Aerosol optical properties and direct radiative forcing at Taihu.

Science.gov (United States)

Lü, Rui; Yu, Xingna; Jia, Hailing; Xiao, Sihan

2017-09-01

Ground-based characteristics (optical, type, size, and radiative properties) of aerosols measured between 2005 and 2012 were investigated over the Taihu rim region, which encompasses the cities of Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, and Changzhou. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) showed a distinct seasonal variation with the highest value in summer and the lowest AOD in winter. There was broadest frequency distribution with a multimodal structure in summer. The Ångström exponent (AE) showed high values during spring; the relative frequency of AE in the range of 0-0.8 was 5-10 times greater than that of other seasons. The samples with high AOD 440 and low AE 440-870 were mainly observed in spring, which is attributed to the relative abundance of coarse particles. The monthly aerosol volume size distributions presented a bimodal structure (fine and coarse modes). The coarse mode was dominant during spring, while the fine mode was predominant in other seasons. The main aerosol type over Taihu during all the seasons was the mixed small-particle category, followed by the urban/industrial category. The minimum single scattering albedo (SSA) occurred in winter, suggesting that atmosphere aerosol had a higher absorption. All monthly averaged asymmetry factors (ASY) had positive values and no distinct seasonal variation. Both high real (Re) and imaginary (Im) parts of the refractive index occurred in winter. The atmospheric warming effect of aerosol was more significant in winter compared with other seasons, with the averaged atmosphere aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) and the corresponding atmospheric heating rate up to +69.46  W·m -2 and 1.95  K·day -1 , respectively. There existed a significant positive correlation between AOD and ARF (absolute value), and the correlation coefficients (r) exceeded 0.86 in each season with maximum r in summer. Along with the increasing of the SSA, the aerosol radiative forcing efficiency (absolute value) showed a decreasing trend at the

Intercomparison and closure calculations using measurements of aerosol species and optical properties during the Yosemite Aerosol Characterization Study

Science.gov (United States)

Malm, William C.; Day, Derek E.; Carrico, Christian; Kreidenweis, Sonia M.; Collett, Jeffrey L.; McMeeking, Gavin; Lee, Taehyoung; Carrillo, Jacqueline; Schichtel, Bret

2005-07-01

Physical and optical properties of inorganic aerosols have been extensively studied, but less is known about carbonaceous aerosols, especially as they relate to the non-urban settings such as our nation's national parks and wilderness areas. Therefore an aerosol characterization study was conceived and implemented at one national park that is highly impacted by carbonaceous aerosols, Yosemite. The primary objective of the study was to characterize the physical, chemical, and optical properties of a carbon-dominated aerosol, including the ratio of total organic matter weight to organic carbon, organic mass scattering efficiencies, and the hygroscopic characteristics of a carbon-laden ambient aerosol, while a secondary objective was to evaluate a variety of semi-continuous monitoring systems. Inorganic ions were characterized using 24-hour samples that were collected using the URG and Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) monitoring systems, the micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) cascade impactor, as well as the semi-continuous particle-into-liquid sampler (PILS) technology. Likewise, carbonaceous material was collected over 24-hour periods using IMPROVE technology along with the thermal optical reflectance (TOR) analysis, while semi-continuous total carbon concentrations were measured using the Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P) instrument. Dry aerosol number size distributions were measured using a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) and optical particle counter, scattering coefficients at near-ambient conditions were measured with nephelometers fitted with PM10 and PM2.5 inlets, and "dry" PM2.5 scattering was measured after passing ambient air through Perma Pure Nafion® dryers. In general, the 24-hour "bulk" measurements of various aerosol species compared more favorably with each other than with the semi-continuous data. Semi-continuous sulfate measurements correlated well with the 24-hour measurements, but were biased low by

Geometrical optics of dense aerosols: forming dense plasma slabs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hay, Michael J; Valeo, Ernest J; Fisch, Nathaniel J

2013-11-01

Assembling a freestanding, sharp-edged slab of homogeneous material that is much denser than gas, but much more rarefied than a solid, is an outstanding technological challenge. The solution may lie in focusing a dense aerosol to assume this geometry. However, whereas the geometrical optics of dilute aerosols is a well-developed field, the dense aerosol limit is mostly unexplored. Yet controlling the geometrical optics of dense aerosols is necessary in preparing such a material slab. Focusing dense aerosols is shown here to be possible, but the finite particle density reduces the effective Stokes number of the flow, a critical result for controlled focusing.

Black carbon's contribution to aerosol absorption optical depth over S. Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Lamb, K.; Perring, A. E.; Beyersdorf, A. J.; Anderson, B. E.; Segal-Rosenhaimer, M.; Redemann, J.; Holben, B. N.; Schwarz, J. P.

2017-12-01

Aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) monitored by ground-based sites (AERONET, SKYNET, etc.) is used to constrain climate radiative forcing from black carbon (BC) and other absorbing aerosols in global models, but few validation studies between in situ aerosol measurements and ground-based AAOD exist. AAOD is affected by aerosol size distributions, composition, mixing state, and morphology. Megacities provide appealing test cases for this type of study due to their association with very high concentrations of anthropogenic aerosols. During the KORUS-AQ campaign in S. Korea, which took place in late spring and early summer of 2016, in situ aircraft measurements over the Seoul Metropolitan Area and Taehwa Research Forest (downwind of Seoul) were repeated three times per flight over a 6 week period, providing significant temporal coverage of vertically resolved aerosol properties influenced by different meteorological conditions and sources. Measurements aboard the NASA DC-8 by the NOAA Humidified Dual Single Particle Soot Photometers (HD-SP2) quantified BC mass, size distributions, mixing state, and the hygroscopicity of BC containing aerosols. The in situ BC mass vertical profiles are combined with estimated absorption enhancement calculated from observed optical size and hygroscopicity using Mie theory, and then integrated over the depth of the profile to calculate BC's contribution to AAOD. Along with bulk aerosol size distributions and hygroscopicity, bulk absorbing aerosol optical properties, and on-board sky radiance measurements, these measurements are compared with ground-based AERONET site measurements of AAOD to evaluate closure between in situ vertical profiles of BC and AAOD measurements. This study will provide constraints on the relative importance of BC (including lensing and hygroscopicity effects) and non-BC components to AAOD over S. Korea.

The Two-Column Aerosol Project: Phase I - Overview and Impact of Elevated Aerosol Layers on Aerosol Optical Depth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berg, Larry K.; Fast, Jerome D.; Barnard, James C.; Burton, Sharon; Cairns, Brian; Chand, Duli; Comstock, Jennifer M.; Dunagan, Stephen; Ferrare, Richard A.; Flynn, Connor J.; Hair, John; Hostetler, Chris A.; Hubbe, John M.; Jefferson, Anne; Johnson, Roy; Kassianov, Evgueni I.; Kluzek, Celine D.; Kollias, Pavlos; Lamer, Katia; Lantz, K.; Mei, Fan; Miller, Mark A.; Michalsky, Joseph; Ortega, Ivan; Pekour, Mikhail S.; Rogers, Ray; Russell, P.; Redemann, Jens; Sedlacek, Art; Segal Rozenhaimer, Michal; Schmid, Beat; Shilling, John E.; Shinozuka, Yohei; Springston, Stephen R.; Tomlinson, Jason M.; Tyrrell, Megan; Wilson, Jacqueline; Volkamer, Rainer M.; Zelenyuk, Alla; Berkowitz, Carl M.

2016-01-08

The Two-Column Aerosol Project (TCAP), which was conducted from June 2012 through June 2013, was a unique field study that was designed to provide a comprehensive data set that can be used to investigate a number of important climate science questions, including those related to aerosol mixing state and aerosol radiative forcing. The study was designed to sample the atmosphere at a number of altitudes, from near the surface to as high as 8 km, within two atmospheric columns; one located near the coast of North America (over Cape Cod, MA) and a second over the Atlantic Ocean several hundred kilometers from the coast. TCAP included the yearlong deployment of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility (AMF) that was located at the base of the Cape Cod column, as well as summer and winter aircraft intensive observation periods of the ARM Aerial Facility. One important finding from TCAP is the relatively common occurrence (on four of six nearly cloud-free flights) of elevated aerosol layers in both the Cape Cod and maritime columns that were detected using the nadir pointing second-generation NASA high-spectral resolution lidar (HSRL-2). These layers contributed up to 60% of the total aerosol optical depth (AOD) observed in the column. Many of these layers were also intercepted by the aircraft configured for in situ sampling, and the aerosol in the layers was found to have increased amounts of biomass burning aerosol and nitrate compared to the aerosol found near the surface.

