Prof. Nikos Mihalopoulos

Main topics of interest:
Atmospheric and Environmental Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles, Aerosol Chemistry and Air-Sea Exchanges.

Education

• 1984: B.Sc. in Chemistry, University of Athens
• 1985: Diplome d'Etudes Approfondies (DEA) on Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics and Chemistry of Pollution, University of Paris 7, France.
• 1989: Ph. D. on Environmental Chemistry, University of Paris 7, research performed at the LSCE, CNRS.

Research experience

• 1989: Research Fellow at the CFR,CNRS-CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
• 1989-1991: Postdoctoral Fellow, der Bergischen Universitat, FB9, Wuppertal
• 1991: Postdoctoral Fellow at the CFR,CNRS-CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

Grants:

• 1985-1988: National Greek State organization for financial support of Ph.D. students.
• Jul. 1989 - Dec. 1990: European Union
• Jul. 1997 - Sep. 1997: DAAD (German State)

Ongoing Research:

• Biogeochemical sulfur cycle

The atmospheric sulfur cycle has been the subject of intense research, in the recent years, because of the need to evaluate the contributions of biogenic and anthropogenic sulfur to acid rain, visibility reduction and possible climate modification through Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) formation. Thus a better understanding of atmospheric S cycle is essential to correctly evaluate the contribution of sulfur compounds to the atmospheric O3, NOx, HOx and halogen cycles and Earth's climate. My actual research is focused in the study of sulfur cycle in two well distinguished areas: The Eastern Mediterranean area (mainly influenced by human activities) and the southern Indian Ocean (mainly influenced by natural sources). In both places I study:

• the factors controlling the seasonal variation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and its precursor (DMSP) in sea water,
• the factors contolling the seasonal variation of sulfate and methanesulfonate (MSA) aerosols and Aitken nuclei,
• the implication of Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) formation from DMS oxidation in the sulfur cycle
• the relative contribution of biogenic and anthropogenic sources to the regional sulfur budget in this area.
• Aerosol chemistry

It has been recognised that tropospheric submicrometer aerosols can affectthe Earth's radiative budget either directly by backscattering of the incidentsolar radiation or indirectly acting as precursors of cloud condensationnuclei (CCN). However their role is largerly dependant on their chemicalcomposition. In this field my research focus on the study of the chemicalcomposition of aerosols and on the mechanisms of their formation in 3 areaswith different source signature: A forest area (emission of terpenes andisoprene), a pure oceanic area (only marine source) and finally an areasituated downwind of major anthropogenic activities.

• Low molecular weight carboxylic acids in the atmosphere

The role of carboxylic acids as chemical constituents in the troposphere has become an issue of growing interest in the past two decades. Because of their low molecular weight and high polarity, carboxylic acids are water soluble and represent a major fraction of the total organic carbon in fog, cloud water and precipitation. They may also be involved in potentially important atmospheric transformations and they contribute to the acidity of precipitation. In this field my research focuses on the mechanisms of their formation and their distribution in 3 areas with different source signature: A forest area (emission of terpenes and isoprene), a pure oceanic area (only marine source) and finally an area situated downwind of major anthropogenic activities.

