Universal Spectrum for Atmospheric Suspended Particulates: Comparison with Observations: Data Set III - Rain Formation in Warm Clouds: General Systems Theory - page 84

Fig. 5.2 Mean daily average aerosol size distribution, coarse mode (0.6 < radius ≤ 15.0 µm) for
Davos and Mauna Loa for 2010 and Izana for 2009
for Davos and Mauna Loa for 2010 and Izana for 2009. The results indicate two dif-
ferent homogeneous aerosol substance densities corresponding to the two size (ra-
dius) ranges, namely (i) 0.1-0.6 µm (fine mode) and (ii) 0.6-15 µm (coarse mode).
Earlier studies (Husar 2005 ) have shown that the source for submicron (diameter)
size accumulation mode aerosols is different from the larger (greater than 1 µm
diameter) coarse mode particles in the atmosphere and therefore may form two dif-
ferent homogeneous aerosol size groups.
The source of the uncertainties displayed by the error bars (Figs. 5.1 to 5.3 ) may
be due to measurement noise, independent in every size interval, also may be due
to different aerosol sources. The model predicts universal spectrum for suspended
aerosol mass size distribution (Sect. 1.6.4), based on the concept that the atmo-
spheric eddies hold in suspension the aerosols and thus the mass size spectrum of
the atmospheric aerosols is dependent on the vertical velocity fluctuation spectrum
of the atmospheric eddies.
At present empirical models such as the log normal distribution with arbitrary
constants for the size distribution of atmospheric suspended particulates are used
for quantitative estimation of earth-atmosphere radiation budget related to climate
warming/cooling trends. The general systems theory model for aerosol size distribu-
tion is scale-free and is derived directly from atmospheric eddy dynamical concepts.