Studies on aerosol optical properties over urban and semi-urban environments of Hyderabad and Anantapur

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lata, K.M.; Badarinath, K.V.S.; Rao, T.V. Ramakrishna; Reddy, R.R.; Ahammed, Y. Nazeer; Gopal, K. Rama; Azeem, P. Abdul

2003-01-01

Aerosols in the troposphere exert an important influence on global climate and the environment through scattering, transmission and absorption of radiation as well as acting as nuclei for cloud formation. Atmospheric aerosol particles influence the earth's radiation balance directly by scattering of infrared energy and indirectly by modifying the properties of clouds through microphysical processes. The present study addresses visibility, radiative forcing, size distribution and attenuation of aerosols over the period from January to May, 2001 for urban and semi-urban regions of Hyderabad and Anantapur. High aerosol loading has been observed over urban environment compared to semi-urban environment. Aerosol optical depth values increased from January to April and then decreased during May over both urban and semi-urban regions. Over urban region, visibility decreased from January to April and increased during May. Similar trend has been observed over semi-urban region with relatively higher values of visibility. Radiative forcing estimated using aerosol optical depth values increased from January to April and then decreased during the month of May over urban and semi-urban areas. High visibility and low radiative forcing has been noticed over semi-urban area due to less aerosol loading. Wavelength exponent and turbidity coefficient registered high values over urban environment compared to semi-urban environment. Attenuation coefficient showed high values over urban region compared to semi-urban region. It reveals that semi-urban environment receives high solar flux than urban environment. Using 10 channel quartz crystal microbalance, measurements of total mass concentration and mass size distribution of near surface aerosols has been made over semi-urban environment and compared with size distribution derived from inversion methods based on aerosol optical depth variation with wavelength. The sensitivity of constrained linear inversions for inferring columnar

Characterizing and Understanding Aerosol Optical Properties: CARES - Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cappa, Christopher D [Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States); Atkinson, Dean B [Portland State Univ., Portland, OR (United States)

2017-12-17

The scientific focus of this study was to use ambient measurements to develop new insights into the understanding of the direct radiative forcing by atmospheric aerosol particles. The study used data collected by the PI’s and others as part of both the 2010 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study (CARES), which took place in and around Sacramento, CA, and the 2012 Clean Air for London (ClearfLo) study. We focus on measurements that were made of aerosol particle optical properties, namely the wavelength-dependent light absorption, scattering and extinction. Interpretation of these optical property measurements is facilitated through consideration of complementary measurements of the aerosol particle chemical composition and size distributions. With these measurements, we addressed the following general scientific questions: 1. How does light scattering and extinction by atmospheric aerosol particles depend on particle composition, water uptake, and size? 2. To what extent is light absorption by aerosol particles enhanced through the mixing of black carbon with other particulate components? 3. What relationships exist between intensive aerosol particle optical properties, and how do these depend on particle source and photochemical aging? 4. How well do spectral deconvolution methods, which are commonly used in remote sensing, retrieve information about particle size distributions?

Thermo-optical properties of residential coals and combustion aerosols

Science.gov (United States)

Pintér, Máté; Ajtai, Tibor; Kiss-Albert, Gergely; Kiss, Diána; Utry, Noémi; Janovszky, Patrik; Palásti, Dávid; Smausz, Tomi; Kohut, Attila; Hopp, Béla; Galbács, Gábor; Kukovecz, Ákos; Kónya, Zoltán; Szabó, Gábor; Bozóki, Zoltán

2018-04-01

In this study, we present the inherent optical properties of carbonaceous aerosols generated from various coals (hard through bituminous to lignite) and their correlation with the thermochemical and energetic properties of the bulk coal samples. The nanoablation method provided a unique opportunity for the comprehensive investigation of the generated particles under well controlled laboratory circumstances. First, the wavelength dependent radiative features (optical absorption and scattering) and the size distribution (SD) of the generated particulate matter were measured in-situ in aerosol phase using in-house developed and customised state-of-the-art instrumentation. We also investigated the morphology and microstructure of the generated particles using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Electron Diffraction (ED). The absorption spectra of the measured samples (quantified by Absorption Angström Exponent (AAE)) were observed to be distinctive. The correlation between the thermochemical features of bulk coal samples (fixed carbon (FC) to volatile matter (VM) ratio and calorific value (CV)) and the AAE of aerosol assembly were found to be (r2 = 0.97 and r2 = 0.97) respectively. Lignite was off the fitted curves in both cases most probably due to its high optically inactive volatile material content. Although more samples are necessary to be investigated to draw statistically relevant conclusion, the revealed correlation between CV and Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) implies that climatic impact of coal combusted aerosol could depend on the thermal and energetic properties of the bulk material.

A case study of the highly time-resolved evolution of aerosol chemical and optical properties in urban Shanghai, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Huang

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Characteristics of the chemical and optical properties of aerosols in urban Shanghai and their relationship were studied over a three-day period in October 2011. A suite of real-time instruments, including an Aerosol Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS, a Monitor for AeRosols and GAses (MARGA, a Cavity Ring Down Spectrometer (CRDS, a nephelometer and a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS, was employed to follow the quick changes of the aerosol properties within the 72 h sampling period. The origin of the air mass arriving in Shanghai during this period shifted from the East China Sea to the northwest area of China, offering a unique opportunity to observe the evolution of aerosols influenced by regional transport from the most polluted areas in China. According to the meteorological conditions and temporal characterizations of the chemical and optical properties, the sampling period was divided into three periods. During Period 1 (00:00–23:00 LT, 13 October, the aerosols in urban Shanghai were mainly fresh and the single scattering albedo varied negatively with the emission of elemental carbon, indicating that local sources dominated. Period 2 (23:00 LT on 13 October to 10:00 LT on 15 October was impacted by regionally transported pollutants and had the highest particulate matter (PM mass loading and the lowest particle acidity, characterized by large fractions of aged particles and high secondary ion (nitrate, sulfate and ammonium mass concentrations. Comparison between ATOFMS particle acidity and quantitative particle acidity by MARGA indicated the significance of semi-quantitative calculation in ATOFMS. Two sub-periods were identified in Period 2 based on the scattering efficiency of PM1 mass. Period 3 (from 10:00 LT on 15 October to 00:00 LT on 16 October had a low PM1/PM10 ratio and a new particle formation event. The comparison of these sub-periods highlights the influence of particle mixing state on aerosol optical properties

High Spectral Resolution Lidar and MPLNET Micro Pulse Lidar Aerosol Optical Property Retrieval Intercomparison During the 2012 7-SEAS Field Campaign at Singapore

Science.gov (United States)

Lolli, Simone; Welton, Ellsworth J.; Campbell, James R.; Eloranta, Edwin; Holben, Brent N.; Chew, Boon Ning; Salinas, Santo V.

2014-01-01

From August 2012 to February 2013 a High Resolution Spectral Lidar (HSRL; 532 nm) was deployed at that National University of Singapore near a NASA Micro Pulse Lidar NETwork (MPLNET; 527 nm) site. A primary objective of the MPLNET lidar project is the production and dissemination of reliable Level 1 measurements and Level 2 retrieval products. This paper characterizes and quantifies error in Level 2 aerosol optical property retrievals conducted through inversion techniques that derive backscattering and extinction coefficients from MPLNET elastic single-wavelength datasets. MPLNET Level 2 retrievals for aerosol optical depth and extinction/backscatter coefficient profiles are compared with corresponding HSRL datasets, for which the instrument collects direct measurements of each using a unique optical configuration that segregates aerosol and cloud backscattered signal from molecular signal. The intercomparison is performed, and error matrices reported, for lower (0-5km) and the upper (>5km) troposphere, respectively, to distinguish uncertainties observed within and above the MPLNET instrument optical overlap regime.

A closure study of aerosol optical properties at a regional background mountainous site in Eastern China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Liang; Yin, Yan; Xiao, Hui; Yu, Xingna; Hao, Jian; Chen, Kui

2016-01-01

There is a large uncertainty in evaluating the radiative forcing from aerosol–radiation and aerosol–cloud interactions due to the limited knowledge on aerosol properties. In-situ measurements of aerosol physical and chemical properties were carried out in 2012 at Mt. Huang (the Yellow Mountain), a continental background mountainous site in eastern China. An aerosol optical closure study was performed to verify the model outputs by using the measured aerosol optical properties, in which a spherical Mie model with assumptions of external and core–shell mixtures on the basis of a two-component optical aerosol model and high size-segregated element carbon (EC) ratio was applied. Although the spherical Mie model would underestimate the real scattering with increasing particle diameters, excellent agreement between the calculated and measured values was achieved with correlation coefficients above 0.98. Sensitivity experiments showed that the EC ratio had a negligible effect on the calculated scattering coefficient, but largely influenced the calculated absorption coefficient. The high size-segregated EC ratio averaged over the study period in the closure was enough to reconstruct the aerosol absorption coefficient in the Mie model, indicating EC size resolution was more important than time resolution in retrieving the absorption coefficient in the model. The uncertainties of calculated scattering and absorption coefficients due to the uncertainties of measurements and model assumptions yielded by a Monte Carlo simulation were ± 6% and ± 14% for external mixture and ± 9% and ± 31% for core–shell mixture, respectively. This study provided an insight into the inherent relationship between aerosol optical properties and physicochemical characteristics in eastern China, which could supplement the database of aerosol optical properties for background sites in eastern China and provide a method for regions with similar climate. - Highlights: • A spherical Mie

