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 Let It Grow, Let It Grow - Our Understanding of the Seasonality of Atmospheric New Particle Formation and Its Link to Severe Air Pollution

Dr. Dominik Stolzenburg TU Wien

Ein Fachvortrag, der sich sehen lässt! Winterdunst oder Partikelbelastung - zwischen Experiment und Modell. Wie entstehen Partikel in der Atmosphäre? Ist das Partikelwachstum abhängig von der Jahreszeit? Das alles bei Apfelpunsch und Snacks am 11.12.2025 um 17:15 Uhr. Wir freuen uns auf euch!

• Wo? C03 (Schulz-Horner-Gebäude, JGU Mainz)
• Wann? Do. 11.12.2025 um 17:15 Uhr
• Was? Fachvortrag inklusive Nachsitzung in entspannter Atmosphäre (Bei Interesse an der Nachsitzung bitte melden, sodass die Reservierung im Restaurant angepasst werden kann.)
• Besonderheiten? Getränke und Snacks während des Vortrags werden gestellt.

Abstract:
New particle formation (NPF) from gas-phase precursors remains one of the most important yet uncertain processes in atmospheric science, with strong implications for both climate and air quality. Traditionally, NPF has been associated with springtime or summer conditions - clear skies, biogenic emissions, and relatively clean background atmospheres. Yet, frequent observations of particle formation under cold, polluted, or otherwise “unfavorable” conditions have challenged this paradigm. In particular, the occurrence of NPF during severe winter air pollution episodes raises fundamental questions about the underlying mechanisms and their seasonal variability.
In this presentation, I will highlight recent progress in understanding how nanoparticle formation and growth persist across seasons and environments. New instrumentation and inversion techniques have improved our ability to quantify particle number size distributions and growth rates at the smallest scales, reducing long-standing uncertainties. At the same time, advances in modeling and laboratory studies have expanded the range of vapors and processes considered relevant for cluster survival and growth, from organics to inorganic species. These developments help explain how NPF can occur even when background aerosol concentrations are high, and why nanoparticle growth rates remain surprisingly steady year-round.
Drawing on multi-season field campaigns and urban case studies, I will show that NPF contributes not only to the regional particle burden in summer, but also plays a decisive role in wintertime haze formation. The “unique atmospheric experiments” of recent years, including emission reductions during the Covid-19 lockdowns, provided further evidence for the sensitivity of NPF to seasonal changes in chemistry and dynamics. Despite these advances, important puzzles remain—such as why particles grow more slowly than expected during summertime.