Sink, Source or Something In-Between? Net Effects of Precipitation on Aerosol Particle Populations

Abstract

Interactions between atmospheric aerosols, clouds, and precipitation impact Earth's radiative balance and air quality, yet remain poorly constrained. Precipitating clouds serve as major sinks for particulate matter, but recent studies suggest that precipitation may also act as a particle source. The magnitude of the sources versus sinks, particularly for cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) numbers, remain unquantified. This study analyzes multi-year in situ observations from tropical and boreal forests, as well as Arctic marine environment, showing links between recent precipitation and enhanced particle concentrations, including CCN-sized particles. In some cases, the magnitude of precipitation-related source equals or surpasses corresponding removal effect. Our findings highlight the importance of cloud-processed material in determining near-surface particle concentrations and the value of long-term in situ observations for understanding aerosol particle life cycle. Robust patterns emerge from sufficiently long data series, allowing for quantitative assessment of the large-scale significance of new phenomena observed in case studies.