The main goal of the project is to describe the relationship between planetary boundary layer (PBL) height and atmospheric aerosol (AA) in vertical profile. The project plans to use a unique infrastructure including a 250 m tall tower at a Central European rural background site. Chemical and physical properties of AA will be measured by state-of-the-art aerosol instrumentation at two different heights (ground and 230 m) with high-time resolution, depending on daily and seasonal cycles of PBL height, chemical composition, and changes in physical parameters of AA alongside radiative forcing and the concentration of AA nanoclusters. This will provide crucial knowledge of the changes of atmospheric properties within and above PBL and thus help to reduce the current uncertainties in atmospheric aerosol forcing of the Earth’s climate system. Furthermore, it will provide important insights into the representativeness of conventional ground-based measurements of AA properties, which may lead to their re-evaluation concerning vertical measurements and combination with satellite measurements.