A closure study of aerosol optical properties at a regional background mountainous site in Eastern China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuan, Liang [Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044 (China); Key Laboratory for Aerosol–Cloud–Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044 (China); Yin, Yan, E-mail: yinyan@nuist.edu.cn [Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044 (China); Key Laboratory for Aerosol–Cloud–Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044 (China); Xiao, Hui [Key Laboratory for Aerosol–Cloud–Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044 (China); Yu, Xingna [Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044 (China); Key Laboratory for Aerosol–Cloud–Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044 (China); Hao, Jian; Chen, Kui [Key Laboratory for Aerosol–Cloud–Precipitation of China Meteorological Administration, School of Atmospheric Physics, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044 (China); and others

2016-04-15

There is a large uncertainty in evaluating the radiative forcing from aerosol–radiation and aerosol–cloud interactions due to the limited knowledge on aerosol properties. In-situ measurements of aerosol physical and chemical properties were carried out in 2012 at Mt. Huang (the Yellow Mountain), a continental background mountainous site in eastern China. An aerosol optical closure study was performed to verify the model outputs by using the measured aerosol optical properties, in which a spherical Mie model with assumptions of external and core–shell mixtures on the basis of a two-component optical aerosol model and high size-segregated element carbon (EC) ratio was applied. Although the spherical Mie model would underestimate the real scattering with increasing particle diameters, excellent agreement between the calculated and measured values was achieved with correlation coefficients above 0.98. Sensitivity experiments showed that the EC ratio had a negligible effect on the calculated scattering coefficient, but largely influenced the calculated absorption coefficient. The high size-segregated EC ratio averaged over the study period in the closure was enough to reconstruct the aerosol absorption coefficient in the Mie model, indicating EC size resolution was more important than time resolution in retrieving the absorption coefficient in the model. The uncertainties of calculated scattering and absorption coefficients due to the uncertainties of measurements and model assumptions yielded by a Monte Carlo simulation were ± 6% and ± 14% for external mixture and ± 9% and ± 31% for core–shell mixture, respectively. This study provided an insight into the inherent relationship between aerosol optical properties and physicochemical characteristics in eastern China, which could supplement the database of aerosol optical properties for background sites in eastern China and provide a method for regions with similar climate. - Highlights: • A spherical Mie

Optical, microphysical and radiative properties of aerosols over a tropical rural site in Kenya, East Africa: Source identification, modification and aerosol type discrimination

Science.gov (United States)

Boiyo, Richard; Kumar, K. Raghavendra; Zhao, Tianliang

2018-03-01

A better understanding of aerosol optical, microphysical and radiative properties is a crucial challenge for climate change studies. In the present study, column-integrated aerosol optical and radiative properties observed at a rural site, Mbita (0.42°S, 34.20 °E, and 1125 m above sea level) located in Kenya, East Africa (EA) are investigated using ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) data retrieved during January, 2007 to December, 2015. The annual mean aerosol optical depth (AOD500 nm), Ångström exponent (AE440-870 nm), fine mode fraction of AOD500 nm (FMF500 nm), and columnar water vapor (CWV, cm) were found to be 0.23 ± 0.08, 1.01 ± 0.16, 0.60 ± 0.07, and 2.72 ± 0.20, respectively. The aerosol optical properties exhibited a unimodal distribution with substantial seasonal heterogeneity in their peak values being low (high) during the local wet (dry) seasons. The observed data showed that Mbita and its environs are significantly influenced by various types of aerosols, with biomass burning and/or urban-industrial (BUI), mixed (MXD), and desert dust (DDT) aerosol types contributing to 37.72%, 32.81%, and 1.40%, respectively during the local dry season (JJA). The aerosol volume size distribution (VSD) exhibited bimodal lognormal structure with a geometric mean radius of 0.15 μm and 3.86-5.06 μm for fine- and coarse-mode aerosols, respectively. Further, analysis of single scattering albedo (SSA), asymmetry parameter (ASY) and refractive index (RI) revealed dominance of fine-mode absorbing aerosols during JJA. The averaged aerosol direct radiative forcing (ARF) retrieved from the AERONET showed a strong cooling effect at the bottom of the atmosphere (BOA) and significant warming within the atmosphere (ATM), representing the important role of aerosols played in this rural site of Kenya. Finally, the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model revealed that aerosols from distinct sources resulted in enhanced loading

Multiscale periodicities in aerosol optical depth over India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramachandran, S; Ghosh, Sayantan; Verma, Amit; Panigrahi, P K

2013-01-01

Aerosols exhibit periodic or cyclic variations depending on natural and anthropogenic sources over a region, which can become modulated by synoptic meteorological parameters such as winds, rainfall and relative humidity, and long-range transport. Information on periodicity and phase in aerosol properties assumes significance in prediction as well as examining the radiative and climate effects of aerosols including their association with changes in cloud properties and rainfall. Periodicity in aerosol optical depth, which is a columnar measure of aerosol distribution, is determined using continuous wavelet transform over 35 locations (capitals of states and union territories) in India. Continuous wavelet transform is used in the study because continuous wavelet transform is better suited to the extraction of the periodic and local modulations present in various frequency ranges when compared to Fourier transform. Monthly mean aerosol optical depths (AODs) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board the Terra satellite at 1° × 1° resolution from January 2001 to December 2012 are used. Annual and quasi-biennial oscillations (QBOs) in AOD are evident in addition to the weak semi-annual (5–6 months) and quasi-triennial oscillations (∼40 months). The semi-annual and annual oscillations are consistent with the seasonal and yearly cycle of variations in AODs. The QBO type periodicity in AOD is found to be non-stationary while the annual period is stationary. The 40 month periodicity indicates the presence of long term correlations in AOD. The observed periodicities in MODIS Terra AODs are also evident in the ground-based AOD measurements made over Kanpur in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The phase of the periodicity in AOD is stable in the mid-frequency range, while local disturbances in the high-frequency range and long term changes in the atmospheric composition give rise to unstable phases in the low-frequency range. The presence of phase

Spatial Interpolation of Aerosol Optical Depth Pollution: Comparison of Methods for the Development of Aerosol Distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Safarpour, S.; Abdullah, K.; Lim, H. S.; Dadras, M.

2017-09-01

Air pollution is a growing problem arising from domestic heating, high density of vehicle traffic, electricity production, and expanding commercial and industrial activities, all increasing in parallel with urban population. Monitoring and forecasting of air quality parameters are important due to health impact. One widely available metric of aerosol abundance is the aerosol optical depth (AOD). The AOD is the integrated light extinction coefficient over a vertical atmospheric column of unit cross section, which represents the extent to which the aerosols in that vertical profile prevent the transmission of light by absorption or scattering. Seasonal aerosol optical depth (AOD) values at 550 nm derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor onboard NASA's Terra satellites, for the 10 years period of 2000 - 2010 were used to test 7 different spatial interpolation methods in the present study. The accuracy of estimations was assessed through visual analysis as well as independent validation based on basic statistics, such as root mean square error (RMSE) and correlation coefficient. Based on the RMSE and R values of predictions made using measured values from 2000 to 2010, Radial Basis Functions (RBFs) yielded the best results for spring, summer and winter and ordinary kriging yielded the best results for fall.

SPATIAL INTERPOLATION OF AEROSOL OPTICAL DEPTH POLLUTION: COMPARISON OF METHODS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AEROSOL DISTRIBUTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Safarpour

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Air pollution is a growing problem arising from domestic heating, high density of vehicle traffic, electricity production, and expanding commercial and industrial activities, all increasing in parallel with urban population. Monitoring and forecasting of air quality parameters are important due to health impact. One widely available metric of aerosol abundance is the aerosol optical depth (AOD. The AOD is the integrated light extinction coefficient over a vertical atmospheric column of unit cross section, which represents the extent to which the aerosols in that vertical profile prevent the transmission of light by absorption or scattering. Seasonal aerosol optical depth (AOD values at 550 nm derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS sensor onboard NASA’s Terra satellites, for the 10 years period of 2000 - 2010 were used to test 7 different spatial interpolation methods in the present study. The accuracy of estimations was assessed through visual analysis as well as independent validation based on basic statistics, such as root mean square error (RMSE and correlation coefficient. Based on the RMSE and R values of predictions made using measured values from 2000 to 2010, Radial Basis Functions (RBFs yielded the best results for spring, summer and winter and ordinary kriging yielded the best results for fall.

