Atmospheric aerosol variability and properties in lowermost tropical free troposphere

摘要

The long-term measurements of aerosol number and size distributions in tropical free troposphere (FT) were carried out from 2007 until 2009. The measurements took place at the high altitude Atmospheric Research Station Pico Espejo located on top of the Sierra Nevada mountain ridge at 4765 m a.s.l. nearby the city of Merida, Venezuela. Analysis of aerosol number concentration, size distribution and light absorbing aerosol focuses mainly on possible links to the atmospheric general circulation in the tropics and seasonality driven changes in biomass burning activity. Repeatable annual and diurnal cycles of the particle number concentration were observed.