaerosol events.

In summary, SSB will extend the core scientific capabilities of the AMF2 AOS by co-deploying a complementary suite of real-time supermicron and bioaerosol aerosol instrumentation. SSB will directly enable a more in-depth understanding of the extent that supermicron bioaerosol can influence aerosol processes, aerosol-cloud interactions, and the hydrological cycle in complex mountainous terrain by studying the seasonality of supermicron events and the impact of bioaerosol during the biologically active season.