A characterization of Arctic aerosols on the basis of aerosol optical depth and black carbon measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. S. Stone

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Aerosols, transported from distant source regions, influence the Arctic surface radiation budget. When deposited on snow and ice, carbonaceous particles can reduce the surface albedo, which accelerates melting, leading to a temperature-albedo feedback that amplifies Arctic warming. Black carbon (BC, in particular, has been implicated as a major warming agent at high latitudes. BC and co-emitted aerosols in the atmosphere, however, attenuate sunlight and radiatively cool the surface. Warming by soot deposition and cooling by atmospheric aerosols are referred to as “darkening” and “dimming” effects, respectively. In this study, climatologies of spectral aerosol optical depth AOD (2001–2011 and Equivalent BC (EBC (1989–2011 from three Arctic observatories and from a number of aircraft campaigns are used to characterize Arctic aerosols. Since the 1980s, concentrations of BC in the Arctic have decreased by more than 50% at ground stations where in situ observations are made. AOD has increased slightly during the past decade, with variations attributed to changing emission inventories and source strengths of natural aerosols, including biomass smoke and volcanic aerosol, further influenced by deposition rates and airflow patterns.

In situ aerosol characterization at Cape Verde. Part 2: Parametrization of relative humidity- and wavelength-dependent aerosol optical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schladitz, Alexander; Muller, Thomas; Nordmann, Stephan; Tesche, Matthias; Wiedensohler, Alfred (Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (IfT), Leipzig (Germany)), e-mail: alexander.schladitz@tropos.de; Gross, Silke; Freudenthaler, Volker; Gasteiger, Josef (Meteorological Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet, Munich (Germany))

2011-09-15

An observation-based numerical study of humidity-dependent aerosol optical properties of mixed marine and Saharan mineral dust aerosol is presented. An aerosol model was developed based on measured optical and microphysical properties to describe the marine and Saharan dust aerosol at Cape Verde. A wavelength-dependent optical equivalent imaginary part of the refractive index and a scattering non-sphericity factor for Saharan dust were derived. Simulations of humidity effects on optical properties by the aerosol model were validated with relative measurements of the extinction coefficient at ambient conditions. Parametrizations were derived to describe the humidity dependence of the extinction, scattering, and absorption coefficients as well as the asymmetry parameter and single scattering albedo. For wavelengths (300-950 nm) and dry dust volume fractions (0-1), aerosol optical properties as a function of relative humidity (RH = 0-90%) can be calculated from tabulated parameters. For instance, at a wavelength of 550 nm, a volume fraction of 0.5 of dust on the total particle volume (dry conditions) and a RH of 90%, the enhancements for the scattering, extinction and absorption coefficients are 2.55, 2.46 and 1.04, respectively, while the enhancements for the asymmetry parameter and single scattering albedo are 1.11 and 1.04

Variations of aerosol optical depth and Angstrom parameters at a ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this paper, aerosol optical properties including aerosol optical depth (AOD), Angstrom exponent () and Angstrom turbidity coefficient () have been investigated during December 2009 to October 2010, in a suburban area of Zanjan (36°N, 43°E, 1700 m), in the north–west of Iran, using meteorological and sun ...

Aerosol optical properties in the southeastern United States in summer – Part 2: Sensitivity of aerosol optical depth to relative humidity and aerosol parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. A. Brock

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Aircraft observations of meteorological, trace gas, and aerosol properties were made between May and September 2013 in the southeastern United States (US. Regionally representative aggregate vertical profiles of median and interdecile ranges of the measured parameters were constructed from 37 individual aircraft profiles made in the afternoon when a well-mixed boundary layer with typical fair-weather cumulus was present (Wagner et al., 2015. We use these 0–4 km aggregate profiles and a simple model to calculate the sensitivity of aerosol optical depth (AOD to changes in dry aerosol mass, relative humidity, mixed-layer height, the central diameter and width of the particle size distribution, hygroscopicity, and dry and wet refractive index, while holding the other parameters constant. The calculated sensitivity is a result of both the intrinsic sensitivity and the observed range of variation in these parameters. These observationally based sensitivity studies indicate that the relationship between AOD and dry aerosol mass in these conditions in the southeastern US can be highly variable and is especially sensitive to relative humidity (RH. For example, calculated AOD ranged from 0.137 to 0.305 as the RH was varied between the 10th and 90th percentile profiles with dry aerosol mass held constant. Calculated AOD was somewhat less sensitive to aerosol hygroscopicity, mean size, and geometric standard deviation, σg. However, some chemistry–climate models prescribe values of σg substantially larger than we or others observe, leading to potential high biases in model-calculated AOD of  ∼  25 %. Finally, AOD was least sensitive to observed variations in dry and wet aerosol refractive index and to changes in the height of the well-mixed surface layer. We expect these findings to be applicable to other moderately polluted and background continental air masses in which an accumulation mode between 0.1–0.5 µm diameter dominates

Study of total column atmospheric aerosol optical depth, ozone and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Extensive observations of the columnar aerosol optical depth (AOD), total column ozone (TCO) and precipitable water content (PWC) have been carried out using the on-line, multi-band solar radiometers onboard ORV Sagar Kanya (Cruise#SK 147B) over Bay of Bengal during 11th-28th August 1999. Aerosol optical and ...

Real-time aerosol photometer and optical particle counter comparison

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santi, E.; Belosi, F.; Santachiara, G.; Prodi, F.; Berico, M.

2010-01-01

The paper presents the results of a comparison exercise among real-time aerosol samplers, based on different light scattering techniques. The comparison was carried out near to the ISAC institute in a box positioned inside the CNR research area in Bologna. Two nephelometers (Dust Trak from TSI, and Air Genius from Unitec) and an optical particle counter (ENVIRO-check from Grimm) were used for P M1 and P M10 fraction assessment. In the case of the optical particle counter, the particle number concentration in each size bin was also used. In parallel, two manual sampling lines were employed for reference (gravimetric) measurements. The results highlight different factor scales for the dust monitors, in comparison with gravimetric assessment, underlining the importance of a user calibration of such monitors as a function of the specific aerosol sampled. Moreover, the relative fluctuations of the hourly P M 10 and P M1 concentrations, against daily average concentrations, were studied in order to compare the ability of each sampler to follow changes in the aerosol size distribution. It was found that the photometers and optical particle counter revealed different behaviours. In the latter, a small increase in the particle concentration number in the coarse fraction gave a relatively high increase in the mass concentration that was not measured by the photometers. The explanation could be the relatively slight influence of a small particle number variation on the total scattered light for the photometers, unlike the case of the optical particle counter, where each particle contributes to the mass concentration. This aspect merits future research in order to better understand optical particle counter output used in P Mx monitoring activities.

Derivation of Aerosol Columnar Mass from MODIS Optical Depth

Science.gov (United States)

Gasso, Santiago; Hegg, Dean A.

2003-01-01

In order to verify performance, aerosol transport models (ATM) compare aerosol columnar mass (ACM) with those derived from satellite measurements. The comparison is inherently indirect since satellites derive optical depths and they use a proportionality constant to derive the ACM. Analogously, ATMs output a four dimensional ACM distribution and the optical depth is linearly derived. In both cases, the proportionality constant requires a direct intervention of the user by prescribing the aerosol composition and size distribution. This study introduces a method that minimizes the direct user intervention by making use of the new aerosol products of MODIS. A parameterization is introduced for the derivation of columnar aerosol mass (AMC) and CCN concentration (CCNC) and comparisons between sunphotometer, MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS) and in-measurements are shown. The method still relies on the scaling between AMC and optical depth but the proportionality constant is dependent on the MODIS derived r$_{eff}$,\\eta (contribution of the accumulation mode radiance to the total radiance), ambient RH and an assumed constant aerosol composition. The CCNC is derived fkom a recent parameterization of CCNC as a function of the retrieved aerosol volume. By comparing with in-situ data (ACE-2 and TARFOX campaigns), it is shown that retrievals in dry ambient conditions (dust) are improved when using a proportionality constant dependent on r$ {eff}$ and \\eta derived in the same pixel. In high humidity environments, the improvement inthe new method is inconclusive because of the difficulty in accounting for the uneven vertical distribution of relative humidity. Additionally, two detailed comparisons of AMC and CCNC retrieved by the MAS algorithm and the new method are shown. The new method and MAS retrievals of AMC are within the same order of magnitude with respect to the in-situ measurements of aerosol mass. However, the proposed method is closer to the in-situ measurements than

Workplace aerosol mass concentration measurement using optical particle counters.

