Enhanced aerosol mass in the tropical tropopause layer linked to ozone abundance

However, aerosol measurements in the TTL are sparse, resulting in poor knowledge of aerosol abundance and distribution in this important region. Here, we present in situ aircraft measurements over the western tropical Pacific, revealing a persistent and altitude-dependent enhancement of aerosol mass in the TTL compared to the convectively influenced troposphere below.

Notably, our data demonstrate a striking positive correlation between aerosol mass and ozone. Model simulations suggest that organic materials constitute a substantial fraction of the total aerosol mass within the TTL. We further derived an empirical parameterization of TTL aerosol mass as a function of ozone based on their linear relationship.