The formation mechanisms and impacts of nanoparticles on the Amazon atmosphere

• Grant number: 23/01902-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: April 15, 2023
• End date: September 14, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Meteorology
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Eduardo Artaxo Netto
• Grantee: Bruno Backes Meller
• Supervisor: Hang Su
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Max Planck Society, Mainz, Germany
• Associated to the scholarship: 20/15405-0 - Formation mechanisms and impacts of nanoparticles over Amazon atmosphere, BP.DR

Abstract

The relation between the Amazonian atmosphere with the biological functioning of the forest holds many important and innovative aspects. Nanoparticles from the gas-particle conversion of volatile biogenic organic compounds are generated in sizes from 2 to 20 nanometers and grow to sizes in the range of 100-250 nm. These particles were observed at high altitudes in the Amazon, at 14 km, and are also sporadically observed in events at the ATTO tower (Amazon Tall Tower Observatory) associated with convective transport by clouds. We will carry out long-term measurements at the 325-meter-tall ATTO tower, on a ship along the Solimoes and Amazon rivers, in the western region of the Amazon, and also on the Max Planck Institute's High Altitude and Long-Range Aircraft (HALO) plane with flights at altitudes of up to 15 km, on a large scale in the Amazon. Measurements of the chemical composition and properties of nanoparticles and precursor organic gases will be carried out. Aerosol mass spectrometry techniques (ACSM) and volatile organic compounds (PTR-MS) will be used. The particle size distribution in the range of 1 to 800 nm will also be measured. The ultrafine fraction of particles and clusters will be analyzed with nanoSMPS and gaseous compounds with CIMS-API-ToF. This extensive set of data on various platforms will allow an unprecedented study of the mechanisms of formation and growth of nanoparticles, in addition to the identification of gaseous precursors and the impacts of these particles on the Amazonian ecosystem. This knowledge will allow to elucidate the mechanisms of production of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), essential for maintaining the hydrological cycle in the Amazon. (AU)