Science.gov (United States)

Görner, Peter; Simon, Xavier; Bémer, Denis; Lidén, Göran

2012-02-01

Direct-reading aerosol measurement usually uses the optical properties of airborne particles to detect and measure particle concentration. In the case of occupational hygiene, mass concentration measurement is often required. Two aerosol monitoring methods are based on the principle of light scattering: optical particle counting (OPC) and photometry. The former analyses the light scattered by a single particle, the latter by a cloud of particles. Both methods need calibration to transform the quantity of scattered light detected into particle concentration. Photometers are simpler to use and can be directly calibrated to measure mass concentration. However, their response varies not only with aerosol concentration but also with particle size distribution, which frequently contributes to biased measurement. Optical particle counters directly measure the particle number concentration and particle size that allows assessment of the particle mass provided the particles are spherical and of known density. An integrating algorithm is used to calculate the mass concentration of any conventional health-related aerosol fraction. The concentrations calculated thus have been compared with simultaneous measurements by conventional gravimetric sampling to check the possibility of field OPC calibration with real workplace aerosols with a view to further monitoring particle mass concentration. Aerosol concentrations were measured in the food industry using the OPC GRIMM® 1.108 and the CIP 10-Inhalable and CIP 10-Respirable (ARELCO®) aerosol samplers while meat sausages were being brushed and coated with calcium carbonate. Previously, the original OPC inlet had been adapted to sample inhalable aerosol. A mixed aerosol of calcium carbonate and fungi spores was present in the workplace. The OPC particle-size distribution and an estimated average particle density of both aerosol components were used to calculate the mass concentration. The inhalable and respirable aerosol fractions

Chemical, physical, and optical evolution of biomass burning aerosols: a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Adler, G.; Flores, J. M.; Abo Riziq, A.; Borrmann, S.; Rudich, Y.

2011-02-01

In-situ chemical composition measurements of ambient aerosols have been used for characterizing the evolution of submicron aerosols from a large anthropogenic biomass burning (BB) event in Israel. A high resolution Time of Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-RES-TOF-AMS) was used to follow the chemical evolution of BB aerosols during a night-long, extensive nationwide wood burning event and during the following day. While these types of extensive BB events are not common in this region, burning of agricultural waste is a common practice. The aging process of the BB aerosols was followed through their chemical, physical and optical properties. Mass spectrometric analysis of the aerosol organic component showed that aerosol aging is characterized by shifting from less oxidized fresh BB aerosols to more oxidized aerosols. Evidence for aerosol aging during the day following the BB event was indicated by an increase in the organic mass, its oxidation state, the total aerosol concentration, and a shift in the modal particle diameter. The effective broadband refractive index (EBRI) was derived using a white light optical particle counter (WELAS). The average EBRI for a mixed population of aerosols dominated by open fires was m = 1.53(±0.03) + 0.07i(±0.03), during the smoldering phase of the fires we found the EBRI to be m = 1.54(±0.01) + 0.04i(±0.01) compared to m = 1.49(±0.01) + 0.02i(±0.01) of the aged aerosols during the following day. This change indicates a decrease in the overall aerosol absorption and scattering. Elevated levels of particulate Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) were detected during the entire event, which suggest possible implications for human health during such extensive event.

Aerosol optical properties and radiative effects over Manora Peak in the Himalayan foothills: seasonal variability and role of transported aerosols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Srivastava, A.K. [Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (Branch), Prof Ramnath Vij Marg, New Delhi (India); Ram, K. [Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (India); Singh, Sachchidanand, E-mail: ssingh@nplindia.org [Radio and Atmospheric Sciences Division, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi (India); Kumar, Sanjeev [Radio and Atmospheric Sciences Division, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi (India); Tiwari, S. [Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (Branch), Prof Ramnath Vij Marg, New Delhi (India)

2015-01-01

The higher altitude regions of Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau are influenced by the dust and black carbon (BC) aerosols from the emissions and long-range transport from the adjoining areas. In this study, we present impacts of advection of polluted air masses of natural and anthropogenic emissions, on aerosol optical and radiative properties at Manora Peak (∼ 2000 m amsl) in central Himalaya over a period of more than two years (February 2006–May 2008). We used the most updated and comprehensive data of chemical and optical properties available in one of the most climatically sensitive region, the Himalaya, to estimate atmospheric radiative forcing and heating rate. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) was found to vary from 0.04 to 0.45 with significantly higher values in summer mainly due to an increase in mineral dust and biomass burning aerosols due to transport. In contrast, single scattering albedo (SSA) varied from 0.74 to 0.88 with relatively lower values during summer, suggesting an increase in absorbing BC and mineral dust aerosols. As a result, a large positive atmospheric radiative forcing (about 28 ± 5 Wm{sup −2}) and high values of corresponding heating rate (0.80 ± 0.14 Kday{sup −1}) has been found during summer. During the entire observation period, radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere varied from − 2 to + 14 Wm{sup −2} and from − 3 to − 50 Wm{sup −2} at the surface whereas atmospheric forcing was in the range of 3 to 65 Wm{sup −2} resulting in a heating rate of 0.1–1.8 Kday{sup −1}. - Highlights: • Aerosol chemical and optical properties at Manora Peak, in central Himalaya, were significantly affected by dust and black carbon (BC) aerosols from the emissions and long-range transport from the adjoining areas. • Elevated AOD and lower SSA values were observed at Manora Peak during summer. • Enhancement in absorbing aerosols was observed during summer. • Large aerosol radiative forcing and heating rate was observed

Aerosol optical properties and radiative effects over Manora Peak in the Himalayan foothills: seasonal variability and role of transported aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srivastava, A.K.; Ram, K.; Singh, Sachchidanand; Kumar, Sanjeev; Tiwari, S.

2015-01-01

The higher altitude regions of Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau are influenced by the dust and black carbon (BC) aerosols from the emissions and long-range transport from the adjoining areas. In this study, we present impacts of advection of polluted air masses of natural and anthropogenic emissions, on aerosol optical and radiative properties at Manora Peak (∼ 2000 m amsl) in central Himalaya over a period of more than two years (February 2006–May 2008). We used the most updated and comprehensive data of chemical and optical properties available in one of the most climatically sensitive region, the Himalaya, to estimate atmospheric radiative forcing and heating rate. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) was found to vary from 0.04 to 0.45 with significantly higher values in summer mainly due to an increase in mineral dust and biomass burning aerosols due to transport. In contrast, single scattering albedo (SSA) varied from 0.74 to 0.88 with relatively lower values during summer, suggesting an increase in absorbing BC and mineral dust aerosols. As a result, a large positive atmospheric radiative forcing (about 28 ± 5 Wm −2 ) and high values of corresponding heating rate (0.80 ± 0.14 Kday −1 ) has been found during summer. During the entire observation period, radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere varied from − 2 to + 14 Wm −2 and from − 3 to − 50 Wm −2 at the surface whereas atmospheric forcing was in the range of 3 to 65 Wm −2 resulting in a heating rate of 0.1–1.8 Kday −1 . - Highlights: • Aerosol chemical and optical properties at Manora Peak, in central Himalaya, were significantly affected by dust and black carbon (BC) aerosols from the emissions and long-range transport from the adjoining areas. • Elevated AOD and lower SSA values were observed at Manora Peak during summer. • Enhancement in absorbing aerosols was observed during summer. • Large aerosol radiative forcing and heating rate was observed over the station in the

Large Contribution of Coarse Mode to Aerosol Microphysical and Optical Properties: Evidence from Ground-Based Observations of a Transpacific Dust Outbreak at a High-Elevation North American Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kassianov, E. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Pekour, M. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Flynn, C. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Berg, L. K. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Beranek, J. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Zelenyuk, A. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Zhao, C. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Leung, L. R. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Ma, P. L. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Riihimaki, L. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Fast, J. D. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington; Barnard, J. [University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada; Hallar, A. G. [Storm Peak Laboratory, Desert Research Institute, Steamboat Springs, Colorado; McCubbin, I. B. [Storm Peak Laboratory, Desert Research Institute, Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Eloranta, E. W. [University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; McComiskey, A. [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, Colorado; Rasch, P. J. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington

2017-05-01

Our work is motivated by previous studies of the long-range trans-Atlantic transport of Saharan dust and the observed quasi-static nature of coarse mode aerosol with a volume median diameter (VMD) of approximately 3.5 µm. We examine coarse mode contributions from the trans-Pacific transport of Asian dust to North American aerosol microphysical and optical properties using a dataset collected at the high-elevation, mountain-top Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL, 3.22 km above sea level [ASL]) and the nearby Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility (AMF, 2.76 km ASL). Data collected during the SPL Cloud Property Validation Experiment (STORMVEX, March 2011) are complemented by quasi-global high-resolution model simulations coupled with aerosol chemistry. We identify dust event associated mostly with Asian plume (about 70% of dust mass) where the coarse mode with moderate (~4 µm) VMD is distinct and contributes substantially to aerosol microphysical (up to 70% for total volume) and optical (up to 45% for total scattering and aerosol optical depth) properties. Our results, when compared with previous Saharan dust studies, suggest a fairly invariant behavior of coarse mode dust aerosols. If confirmed in additional studies, this invariant behavior may simplify considerably model parameterizations for complex and size-dependent processes associated with dust transport and removal.

