Rong Tian, Jinpei Yan, Fangqun Yu, Hang Yang, Shanshan Wang, Shuhui Zhao, Miming Zhang, Xiaoke Zhang, Siying Dai
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Ammonia volatilized from penguin excreta is a significant nitrogen source in Antarctic ecosystems, influencing climate through new particle formation (NPF). Freeze-thaw events can trigger ammonia emissions, but their impact on penguin-derived ammonia is understudied and overlooked in models. Here we investigate the contribution of penguins to ammonia and their climatic impacts using cruise observations and GEOS-Chem-APM simulations. High ammonia concentrations, with a maximum exceeding 7000 ng/m3, were observed over the Southern Ocean and Prydz Bay, driven by air masses from penguin colonies. Simulations showed that incorporating freeze-thaw impact improves model performance, with penguin-derived ammonia emissions enhanced by up to 20-fold and reaching a total of 49 Gg across Antarctica in November. Elevated ammonia increased simulated secondary particle number concentrations by 30−300% through NPF, enhancing simulated cloud droplet number concentrations by 10−20% and altering cloud properties. This study underscores the importance of incorporating penguin emissions into models, particularly during freeze-thaw events.
期刊介绍:
npj Climate and Atmospheric Science is an open-access journal encompassing the relevant physical, chemical, and biological aspects of atmospheric and climate science. The journal places particular emphasis on regional studies that unveil new insights into specific localities, including examinations of local atmospheric composition, such as aerosols.
The range of topics covered by the journal includes climate dynamics, climate variability, weather and climate prediction, climate change, ocean dynamics, weather extremes, air pollution, atmospheric chemistry (including aerosols), the hydrological cycle, and atmosphere–ocean and atmosphere–land interactions. The journal welcomes studies employing a diverse array of methods, including numerical and statistical modeling, the development and application of in situ observational techniques, remote sensing, and the development or evaluation of new reanalyses.