Atmospheric Ion Concentrations in a Boreal Forest Over 16 Years

Juha Sulo from the University of Helsinki presents a 16-year time series of atmospheric ion measurements from a boreal forest environment. The dataset includes median concentrations for cluster ions (0.8–2 nm) and intermediate ions (2–7 nm), and analyzes their long-term increasing trends. The study investigates factors explaining these trends, such as coagulation sink and meteorological conditions.

Use Cases

• Modeling atmospheric new particle formation based on ion-induced nucleation pathways described in the study.
• Analyzing long-term environmental trends in ion concentrations based on the 16-year measurement period.
• Investigating the relationship between ion concentrations and meteorological conditions as suggested by the description.
• Studying the impact of coagulation sink on cluster ion dynamics in forest environments.

Strengths

• Provides 16 years of continuous measurements, enabling long-term trend analysis.
• Reports specific median concentrations: 710 cm⁻³ for cluster ions, 14 cm⁻³ for 2–4 nm ions, and 9 cm⁻³ for 4–7 nm ions.
• Quantifies annual increase rates: cluster ions ~1% per year, intermediate ions 1.7–3.9% per year.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

University of Helsinki

Collection Method

Atmospheric ion measurements collected over 16 years at a boreal forest site.

Time Range

16-year period (specific years not stated)

Geography

Boreal forest environment