Peer reviewed publications since 1998

• Sciare J., E. Baboukas, R. Hancy, N. Mihalopoulos*, B.C. Nguyen. Seasonal variation of DMSO in rainwater at Amsterdam Island : Possible implications for the Sulfur cycle. J. Atmos. Chem. 30, 229-240, 1998.
• Kavouras I.G., Mihalopoulos N., Stephanou E.G., Formation of atmospheric particles from organic acids produced by forests, Nature, 1998, 395, 683-686.
• Patroescu J., Barnes I., Becker K.H., Mihalopoulos N., FTIR product study of the OH initiated oxidation of DMS in the presence of NOx, Atmos. Environ, 33, 25-35, 1998.
• Kavouras I.G., Mihalopoulos N., Stephanou E.G., Formation and gas/particle partitioning of monoterpenes photo-oxidation products over forests, Geophysical Research Letters, 26, 55-58, 1999.
• Putaud J.P., C. Davison, S.F. Watts, N. Mihalopoulos, N. Hewitt, B.C. Nguyen, Dimethylsulfide and its oxidation products at two sites in Brittany, Atmos. Environ., , 33, 647-659, 1999.
• Sciare J., Mihalopoulos N*., B.C. Nguyen. Summer-time seawater concentrations of dimethylsulfide in the western Indian Ocean: Reconciliation of fluxes and spatial variability with long-term atmospheric observations. J. Atmos. Chem. 32, 357-373, 1999.
• Kavouras I.G., Lemonakis A., Mihalopoulos N., Stephanou E.G., Primary emissions vs. secondary formation organic aerosol: In-situ study of the role of the photo-oxidation products of isoprene and monoterpenes, Environmental Science and Technology 33, 1028-1037, 1999.
• Kettle A.J., M.O. Andreae, D. Amouroux, T.W. Andreae, T.S. Bates, H. Berresheim, H. Bingemer, R. Boniforti, M.A. Curran, G.R.Ditullio, G. Helas, G.B. Jones, M.D. Keller, R.P. Kiene, C. Leck, M. Levasseur, G. Malin, M. Maspero, P. Matrai, A.R. Mctaggart, Mihalopoulos N., B.C. Nguyen, A. Novo, . J.P. Putaud S. Rapsomanikis, G. Roberts, G. Schebeske, S. Sharma, R. Simo, R. Staubes, S. Turner, G. Uher, A global data base of sea surface dimethylsulfide measurements and a procedure to predict sea surface dimethylsulfide as a function of latitude, longitude and month, Global Biogeo. Cycles, 399-444, 1999.
• J. Sciare, N. Mihalopoulos*. Atmospheric Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) : An improved method for Sampling and analysis. Atmos. Env. , 34, 151-156, 2000.
• Kouvarakis G., K. Tsigaridis, M. Kanakidou, and N. Mihalopoulos*, Temporal variations of surface regional background ozone over Crete Island in the Southeast Mediterranean. J.G.R., 105, 4399-4407, 2000.
• Belviso, S., Morrow, R., Mihalopoulos, N., An Atlantic meridional transect of surface water dimethyl sulfide concentrations with 10-15 km horizontal resolution and close examination of ocean circulation , J. Geophys. Res. Vol. 105 , No. D11 , p. 14,423, 2000
• Sciare, J., Baboukas, E., Kanakidou, M., Krischke, U., Belviso, S., Bardouki, H., Mihalopoulos*, N., Spatial and temporal variability of atmospheric sulfur-containing gases and particles during the Albatross campaign, J. Geophys. Res. Vol. 105 , No. D11, p. 14,433, 2000.
• Patris, N., Mihalopoulos, N., Baboukas, E. D., Jouzel, J., Isotopic composition of sulfur in size-resolved marine aerosols above the Atlantic Ocean J. Geophys. Res. Vol. 105 , No. D11 , p. 14,449, 2000.
• Baboukas, E. D., Kanakidou, M., Mihalopoulos, N*., Carboxylic acids in gas and particulate phase above the Atlantic Ocean, J. Geophys. Res. Vol. 105 , No. D11 , p. 14,459, 2000.
• Sciare, J., M. Kanakidou, and N. Mihalopoulos*, Diurnal and seasonal variation of atmospheric dimethylsulfoxyde (DMSO) at Amsterdam Island, southern Indian Ocean. J. Geophys. Res., 105, 17,257-17,265, 2000.
• Sciare, J., N. Mihalopoulos*, and F. Dentener, Interannual variability of atmospheric dimethylsulfide in the Southern Indian Ocean. J. Geophys. Res., 105, 26,369-26,377, 2000.
• Sciare, J., N. Mihalopoulos*, and E. Baboukas,. Short-term variations of dimethylsulfide and its oxidation products at Amsterdam Island during summer time. J. Atmos. Chem., 39, 281-302, 2001.
• D.Harrison, M.C.Hunter, A.C.Lewis, P.W.Seakins, B.Bonsang, V.Gros, M.Kanakidou , M.Touaty ,I.Kavouras, N.Mihalopoulos, E.Stephanou , C.Alves ,T.Nunes, C.Pio, Ambient isoprene and monoterpene concentrations in a Greek Abies Borisii-regis forest. Reconciliation with emissions measurements and effects on measured OH concentrations, Atmos. Env. , 35, 4699-4711, 2001.
