Vertical distribution of black carbon aerosols

Dissertation thesis: Vertical distribution of black carbon aerosols

Supervisor of the doctoral thesis: Prof. RNDr. Petr Pišoft, Ph.D.

Consultant of the doctoral thesis: doc. RNDr. Naděžda Zíková, Ph.D.

Internal reviewer: Dr. Sandra Orvalho, Ph.D.

Understanding the vertical distribution of atmospheric aerosols is crucial for constraining their radiative effects, source attribution, and representation in chemical transport and climate models. This doctoral thesis investigates the vertical variability of black carbon (BC) through a combination of continuous tower-based measurements and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) profiling over contrasting environments in Central Europe. The core of this research is based at the National Atmospheric Observatory Košetice, where a 250 m meteorological tower provides in-situ measurements of aerosol composition at 4 and 230 m heights, complemented by UAV vertical profiles. Additional comparative UAV experiments were conducted over an urban site in Prague to assess the influence of local emissions and boundary-layer dynamics on aerosol layering. The thesis presents a comprehensive analysis of equivalent black carbon, particle number concentration, secondary organic aerosols, organic and elemental carbon, linking their vertical variability to meteorological drivers—mixed-layer height, temperature stratification (based on ΔT), wind speed, and relative humidity—and to synoptic-scale air mass transport.