Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-352
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-352
04 Aug 2025
 | 04 Aug 2025
Status: this preprint is currently under review for the journal ESSD.

Long-term measurements of ice nucleating particles at Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) sites worldwide

Jessie M. Creamean, Carson C. Hume, Maria Vazquez, and Adam Theisen

Abstract. Ice nucleating particles (INPs) play a critical role in cloud microphysics and precipitation formation, yet long-term, spatially extensive observational datasets remain limited. Here, we present one of the most comprehensive publicly available datasets of immersion-mode INP concentrations using a single analytical method, generated through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility. INP filter samples have been collected across a broad range of environments—including agricultural plains, Arctic coastlines, high-elevation mountain sites, marine regions, and urban areas—via fixed observatories, mobile facility deployments, and vertically-resolved tethered balloon system operations. We describe the standardized processing and quality assurance pipeline, from filter collection and processing using the Ice Nucleation Spectrometer to final data products archived on the ARM Data Discovery portal. The dataset includes both total INP concentrations and selectively treated samples, allowing for classification of biological, organic, and inorganic INP types. It features a continuous 5-year record of INP measurements from a central U.S. site, with data collection still ongoing. Seasonal and site-specific differences in INP concentrations are illustrated through intercomparisons at −10 °C and −20 °C, revealing distinct regional sources and atmospheric drivers. We also outline mechanisms for researchers to access existing data, request additional sample analyses, and propose future field campaigns involving ARM INP measurements. This dataset supports a wide range of scientific applications, from observational and mechanistic studies to model development, and provides critical constraints on aerosol-cloud interactions across diverse atmospheric regimes.

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Jessie M. Creamean, Carson C. Hume, Maria Vazquez, and Adam Theisen

Status: open (until 23 Sep 2025)

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Jessie M. Creamean, Carson C. Hume, Maria Vazquez, and Adam Theisen
Jessie M. Creamean, Carson C. Hume, Maria Vazquez, and Adam Theisen

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Short summary
This study presents a comprehensive, publicly available ice nucleating particles (INP) dataset from the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility across diverse environments, including Arctic, agricultural, urban, marine, and mountainous sites. Samples are collected via fixed and mobile platforms and processed using a standardized pipeline. The dataset supports observational and modelling analyses of seasonal, spatial, and compositional variability in INPs.
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