• E.G.Stephanou, I.Kavouras, N.Mihalopoulos, Comment on ‘‘Formation of new particles in the gas-phase ozonolysis of monoterpenes ’’by Koch et al. Atmospheric Environment 34 (2000) 4031 –4042), Atmos. Environ. 35 4523 –4524, 2001.
• Mihalopoulos* N., B.C. Nguyen, Vertical distribution of Carbonylsulfide in a forested area, Chemosphere, 3, 3, 275-282, 2001.
• Kouvarakis, G., N. Mihalopoulos*, T. Tselepides, S. Stavrakakis, On the importance of atmospheric nitrogen inputs on the productivity of Eastern Mediterranean, Global Biogeochemical cycles, 15 , No. 4, 805-818, 2001.
• I. Colbeck, C. Bryant, S. Nyeki, K. Eleftheriadis, J. Smolik, V. Zdimal, M. Lazaridis and N Mihalopoulos, 'Optical properties of atmospheric aerosol at Finokalia (Greece)' J. Aerosol Sci., 32, pp.445-446, 2001
• M. Lazaridis, I. Colbeck, I. Drossinos, K. Eleftheriadis, V. Havranek, C. Housiadas, G. Kallos, N. Mihalopoulos, P. Mikuska, J. Smolik, S. Solberg, A. Spiridaki, E. Stefanou, F. Stordal, T. Svendby, Z. Vecera and V. Zdimal, 'Subgrid scale investigations of factors determining the occurrence of ozone and fine particles (Sub-Aero)' J. Aerosol Sci., 32 (2001) pp.119-120.
• G. Kouvarakis, and N. Mihalopoulos*, Seasonal variation of dimethylsulfide in the gas phase and of methanesulfonate and non-sea-salt sulfate in the aerosol phase measured in the eastern Mediterranean atmosphere, Atmos. Environ., 36, 929-938, 2002.
• C.Economou and N. Mihalopoulos*, Rainwater formaldehyde in the Eastern Mediterranean: Concentration, deposition and contribution to organic carbon budget, Atmos. Environ., 36, 1337-1347, 2002.
• Sciare, J., N. Mihalopoulos*, B.C. Nguyen, 2002, Spatio-temporal variability of dissolved sulfur compounds in European estuaries, Biogeochemisty, 59, 121-141, 2002.
• G. Kouvarakis, H. Bardouki, and N. Mihalopoulos*, Sulfur budget above the Eastern Mediterranean: Relative contribution of anthropogenic and biogenic sources, Tellus, 54B, 201-213, 2002.
• Bardouki, H., Barcellos da Rosa, M., Mihalopoulos*, N., Palm, U., and Zetzsch, C., Kinetics and Mechanism of the Oxidation of Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and Methanesulphinate (MSI) by OH Radicals in Aqueous Medium, Atmos. Environ., 36, 4627-4634, 2002.
• Kouvarakis G., M. Vrekoussis, N. Mihalopoulos*, K. Kourtidis, B. Rappengluck, E. Gerasopoulos and C. Zerefos, Spatial and temporal variability of tropospheric ozone (O3) in the boundary layer above the Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean), J. Geophys. Res., 10.1029/2000JD000081, 06 September 2002.
• Kourtidis, K.; Zerefos, C.; Rapsomanikis, S.; Simeonov, V.; Balis, D.; Perros, P. E.; Thompson, A. M.; Witte, J.; Calpini, B.; Sharobiem, W. M.; Papayannis, A.; Mihalopoulos, N.; Drakou, R., Regional levels of Ozone over the eastern Mediterranean, J. Geophys. Res., 10.1029/2000JD000140, 24 September 2002.
• Kouvarakis, G., Y. Doukelis, N. Mihalopoulos*, S. Rapsomanikis, J. Sciare, and M. Blumthaler, 2002, Chemical, physical and optical characterization of aerosols during PAUR II experiment, J. Geophys. Res., 10.1029/2000JD000291, 28 September 2002.
• Kubilay, N., Koçak M., Çokacar, T., Oguz, T., Kouvarakis, G., and Mihalopoulos, N., The Influence of Black Sea and Local Biogenic Activity on the Seasonal Variation of Aerosol Sulfur Species in the Eastern Mediterranean Atmosphere, Global Biogeochemical cycles, in press, 2002.
• Baboukas. E, J. Sciare, and N. Mihalopoulos* 2002, Interannual variability of methanesulfonic acid in rainwater at Amsterdam Island, Atmos. Environ., in press.
• Arsene C., Barnes, I., Becker, K.H, Schneider, W., Mihalopoulos, N., Patroescu-Klotz, I., Formation of methane sulfinic acid in the gas phase OH-radical initiated oxidation of dimethyl sulfoxide, Environ. Sci. and Technol., in press, 2002.
• Bardouki H., Liakakou, H., Economou, C., J. Smolik, V. Zdimal, K. Eleftheriadis, M. Lazaridis and N Mihalopoulos*, Chemical Composition of Size Resolved Atmospheric Aerosols in the Eastern Mediterranean During Summer and Winter, Atmos. Environ., in press.
• Baboukas, E., J. Sciare, and N. Mihalopoulos*, 2002, Spatial, temporal and Interannual variability of methanesulfonate and non-sea-salt sulfate in rainwater in the Southern Indian Ocean, J. Atmos. Chem., in press