Meridional distributions of aerosol particle number concentrations in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere obtained by Civil Aircraft for Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container (CARIBIC) flights

[1] Number concentrations of submicrometer aerosol particles at altitudes of 8.5–11.3 km were measured along a single flight route between Germany (∼50°N, ∼10°E) and the Indic (∼5°N, ∼80°E) over 3 years using a commercial aircraft platform (project Civil Aircraft for Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container (CARIBIC)). During 41 intercontinental flights (∼380 flight hours), more than one million individual particle concentration measurements were made, yielding a comprehensive and unique aerosol data set. Using these data, the first meridional and seasonal probability distributions for ultrafine particles and for Aitken mode plus accumulation mode particles in the upper troposphere (UT) and lower stratosphere (LS) were derived. High particle number concentrations were observed in summer at tropical latitudes over the Arabian Sea and at midlatitudes over Europe, in contrast to lower values in the subtropics over the Middle East. This distribution primarily reflects the vertical transport pattern of the atmosphere. In winter, number concentrations were generally lower. The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) was identified as a region of pronounced particle formation, but particle nucleation also occurred in the upper troposphere at midlatitudes. At tropical latitudes, convective transport and photochemistry appear to be the main driving forces for particle formation in the free troposphere. Consistent with these observations, integral length scales calculated from the aerosol data ranged from 6 to 12 km. Compared to particle concentrations in the midlatitudinal upper troposphere, those in the lowermost stratosphere were lower in winter, but equal or higher in summer. This seasonality is likely caused by stronger in-mixing of upper tropospheric air in summer.