Simulating the Transport and Rupture of Pollen in the Atmosphere

Abstract

Pollen, one type of primary biological aerosol particle (PBAP), is emitted from the terrestrial biosphere and can undergo physical changes in the atmosphere via particle rupture. To examine the fate of pollen and its atmospheric processing, a pollen emission and transport scheme is coupled to the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem). We simulate the emission of pollen and its impacts on the cloud properties and precipitation in the Southern Great Plains from 12 to 19 April 2013, a period with both high pollen emissions and convective activity. We conduct a suite of ensemble runs that simulate primary pollen and three different pollen rupture mechanisms that generate subpollen particles, including (a) high humidity-induced surface rupture, (b) high humidity-induced in-atmosphere plus surface rupture, and (c) lightning-induced rupture, where in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning strikes trigger pollen rupture events. When relative humidity is high (>80%), coarse primary pollen (∼1 μg m−3) is converted into fine subpollen particles (∼1.2e−4 μg m−3), which produces 80% more subpollen particles than lightning-induced rupture. The in-atmosphere humidity-driven rupture predominantly produces subpollen particles, which is further enhanced during a frontal thunderstorm. During strong convection, vertical updrafts lift primary pollen and subpollen particles (∼0.5e−4 μg m−3) to the upper troposphere (∼12 km) and laterally transports the ruptured pollen in the anvil top outflow. In regions of high pollen and strong convection, ruptured pollen can influence warm cloud formation by decreasing low cloud (<4 km) cloud water mixing ratios and increasing ice phase hydrometeors aloft (>10 km).Plain Language SummaryBiological aerosols like pollen are released from the terrestrial biosphere into the atmosphere and affect atmospheric processes, hydrology, and climate. For example, large primary pollen ruptures in different atmospheric conditions to produce multiple small-sized pollen fragments. Moreover, these ruptured particles can trigger thunderstorm asthma. In this study, a Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry was used to evaluate the fate of pollen in the atmosphere. Model simulations indicate that the three pollen rupture mechanisms, including high humidity-induced surface rupture, in-atmosphere plus surface rupture, and lightning-induced rupture, influence the overall pollen load over the Southern Great Plains during convective days with high pollen emissions. The SPP are produced in the highest concentrations in the atmosphere and on the surface due to the high relative humidity-induced-rupture. Even though in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning strikes trigger pollen rupture events, they cannot produce as much as humidity-induced ruptures. The ruptured pollen is transported to higher altitudes by vertical updrafts, horizontally through the outflows from the top of the clouds, and finally to the surface by the downdraft. In regions of high pollen and strong convection, ruptured particles can further alter the hydrometeors and influence cloud formation.Key PointsThe greatest amount of subpollen particles is formed from surface and in-atmosphere humidity-driven primary pollen ruptureVertical updrafts lift pollen to the upper troposphere (∼12 km) during convective eventsRuptured pollen can reduce cloud water mixing ratios and slightly increase ice phase hydrometeors aloft