The Effects of Desert Particles Coated with Sulfate on Rain Formation in the Eastern Mediterranean

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Abstract
Measurements of aerosol composition in the eastern Mediterranean reveal that sulfate is found in most aerosol particles. Some of the large particles contain mixtures of chemicals such as sulfate and sea salt. The most striking observation is the discovery that mineral dust particles often get coated with sulfate and other soluble materials. The amount of soluble material on these particles is found to be related to their surface area, suggesting that the deposition process could be surface dependent. The mechanism by which sulfate is found on some of the mineral dust particles is believed to originate from evaporating cloud drops, which were originally nucleated on sulfate cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and subsequently collected dry interstitial mineral dust particles. The presence of soluble material on mineral dust particles, converts the latter into effective giant CCN. This is further corroborated by the fact that the few large drops near the bases of convective clouds near the coast of Isr... Abstract Measurements of aerosol composition in the eastern Mediterranean reveal that sulfate is found in most aerosol particles. Some of the large particles contain mixtures of chemicals such as sulfate and sea salt. The most striking observation is the discovery that mineral dust particles often get coated with sulfate and other soluble materials. The amount of soluble material on these particles is found to be related to their surface area, suggesting that the deposition process could be surface dependent. The mechanism by which sulfate is found on some of the mineral dust particles is believed to originate from evaporating cloud drops, which were originally nucleated on sulfate cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and subsequently collected dry interstitial mineral dust particles. The presence of soluble material on mineral dust particles, converts the latter into effective giant CCN. This is further corroborated by the fact that the few large drops near the bases of convective clouds near the coast of Isr...

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