Aerosol characterizaton in El Paso-Juarez airshed using optical methods

Science.gov (United States)

Esparza, Angel Eduardo

2011-12-01

The assessment and characterization of atmospheric aerosols and their optical properties are of great significance for several applications such as air pollution studies, atmospheric visibility, remote sensing of the atmosphere, and impacts on climate change. Decades ago, the interest in atmospheric aerosols was primarily for visibility impairment problems; however, recently interest has intensified with efforts to quantify the optical properties of aerosols, especially because of the uncertainties surrounding the role of aerosols in climate change. The main objective of the optical characterization of aerosols is to understand their properties. These properties are determined by the aerosols' chemical composition, size, shape and concentration. The general purpose of this research was to contribute to a better characterization of the aerosols present in the Paso del Norte Basin. This study permits an alternative approach in the understanding of air pollution for this zone by analyzing the predominant components and their contributions to the local environment. This dissertation work had three primary objectives, in which all three are intertwined by the general purpose of the aerosol characterization in the Paso del Norte region. The first objective was to retrieve the columnar aerosol size distribution for two different cases (clean and polluted scenarios) at each season (spring, summer, fall and winter) of the year 2009. In this project, instruments placed in buildings within the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) as well as a monitoring site (CAMS 12) from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) provided the measurements that delimited the aerosol size distribution calculated by our model, the Environmental Physics Inverse Reconstruction (EPIRM) model. The purpose of this objective was to provide an alternate method of quantifying and size-allocating aerosols in situ, by using the optical properties of the aerosols and inversely reconstruct and

Contrasting aerosol optical and radiative properties between dust and urban haze episodes in megacities of Pakistan

Science.gov (United States)

Iftikhar, Muhammad; Alam, Khan; Sorooshian, Armin; Syed, Waqar Adil; Bibi, Samina; Bibi, Humera

2018-01-01

Satellite and ground based remote sensors provide vital information about aerosol optical and radiative properties. Analysis of aerosol optical and radiative properties during heavy aerosol loading events in Pakistan are limited and, therefore, require in-depth examination. This work examines aerosol properties and radiative forcing during Dust Episodes (DE) and Haze Episodes (HE) between 2010 and 2014 over mega cities of Pakistan (Karachi and Lahore). Episodes having the daily averaged values of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) exceeding 1 were selected. DE were associated with high AOD and low Ångström Exponent (AE) over Karachi and Lahore while high AOD and high AE values were associated with HE over Lahore. Aerosol volume size distributions (AVSD) exhibited a bimodal lognormal distribution with a noticeable coarse mode peak at a radius of 2.24 μm during DE, whereas a fine mode peak was prominent at a radius 0.25 μm during HE. The results reveal distinct differences between HE and DE for spectral profiles of several parameters including Single Scattering Albedo (SSA), ASYmmetry parameter (ASY), and the real and imaginary components of refractive index (RRI and IRI). The AOD-AE correlation revealed that dust was the dominant aerosol type during DE and that biomass burning and urban/industrial aerosol types were pronounced during HE. Aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) was estimated using the Santa Barbra DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (SBDART) model. Calculations revealed a negative ARF at the Top Of the Atmosphere (ARFTOA) and at the Bottom Of the Atmosphere (ARFBOA), with positive ARF within the Atmosphere (ARFATM) during both DE and HE over Karachi and Lahore. Furthermore, estimations of ARFATM by SBDART were shown to be in good agreement with values derived from AERONET data for DE and HE over Karachi and Lahore.

Application of simple all-sky imagers for the estimation of aerosol optical depth

Science.gov (United States)

Kazantzidis, Andreas; Tzoumanikas, Panagiotis; Nikitidou, Efterpi; Salamalikis, Vasileios; Wilbert, Stefan; Prahl, Christoph

2017-06-01

Aerosol optical depth is a key atmospheric constituent for direct normal irradiance calculations at concentrating solar power plants. However, aerosol optical depth is typically not measured at the solar plants for financial reasons. With the recent introduction of all-sky imagers for the nowcasting of direct normal irradiance at the plants a new instrument is available which can be used for the determination of aerosol optical depth at different wavelengths. In this study, we are based on Red, Green and Blue intensities/radiances and calculations of the saturated area around the Sun, both derived from all-sky images taken with a low-cost surveillance camera at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria, Spain. The aerosol optical depth at 440, 500 and 675nm is calculated. The results are compared with collocated aerosol optical measurements and the mean/median difference and standard deviation are less than 0.01 and 0.03 respectively at all wavelengths.

Interference of Heavy Aerosol Loading on the VIIRS Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD Retrieval Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Wang

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Aerosol optical depth (AOD has been widely used in climate research, atmospheric environmental observations, and other applications. However, high AOD retrieval remains challenging over heavily polluted regions, such as the North China Plain (NCP. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS, which was designed as a successor to the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS, will undertake the aerosol observations mission in the coming years. Using the VIIRS AOD retrieval algorithm as an example, we analyzed the influence of heavy aerosol loading through the 6SV radiative transfer model (RTM with a focus on three aspects: cloud masking, ephemeral water body tests, and data quality estimation. First, certain pixels were mistakenly screened out as clouds and ephemeral water bodies because of heavy aerosols, resulting in the loss of AOD retrievals. Second, the greenness of the surface could not be accurately identified by the top of atmosphere (TOA index, and the quality of the aggregation data may be artificially high. Thus, the AOD retrieval algorithm did not perform satisfactorily, indicated by the low availability of data coverage (at least 37.97% of all data records were missing according to ground-based observations and overestimation of the data quality (high-quality data increased from 63.42% to 80.97% according to radiative simulations. To resolve these problems, the implementation of a spatial variability cloud mask method and surficial index are suggested in order to improve the algorithm.

Longterm and spatial variability of Aerosol optical properties measured by sky radiometer in Japan sites

Science.gov (United States)

Aoki, K.

2016-12-01

Aerosols and cloud play an important role in the climate change. We started the long-term monitoring of aerosol and cloud optical properties since 1990's by using sky radiometer (POM-01, 02; Prede Co. Ltd., Japan). We provide the information, in this presentation, on the aerosol optical properties with respect to their temporal and spatial variability in Japan site (ex. Sapporo, Toyama, Kasuga and etc). The global distributions of aerosols have been derived from earth observation satellite and have been simulated in numerical models, which assume optical parameters. However, these distributions are difficult to derive because of variability in time and space. Therefore, Aerosol optical properties were investigated using the measurements from ground-based and ship-borne sky radiometer. The sky radiometer is an automatic instrument that takes observations only in daytime under the clear sky conditions. Observation of diffuse solar intensity interval was made every ten or five minutes by once. The aerosol optical properties were computed using the SKYRAD.pack version 4.2. The obtained Aerosol optical properties (Aerosol optical thickness, Ångström exponent, Single scattering albedo, and etc.) and size distribution volume clearly showed spatial and temporal variability in Japan area. In this study, we present the temporal and spatial variability of Aerosol optical properties at several Japan sites, applied to validation of satellite and numerical models. This project is validation satellite of GCOM-C, JAXA. The GCOM-C satellite scheduled to be launched in early 2017.

Aerosol Optical Properties Measured Onboard the Ronald H. Brown During ACE Asia as a Function of Aerosol Chemical Composition and Source Region

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, P. K.; Coffman, D. J.; Bates, T. S.; Welton, E. J.; Covert, D. S.; Miller, T. L.; Johnson, J. E.; Maria, S.; Russell, L.; Arimoto, R.

2004-01-01

During the ACE Asia intensive field campaign conducted in the spring of 2001 aerosol properties were measured onboard the R/V Ronald H. Brown to study the effects of the Asian aerosol on atmospheric chemistry and climate in downwind regions. Aerosol properties measured in the marine boundary layer included chemical composition; number size distribution; and light scattering, hemispheric backscattering, and absorption coefficients. In addition, optical depth and vertical profiles of aerosol 180 deg backscatter were measured. Aerosol within the ACE Asia study region was found to be a complex mixture resulting from marine, pollution, volcanic, and dust sources. Presented here as a function of air mass source region are the mass fractions of the dominant aerosol chemical components, the fraction of the scattering measured at the surface due to each component, mass scattering efficiencies of the individual components, aerosol scattering and absorption coefficients, single scattering albedo, Angstrom exponents, optical depth, and vertical profiles of aerosol extinction. All results except aerosol optical depth and the vertical profiles of aerosol extinction are reported at a relative humidity of 55 +/- 5%. An over-determined data set was collected so that measured and calculated aerosol properties could be compared, internal consistency in the data set could be assessed, and sources of uncertainty could be identified. By taking into account non-sphericity of the dust aerosol, calculated and measured aerosol mass and scattering coefficients agreed within overall experimental uncertainties. Differences between measured and calculated aerosol absorption coefficients were not within reasonable uncertainty limits, however, and may indicate the inability of Mie theory and the assumption of internally mixed homogeneous spheres to predict absorption by the ACE Asia aerosol. Mass scattering efficiencies of non-sea salt sulfate aerosol, sea salt, submicron particulate organic

