Articles | Volume 19, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-2695-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-2695-2026
Research article
 | 
22 Apr 2026
Research article |  | 22 Apr 2026

Evaluation of different sampling methods to determine the ice-nucleating particle concentration in the atmosphere using the GRAnada Ice Nuclei Spectrometer (GRAINS)

Elena Bazo, Olga Ruiz-Galera, Lucas Alados-Arboledas, Alexander Böhmländer, Kristina Höhler, Najin Kim, Larissa Lacher, Ottmar Möhler, Frascisco José Olmo, German Perez Fogwill, Ana A. Piedehierro, Nsikanabasi Silas Umo, André Welti, Gloria Titos, and Alberto Cazorla

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Cited articles

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Bazo, E., Pérez-Ramírez, D., Valenzuela, A., Martins, J. V., Titos, G., Cazorla, A., Rejano, F., Patrón, D., Díaz-Zurita, A., García-Izquierdo, F. J., Fuertes, D., Alados-Arboledas, L., and Olmo, F. J.: Phase matrix characterization of long-range-transported Saharan dust using multiwavelength-polarized polar imaging nephelometry, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 6325–6352, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6325-2025, 2025. 
Beall, C. M., Lucero, D., Hill, T. C., DeMott, P. J., Stokes, M. D., and Prather, K. A.: Best practices for precipitation sample storage for offline studies of ice nucleation in marine and coastal environments, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6473–6486, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6473-2020, 2020. 
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We evaluated different methods to obtain the ice nucleating particle (INP) concentration from ambient filters using GRAINS (GRAnada Ice Nuclei Spectrometer), the INP spectrometer at the Andalusian ObseRvatory of the Atmosphere (AGORA). We first characterized GRAINS and compared it to other INP devices. Then, we sampled polycarbonate and quartz filters for three months and tested three different particle extraction methods, finding general good agreement but that the INP concentration is systematically higher when using quartz filters.
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