Experimental Studies of Aerosols in the Atmosphere of Semiarid Landscapes of Kalmykia: 1. Microphysical Parameters and Mass Concentration of Aerosol Particles

This paper summarizes the results of long-term (2004–2016) comprehensive experimental studies of microphysical parameters and the mass concentration of aerosol particles in the atmospheric surface layer of semiarid regions of Kalmykia arranged by the Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Characteristic values of the mass and number concentrations of aerosol particles in the summer have been determined for different velocities. A significant decrease in the concentration of surface submicron- and micron-sized aerosols in comparison with their values observed in desert areas of Kalmykia in the 1990s has been found. Mass concentration distributions over aerosol particle fractions have been obtained. The diurnal course of the particle number concentration has been studied taking the meteorological conditions (air temperature, velocity, and humidity) and the underlying surface into consideration. The particle-size distribution functions characteristic of atmospheric aerosols in Kalmykia have been determined. The removal of particles has been coupled with the main meteorological parameters in the atmospheric near-surface layer. A large number of submicron-sized particles have been found to persist in the atmospheric surface layer of semiarid landscapes, confirming that they are the main sources of transport of fine mineral aerosol particles, which are most dangerous to human health and actively engaged in biospheric and climate change processes.