SANAT

The SANAT project investigates the physical and chemical properties of aerosol particles as well as turbulent processes in the polar boundary layer and the lower free troposphere over Antarctica. As part of a field campaign in early 2026, researchers from TROPOS, together with partner institutions, conduct aircraft-based measurements in the vicinity of the German Neumayer III-Station to capture in detail the spatial distribution of aerosols, their microphysical properties, and their influence on cloud formation in the Antarctic summer climate.

The collected data aim to help quantify the role of aerosols as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice-nucleating particles (INP) in a nearly pristine marine environment, thereby improving the representation of fundamental aerosol–cloud–climate interactions in models. By combining in situ measurements, chemical analyses, and turbulence profiles, SANAT provides important new observations that contribute to reducing uncertainties in regional and global climate simulations.