R. P. Turco
Institute of the Environment
Department of Atmospheric Sciences
University of California, Los Angeles
7127 Math Sciences Building
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1565
310-825-6936
fax 310-206-5219
turco@ucla.edu

R. Lu
University of California, Los Angeles

The overall objective of the work is to improve our ability to simulate aerosol properties and effects over regional scales. An advanced aerosol microphysics/chemistry model will be coupled to a three-dimensional tracer transport model to investigate the fate of East Asian particulates in the western Pacific Basin. The model resolves the size and composition of aerosols for a range of types, including internal and external mixtures, and incorporates a comprehensive treatment of aerosol formation processes to determine the contribution of nucleation from pollutant vapors. The model is being used to carry out simulations of the temporal and spatial distributions of particle types, sizes and compositions over eastern Asia and western Pacific Ocean. The predicted aerosol properties will be used to assess the direct impacts on visibility and air quality, as well as the rate of deposition over water of anthropogenic and natural particulate materials. The specific tasks to be undertaken can be identified as follows: (1) Investigation of the microphysical and chemical properties of regional particulates based on detailed aerosol simulations–initially along air-mass trajectories–that define the physical and chemical properties of major aerosol types for comparison with relevant field observations. (2) Application of a coupled three-dimensional dynamics/chemistry/microphysics code to simulate the characteristic patterns of transport and chemical and microphysical transformation affecting aerosols in this part of the world. (3) Assessment of the regional-scale impacts of aerosols, including their radiative effects (local optical extinction and regional radiative forcing), as well the deposition rates of particle-borne nutrients and other materials on surface waters in the western Pacific Basin. (4) Estimation of future aerosol effects associated with likely increases in the emissions of primary particles and aerosol precursors from the Asian Continent and nearby island states.

Additional information can be found in the viewgraphs from a presentation at the Atmospheric Sciences Program Annual Meeting held in March 2002.