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Relevance of biological particles in atmospheric ice formation at moderate supercooling

Applicant Conen Franz
Number 169620
Funding scheme Project funding
Research institution Institut für Umweltgeowissenschaften Universität Basel
Institution of higher education University of Basel - BS
Main discipline Climatology. Atmospherical Chemistry, Aeronomy
Start/End 01.04.2017 - 31.05.2021
Approved amount 282'994.00
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All Disciplines (2)

Discipline
Climatology. Atmospherical Chemistry, Aeronomy
Meteorology

Keywords (5)

Arctic; mixed phase cloud; Jungfraujoch; primary biological aerosol particles; ice nucleation

Lay Summary (German)

Lead
Die meisten Niederschläge über Kontinenten beginnen mit der Eisbildung in Wolken. Welche Rolle dabei biologische Eiskeime spielen ist eine offene Frage.
Lay summary

Biologische Eiskeime katalysieren die Eisbildung bei Temperaturen > -15 °C. Der direkte Nachweis, dass sie dadurch die Niederschlagsbildung vorantreiben, steht allerdings noch aus. Das liegt vor allem an experimentellen Herausforderungen, die mit den typischerweise sehr kleinen Eiskeim-Konzentrationen in der Atmosphäre zusammenhängen. In diesem Projekt wenden wir zwei neuartige Vorgehensweisen an, um den vermuteten kausalen Zusammenhang zwischen biologischen Eiskeimen und der Niederschlagsbildung bei Temperaturen > -15 °C zu überprüfen. Die eine Vorgehensweise besteht in der Durchführung von Messkampagnen auf der Höhenforschungsstation Jungfraujoch. Dort werden wir Wolkentröpfchen und Eiskristalle aus gemischt-phasigen Wolken sammeln und die darin jeweils enthaltenen Eiskeime (> -15 °C) analysieren, sowie deren Gefrierspektren vergleichen. Das zweite Experiment beinhaltet Messkampagnen im Norden Norwegens. Dort werden wir versuchen, anhand morphologischer Merkmale, den Weg biologischer Eiskeime von ihren Quellen in verschiedenen Ökosystemen über die bodennahen Luftschichten bis in Eiskristalle auf Wolkehöhe zu verfolgen. Beide Experimente haben das Potenzial, direkt zu zeigen, ob biologische Eiskeime eine Rolle bei der Niederschlagsbildung spielen oder nicht.
Direct link to Lay Summary Last update: 02.03.2017

Responsible applicant and co-applicants

Employees

Name Institute
Mignani Claudia

Publications

Publication
Microphysical investigation of the seeder and feeder region of an Alpine mixed-phase cloud
Ramelli Fabiola, Henneberger Jan, David Robert O., Bühl Johannes, Radenz Martin, Seifert Patric, Wieder Jörg, Lauber Annika, Pasquier Julie T., Engelmann Ronny, Mignani Claudia, Hervo Maxime, Lohmann Ulrike (2021), Microphysical investigation of the seeder and feeder region of an Alpine mixed-phase cloud, in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 21(9), 6681-6706.
Development of the drop Freezing Ice Nuclei Counter (FINC), intercomparison of droplet freezing techniques, and use of soluble lignin as an atmospheric ice nucleation standard
Miller Anna J., Brennan Killian P., Mignani Claudia, Wieder Jörg, David Robert O., Borduas-Dedekind Nadine (2021), Development of the drop Freezing Ice Nuclei Counter (FINC), intercomparison of droplet freezing techniques, and use of soluble lignin as an atmospheric ice nucleation standard, in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 14(4), 3131-3151.
Continuous secondary-ice production initiated by updrafts through the melting layer in mountainous regions
Lauber Annika, Henneberger Jan, Mignani Claudia, Ramelli Fabiola, Pasquier Julie T., Wieder Jörg, Hervo Maxime, Lohmann Ulrike (2021), Continuous secondary-ice production initiated by updrafts through the melting layer in mountainous regions, in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 21(5), 3855-3870.
Towards parameterising atmospheric concentrations of ice-nucleating particles active at moderate supercooling
Mignani Claudia, Wieder Jörg, Sprenger Michael A., Kanji Zamin A., Henneberger Jan, Alewell Christine, Conen Franz (2021), Towards parameterising atmospheric concentrations of ice-nucleating particles active at moderate supercooling, in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 21(2), 657-664.
Using freezing spectra characteristics to identify ice-nucleating particle populations during the winter in the Alps
Creamean Jessie M., Mignani Claudia, Bukowiecki Nicolas, Conen Franz (2019), Using freezing spectra characteristics to identify ice-nucleating particle populations during the winter in the Alps, in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 19(12), 8123-8140.
New type of evidence for secondary ice formation at around −15 °C in mixed-phase clouds
Mignani Claudia, Creamean Jessie M., Zimmermann Lukas, Alewell Christine, Conen Franz (2019), New type of evidence for secondary ice formation at around −15 °C in mixed-phase clouds, in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 19(2), 877-886.

Datasets

Ice nucleating particle concentrations active at -15 degrees C at Weissfluhjoch

Author Mignani, Claudia; Wieder, Jörg; Sprenger, Michael A.; Kanji, Zamin A.; Henneberger, Jan; Alewell, Christine; Conen, Franz
Publication date 29.11.2020
Persistent Identifier (PID) DOI: 10.16904/envidat.193
Repository ENVIDAT
Abstract
This dataset contains number concentrations of ice-nucleating particles active at -15 °C observed at Weissfluhjoch during February and March 2019, as well as complementary data (measured aerosol number concentrations and modelled total precipitation along air mass trajectories). This data formed the basis of our paper with the title “Towards parameterising atmospheric concentrations of ice-nucleating particles active at moderate supercooling”.

