Theory 60/Atmospheric Aerosols
Lifetime Is a Removal Ratio
The claim
Aerosol lifetime is set by the ratio of wet deposition rate to production rate rather than by deposition velocity alone.
01The mechanism
Concentration is a balance of source and sink; a fast sink in a region of high production still leaves a long apparent lifetime.
02Predictions
- P1Lifetime should track the ratio.
- P2Deposition velocity alone should mispredict.
03Refutation
Lifetime tracking deposition velocity would remove the source term.