Cloud Condensation Nuclei Hygroscopicity Value-Added Product Report
The purpose of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s cloud condensation nuclei hygroscopicity parameter (AOSCCNSMPSKAPPA) value-added product (VAP) is to calculate the hygroscopicity parameter, kappa, to quantify the ability of aerosols to activate into cloud water droplets. The hygroscopicity parameter is often used to model the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity of atmospheric aerosols of different sizes and compositions, providing additional insight on the influence of aerosols on climate. Laboratory experiments show that the kappa values for highly hygroscopic aerosols, such as salts and sulfates, vary from 0.5 to 1.4 (Petters and Kreidenweis 2007). For organic compounds they are observed to vary between 0.01 and 0.5. For non-hygroscopic aerosols, such as soot, kappa values are very close to zero. Ambient aerosols are complex mixtures of organic and inorganic compounds and previous observations indicate that kappa values typically vary from 0.05 to 0.9 (Petters and Kreidenweis 2007).