Collaboration

Group / person Country
Types of collaboration
Finnish Meteorological Institute / Arctic Research Center Finland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
- Research Infrastructure
- Exchange of personnel
Dept. Atmospheric and Climate Research / Norwegian Instiute for Air Research (NILU) Norway (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
- Research Infrastructure
Environmental Chemistry / Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics / ETH Zurich Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
- Research Infrastructure
Institut für Atmosphäre und Umwelt / Universität Frankfurt Germany (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Research Infrastructure
- Exchange of personnel
Atmospheric Dynamics / Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science / ETH Zurich Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
- Research Infrastructure
Laboratory of atmospheric processes and their impacts (LAPI) / EPFL Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
- Research Infrastructure
- Exchange of personnel
Plant Pathology Research, Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRA) France (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
Environmental Remote Sensing Laboratory (LTE), EPFL Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
Atmospheric Physics Group / Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science / ETH Zurich Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
- Research Infrastructure
- Exchange of personnel
Aerosol Physics Group / Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry / Paul Scherrer Institute Switzerland (Europe)
- in-depth/constructive exchanges on approaches, methods or results
- Publication
- Research Infrastructure

Scientific events

Active participation

Title Type of contribution Title of article or contribution Date Place Persons involved
EGU General Assembly 2021 Talk given at a conference Matching crystal habits and radiosonde profiles in Northern Finland 19.04.2021 virtual, Austria Mignani Claudia; Conen Franz;
101st AMS Annual Meeting Talk given at a conference Ice formation in precipitating Arctic clouds as indicated by crystal habits and coinciding radiosonde profiles 10.01.2021 virtual, United States of America Mignani Claudia; Conen Franz;
3rd Ice Nucleation Colloquium Individual talk Towards parametrising atmospheric concentrations of ice nucleating particles active at moderate supercooling 07.07.2020 virtual, Switzerland Conen Franz; Mignani Claudia;
EGU General Assembly 2019 Talk given at a conference Probing secondary ice formation at around -15 degrees C in mixed-phase clouds 07.04.2020 Vienna, Austria Conen Franz; Mignani Claudia;
Workshop on linking sources and sinks in the long distance aerial dissemination of microorganisms Talk given at a conference Autobiography 03.09.2019 Reykholt, Iceland Mignani Claudia; Conen Franz;
Nano Imaging Lab User Event 2019 Talk given at a conference Analysis of Arctic Ice-nucleating Particles by Electron Microscopy 13.06.2019 Basel, Switzerland Mignani Claudia; Conen Franz;
20th Swiss Global Change Day Poster Probing secondary ice formation at around -15 degrees C in mixed phase clouds 07.02.2019 Bern, Switzerland Mignani Claudia; Conen Franz;
PhD summer school at Aarhus University: “Aerobiology: microbiology meets atmospheric science” Talk given at a conference What is the role of ice-nucleating particles in the formation of precipitation? 20.08.2018 Aarhus, Denmark Mignani Claudia;
BACCHUS Final Meeting Poster Examining single snow crystals for ice nucleating particles 24.04.2018 Zurich, Switzerland Mignani Claudia; Conen Franz;
6th Workshop on Microphysics of ice clouds Talk given at a conference A case study of biological ice-nucleating particles in the Arctic 07.04.2018 Vienna, Austria Conen Franz; Mignani Claudia;
INUIT Final Conference and 2nd Atmospheric Ice Nucleation Conference Poster A case study of biological ice-nucleating particles in the Arctic 26.02.2018 Grasellenbach, Germany Conen Franz; Mignani Claudia;


Knowledge transfer events

Active participation

Title Type of contribution Date Place Persons involved
UniKidsCamp2020 Performances, exhibitions (e.g. for education institutions) 03.08.2020 Basel, Switzerland Mignani Claudia;
UniKidsCamp2019 Performances, exhibitions (e.g. for education institutions) 05.08.2019 Basel, Switzerland Mignani Claudia;
Young Mind’s Science Film Day Basel 2019 Performances, exhibitions (e.g. for education institutions) 26.01.2019 Basel, Switzerland Mignani Claudia;
UniKidsCamp2018 Performances, exhibitions (e.g. for education institutions) 06.08.2018 Basel, Switzerland Mignani Claudia;


Communication with the public

Communication Title Media Place Year
Print (books, brochures, leaflets) How snowflakes are formed German-speaking Switzerland International 2017

Associated projects

Number Title Start Funding scheme
140228 Biological ice nucleators at tropospheric cloud height 01.09.2012 Project funding
159194 Biological ice nucleators at tropospheric cloud height (4th year) 01.09.2015 Project funding

Abstract

Most precipitation over continents begins with ice formation in clouds. Biological ice nucleating particles (INPs) probably dominate ice formation at moderate supercooling (> -15 °C), but direct evidence is extremely limited because of experimental challenges related to small INP number concentrations. Here, we propose two novel experiments to solve the issue. One includes three campaigns, four weeks each, at the high-altitude research station Jungfraujoch to sample and analyse cloud droplets and snow, account for riming and analyse normalised differential freezing spectra. The second experiment, including two four-week campaigns in northern Norway, will trace abundance and morphology of INPs from decaying leaf litter through the boundary layer to depositing ice crystals at cloud height. Both experiments have the potential to directly show whether biological particles play a relevant role in cloud ice formation or not.
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