Category: Publications

New Publication: Air turbulence characteristics in and above the Amazon rainforest canopy

One of our major goals at ATTO is understanding how the Amazon rainforest interacts with the atmosphere above. This includes studying how the characteristics of the air change within and above the tree canopy in terms of atmospheric turbulence. The strength of the wind and the thickness of the canopy determine, among other things, how well the air can mix and to what degree gases from the atmosphere may reach the forest floor and vice versa.

In a new study, the scientists were looking into these processes at two Amazon sites, including ATTO. They found that the lowermost air-layer from the forest floor to about half the tree height is largely decoupled from the air in the upper part of the canopy and above.… Continue reading

Publications   / / /

New Publication: Variability of black and brown carbon concentrations

We are currently in the middle of the dry season in the central Amazon basin, where ATTO is located. This time of year is always characterized by lots of biomass burnings, both natural and anthropogenic. Fires produce aerosols, such as black and brown carbon. But the situation isn’t the same every year.

Our researchers studied the concentration of light-absorbing aerosol particles at ATTO over a 5-year period from 2012 to 2017. They found that the aerosol concentration increased significantly during the El Niño of 2015-2016. During that time, the dry season lasted longer than normal and forest and agricultural fires occurred much more frequently compared to other years.… Continue reading

Publications   / /

New Publication: Aerosol composition and cloud dynamics

The properties and dynamics of clouds are strongly dependent on the types and amounts of aerosol particles in the atmosphere. They act as so-called cloud condensation nuclei as they initiate the formation of cloud droplets. Therefore, it is crucial to gain a sound understanding of the emission patterns, properties, and seasonal variability of aerosols in relation to the cloud life cycles. In order to achieve this goal, our aerosol group was able to record such data at ATTO. Over the course of a full year, they continuously measured aerosols and their properties in the atmosphere at the 80 m tower.… Continue reading

Publications  

New publication: African volcanic emissions reach Amazon

One of the objectives of ATTO is to study the long-range transport of particles, such as sulfate, across the Atlantic to the Amazon rainforest and to better understand atmospheric cycling.

A good opportunity for that arose in 2014. Some of the most active volcanoes worldwide, the Nyamuragira and Mount Nyiragongo volcanoes in Congo in Central Africa, erupted violently. During this eruption, they emitted a lot of sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the atmosphere. This gas that is later converted to sulfate particles by oxidation. Usually, these particles are diluted in the atmosphere as they mix with other particles. It thus becomes difficult to distinguish them far away from their source.… Continue reading

Publications  

New publication on aerosols in the Amazon

Scientists from our Aerosol group published a new “Long-term study on coarse mode aerosols in the Amazon rainforest with the frequent intrusion of Saharan dust plumes”.

They analyzed the coarse fraction of aerosols (those that are at least 1 micrometer in diameter) every 5 minutes for over 3 years and were surprised to find that over this period the size and abundance of these “large” aerosol particles remained fairly constant. In contrast, the smaller aerosols are heavily influenced by the seasonal occurrence of smoke from fires. This coarse fraction, however, is mainly comprised of aerosols derived from the rainforest itself (such as pollen).… Continue reading

Publications   / /