The aerosol optical properties and PM2.5 components over the world's largest industrial zone in Tangshan, North China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kequan; Ma, Yongjing; Xin, Jinyuan; Liu, Zirui; Ma, Yining; Gao, Dongdong; Wu, Junsong; Zhang, Wenyu; Wang, Yuesi; Shen, Pengke

2018-03-01

To achieve an in-depth understanding of the aerosol optical properties in the highly-industrial region of Tangshan, we provided systematic aerosol optical properties analysis in this largest industrial zone for the first time. The aerosol optical datasets (2013.05-2015.04) and chemical component data of PM2.5 (2014-2015) obtained from the Tangshan site of the campaign on atmospheric aerosol research (CARE-China) network were analyzed. The results showed that the Tangshan region was seriously affected by fine-mode industrial aerosols all year, which would promote the accumulation of pollutants and influence the atmospheric circulation through changing the vertical temperature gradient. The annual average aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ångstrӧm exponent (α) were 0.80 ± 0.26 and 1.05 ± 0.10, respectively. The aerosol optical properties revealed significant seasonal characteristics. The maximum seasonal average AOD (1.03 ± 0.62) and α (1.12 ± 0.19) accompanied the highest seasonal secondary inorganic aerosol concentrations (SIA: SO42 -, NO3-, NH4+), 53.33 μg/m3, occurred in summer, and this phenomenon was attributed to the photochemical reactions favored by the high temperature and humidity. During the spring, frequent dust events led to the maximum Ca2 + concentration of 6.57 μg/m3 and the lowest seasonal α of 0.98 ± 0.31. Coal was used for generating heat in winter, resulting in the highest levels of pollutant emissions (Cl-, Elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC)). The aerosol type classifications showed that the industrial aerosols were the main controls in the summer and fall, representing 56%-58% of the total aerosols. While for spring and winter, mixed aerosols represented 53%-54% of the total aerosols. Hygroscopic growth effect of aerosols existed all year, which could enhance the negative radiative forcing and eventually cool the earth-atmosphere system. The classification Wing for Tangshan data showed high AOD values (> 0.70) were mainly

Airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar Aerosol Measurements during MILAGRO and TEXAQS/GOMACCS

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrare, Richard; Hostetler, Chris; Hair, John; Cook Anthony; Harper, David; Burton, Sharon; Clayton, Marian; Clarke, Antony; Russell, Phil; Redemann, Jens

2007-01-01

Two1 field experiments conducted during 2006 provided opportunities to investigate the variability of aerosol properties near cities and the impacts of these aerosols on air quality and radiative transfer. The Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations (MILAGRO) /Megacity Aerosol Experiment in Mexico City (MAX-MEX)/Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment-B (INTEX-B) joint experiment conducted during March 2006 investigated the evolution and transport of pollution from Mexico City. The Texas Air Quality Study (TEXAQS)/Gulf of Mexico Atmospheric Composition and Climate Study (GoMACCS) (http://www.al.noaa.gov/2006/) conducted during August and September 2006 investigated climate and air quality in the Houston/Gulf of Mexico region. During both missions, the new NASA Langley airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) was deployed on the NASA Langley B200 King Air aircraft and measured profiles of aerosol extinction, backscattering, and depolarization to: 1) characterize the spatial and vertical distributions of aerosols, 2) quantify aerosol extinction and optical thickness contributed by various aerosol types, 3) investigate aerosol variability near clouds, 4) evaluate model simulations of aerosol transport, and 5) assess aerosol optical properties derived from a combination of surface, airborne, and satellite measurements.

Empirical analysis of aerosol and thin cloud optical depth effects on CO2 retrievals from GOSAT

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, A.; O'Neill, N. T.; Strong, K.; Nakajima, T.; Uchino, O.; Shiobara, M.

2014-12-01

Ground-based sunphotometer observations of aerosol and cloud optical properties at AEROCAN / AERONET sites co-located with TCCON (Total Carbon Column Observing Network) high resolution Fourier Transform Spectrometers (FTS) were used to investigate the aerosol and cloud influence on column-averaged dry-air mole fraction of carbon dioxide (XCO2) retrieved from the TANSO-FTS (Thermal And Near-infrared Sensor for carbon Observation - FTS) of GOSAT (Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite). This instrument employs high resolution spectra measured in the Short-Wavelength InfraRed (SWIR) band to retrieve XCO2estimates. GOSAT XCO2 retrievals are nominally corrected for the contaminating backscatter influence of aerosols and thin clouds. However if the satellite-retrieved aerosol and thin cloud optical depths applied to the CO2 correction is biased then the correction and the retrieved CO2 values will be biased. We employed independent ground based estimates of both cloud screened and non cloud screened AOD (aerosol optical depth) in the CO2 SWIR channel and compared this with the GOSAT SWIR-channel OD retrievals to see if that bias was related to variations in the (generally negative) CO2 bias (ΔXCO2= XCO2(GOSAT) - XCO2(TCCON)). Results are presented for a number of TCCON validation sites.

Aerosol absorption measurement with a sinusoidal phase modulating fiber optic photo thermal interferometer

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuwang; Shao, Shiyong; Mei, Haiping; Rao, Ruizhong

2016-10-01

Aerosol light absorption plays an important role in the earth's atmosphere direct and semi-direct radiate forcing, simultaneously, it also has a huge influence on the visibility impairment and laser engineering application. Although various methods have been developed for measuring aerosol light absorption, huge challenge still remains in precision, accuracy and temporal resolution. The main reason is that, as a part of aerosol light extinction, aerosol light absorption always generates synchronously with aerosol light scattering, and unfortunately aerosol light scattering is much stronger in most cases. Here, a novel photo-thermal interferometry is proposed only for aerosol absorption measurement without disturbance from aerosol scattering. The photo-thermal interferometry consists of a sinusoidal phase-modulating single mode fiber-optic interferometer. The thermal dissipation, caused by aerosol energy from photo-thermal conversion when irritated by pump laser through interferometer, is detected. This approach is completely insensitive to aerosol scattering, and the single mode fiber-optic interferometer is compact, low-cost and insensitive to the polarization shading. The theory of this technique is illustrated, followed by the basic structure of the sinusoidal phase-modulating fiber-optic interferometer and demodulation algorithms. Qualitative and quantitative analysis results show that the new photo-thermal interference is a potential approach for aerosol absorption detection and environmental pollution detection.

Aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Angstrom exponent of aerosols observed by the Chinese Sun Hazemeter Network from August 2004 to September 2005

Science.gov (United States)

Jinyuan Xin; Yuesi Wang; Zhanqing Li; Pucai Wang; Wei Min Hao; Bryce L. Nordgren; Shigong Wang; Guangren Lui; Lili Wang; Tianxue Wen; Yang Sun; Bo Hu

2007-01-01

To reduce uncertainties in the quantitative assessment of aerosol effects on regional climate and environmental changes, extensive measurements of aerosol optical properties were made with handheld Sun photometers in the Chinese Sun Hazemeter Network (CSHNET) starting in August 2004. Regional characteristics of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 nm and Angstrom...

Spatiotemporal variability and contribution of different aerosol types to the aerosol optical depth over the Eastern Mediterranean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. K. Georgoulias

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This study characterizes the spatiotemporal variability and relative contribution of different types of aerosols to the aerosol optical depth (AOD over the Eastern Mediterranean as derived from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Terra (March 2000–December 2012 and Aqua (July 2002–December 2012 satellite instruments. For this purpose, a 0.1° × 0.1° gridded MODIS dataset was compiled and validated against sun photometric observations from the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET. The high spatial resolution and long temporal coverage of the dataset allows for the determination of local hot spots like megacities, medium-sized cities, industrial zones and power plant complexes, seasonal variabilities and decadal averages. The average AOD at 550 nm (AOD550 for the entire region is ∼ 0.22 ± 0.19, with maximum values in summer and seasonal variabilities that can be attributed to precipitation, photochemical production of secondary organic aerosols, transport of pollution and smoke from biomass burning in central and eastern Europe and transport of dust from the Sahara and the Middle East. The MODIS data were analyzed together with data from other satellite sensors, reanalysis projects and a chemistry–aerosol-transport model using an optimized algorithm tailored for the region and capable of estimating the contribution of different aerosol types to the total AOD550. The spatial and temporal variability of anthropogenic, dust and fine-mode natural aerosols over land and anthropogenic, dust and marine aerosols over the sea is examined. The relative contribution of the different aerosol types to the total AOD550 exhibits a low/high seasonal variability over land/sea areas, respectively. Overall, anthropogenic aerosols, dust and fine-mode natural aerosols account for ∼ 51, ∼ 34 and ∼ 15 % of the total AOD550 over land, while, anthropogenic aerosols, dust and marine aerosols account ∼ 40, ∼ 34

Seasonal variations in aerosol optical properties over China

Science.gov (United States)

Yuesi Wang; Jinyuan Xin; Zhanqing Li; Shigong Wang; Pucai Wang; Wei Min Hao; Bryce L. Nordgren; Hongbin Chen; Lili Wang; Yang Sun

2012-01-01

Seasonal variations in background aerosol optical depth (AOD) and aerosol type are investigated over various ecosystems in China based upon three years' worth of meteorological data and data collected by the Chinese Sun Hazemeter Network. In most parts of China, AODs are at a maximum in spring or summer and at a minimum in autumn or winter. Minimum values (0.10~0....

Earth cloud, aerosol, and radiation explorer optical payload development status

Science.gov (United States)

Hélière, A.; Wallace, K.; Pereira do Carmo, J.; Lefebvre, A.

2017-09-01

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are co-operating to develop as part of ESA's Living Planet Programme, the third Earth Explorer Core Mission, EarthCARE, with the ojective of improving the understanding of the processes involving clouds, aerosols and radiation in the Earth's atmosphere. EarthCARE payload consists of two active and two passive instruments: an ATmospheric LIDar (ATLID), a Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR), a Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI) and a Broad-Band Radiometer (BBR). The four instruments data are processed individually and in a synergetic manner to produce a large range of products, which include vertical profiles of aerosols, liquid water and ice, observations of cloud distribution and vertical motion within clouds, and will allow the retrieval of profiles of atmospheric radiative heating and cooling. MSI is a compact instrument with a 150 km swath providing 500 m pixel data in seven channels, whose retrieved data will give context to the active instrument measurements, as well as providing cloud and aerosol information. BBR measures reflected solar and emitted thermal radiation from the scene. Operating in the UV range at 355 nm, ATLID provides atmospheric echoes from ground to an altitude of 40 km. Thanks to a high spectral resolution filtering, the lidar is able to separate the relative contribution of aerosol and molecular scattering, which gives access to aerosol optical depth. Co-polarised and cross-polarised components of the Mie scattering contribution are measured on dedicated channels. This paper will provide a description of the optical payload implementation, the design and characterisation of the instruments.

A review of optical measurements at the aerosol and cloud chamber AIDA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, Robert; Linke, Claudia; Naumann, Karl-Heinz; Schnaiter, Martin; Vragel, Marlen; Gangl, Martin; Horvath, Helmuth

2009-01-01

This paper provides a survey of recent studies on the optical properties of aerosol and cloud particles that have been conducted at the AIDA facility of Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Aerosol Interactions and Dynamics in the Atmosphere). Reflecting the broad accessible temperature range of the AIDA chamber which extends from ambient temperature down to 183 K, the investigations feature a broad diversity of research topics, such as the wavelength-dependence of the specific absorption cross sections of soot and mineral dust aerosols at room temperature, depolarization and infrared extinction measurements of ice crystal clouds generated at temperatures below 235 K, and the optical properties of polar stratospheric cloud constituents whose formation was studied in chamber experiments at temperatures well below 200 K. After reviewing the AIDA research activity of the past decade and introducing the optical instrumentation of the AIDA facility, this paper presents illustrative examples of ongoing and already published work on optical measurements of soot aerosols, mineral dust particles, and ice crystal clouds.

Diagnosing causes of extreme aerosol optical depth events

Science.gov (United States)

Bernstein, D. N.; Sullivan, R.; Crippa, P.; Thota, A.; Pryor, S. C.

2017-12-01

Aerosol burdens and optical properties exhibit substantial spatiotemporal variability, and simulation of current and possible future aerosol burdens and characteristics exhibits relatively high uncertainty due to uncertainties in emission estimates and in chemical and physical processes associated with aerosol formation, dynamics and removal. We report research designed to improve understanding of the causes and characteristics of extreme aerosol optical depth (AOD) at the regional scale, and diagnose and attribute model skill in simulating these events. Extreme AOD events over the US Midwest are selected by identifying all dates on which AOD in a MERRA-2 reanalysis grid cell exceeds the local seasonally computed 90th percentile (p90) value during 2004-2016 and then finding the dates on which the highest number of grid cells exceed their local p90. MODIS AOD data are subsequently used to exclude events dominated by wildfires. MERRA-2 data are also analyzed within a synoptic classification to determine in what ways the extreme AOD events are atypical and to identify possible meteorological `finger-prints' that can be detected in regional climate model simulations of future climate states to project possible changes in the occurrence of extreme AOD. Then WRF-Chem v3.6 is applied at 12-km resolution and regridded to the MERRA-2 resolution over eastern North America to quantify model performance, and also evaluated using in situ measurements of columnar AOD (AERONET) and near-surface PM2.5 (US EPA). Finally the sensitivity to (i) spin-up time (including procedure used to spin-up the chemistry), (ii) modal versus sectional aerosol schemes, (iii) meteorological nudging, (iv) chemistry initial and boundary conditions, and (v) anthropogenic emissions is quantified. Despite recent declines in mean AOD, supraregional (> 1000 km) extreme AOD events continue to occur. During these events AOD exceeds 0.6 in many Midwestern grid cells for multiple consecutive days. In all

Moderate Imaging Resolution Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aerosol Optical Depth Retrieval for Aerosol Radiative Forcing

Science.gov (United States)

Asmat, A.; Jalal, K. A.; Ahmad, N.

2018-02-01

The present study uses the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) retrieved from Moderate Imaging Resolution Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data for the period from January 2011 until December 2015 over an urban area in Kuching, Sarawak. The results show the minimum AOD value retrieved from MODIS is -0.06 and the maximum value is 6.0. High aerosol loading with high AOD value observed during dry seasons and low AOD monitored during wet seasons. Multi plane regression technique used to retrieve AOD from MODIS (AODMODIS) and different statistics parameter is proposed by using relative absolute error for accuracy assessment in spatial and temporal averaging approach. The AODMODIS then compared with AOD derived from Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) Sunphotometer (AODAERONET) and the results shows high correlation coefficient (R2) for AODMODIS and AODAERONET with 0.93. AODMODIS used as an input parameters into Santa Barbara Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer (SBDART) model to estimate urban radiative forcing at Kuching. The observed hourly averaged for urban radiative forcing is -0.12 Wm-2 for top of atmosphere (TOA), -2.13 Wm-2 at the surface and 2.00 Wm-2 in the atmosphere. There is a moderate relationship observed between urban radiative forcing calculated using SBDART and AERONET which are 0.75 at the surface, 0.65 at TOA and 0.56 in atmosphere. Overall, variation in AOD tends to cause large bias in the estimated urban radiative forcing.

Microphysical and optical properties of aerosol particles in urban zone during ESCOMPTE

Science.gov (United States)

Mallet, M.; Roger, J. C.; Despiau, S.; Dubovik, O.; Putaud, J. P.

2003-10-01

Microphysical and optical properties of the main aerosol species on a peri-urban site have been investigated during the ESCOMPTE experiment. Ammonium sulfate (AS), nitrate (N), black carbon (BC), particulate organic matter (POM), sea salt (SS) and mineral aerosol (D) size distributions have been used, associated with their refractive index, to compute, from the Mie theory, the key radiative aerosol properties as the extinction coefficient Kext, the mass extinction efficiencies σext, the single scattering albedo ω0 and the asymmetry parameter g at the wavelength of 550 nm. Optical computations show that 90% of the light extinction is due to anthropogenic aerosol and only 10% is due to natural aerosol (SS and D). 44±6% of the extinction is due to (AS) and 40±6% to carbonaceous particles (20±4% to BC and 21±4% to POM). Nitrate aerosol has a weak contribution of 5±2%. Computations of the mass extinction efficiencies σext, single scattering albedo ω0 and asymmetry parameter g indicate that the optical properties of the anthropogenic aerosol are often quite different from those yet published and generally used in global models. For example, the (AS) mean specific mass extinction presents a large difference with the value classically adopted at low relative humidity ( h<60%) (2.6±0.5 instead of 6 m 2 g -1 at 550 nm). The optical properties of the total aerosol layer, including all the aerosol species, indicate a mean observed single-scattering albedo ω0=0.85±0.05, leading to an important absorption of the solar radiation and an asymmetry parameter g=0.59±0.05 which are in a reasonably good agreements with the AERONET retrieval of ω0 (=0.86±0.05) and g (=0.64±0.05) at this wavelength.

Online Simulations of Global Aerosol Distributions in the NASA GEOS-4 Model and Comparisons to Satellite and Ground-Based Aerosol Optical Depth

Science.gov (United States)

Colarco, Peter; daSilva, Arlindo; Chin, Mian; Diehl, Thomas

2010-01-01

We have implemented a module for tropospheric aerosols (GO CART) online in the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System version 4 model and simulated global aerosol distributions for the period 2000-2006. The new online system offers several advantages over the previous offline version, providing a platform for aerosol data assimilation, aerosol-chemistry-climate interaction studies, and short-range chemical weather forecasting and climate prediction. We introduce as well a methodology for sampling model output consistently with satellite aerosol optical thickness (AOT) retrievals to facilitate model-satellite comparison. Our results are similar to the offline GOCART model and to the models participating in the AeroCom intercomparison. The simulated AOT has similar seasonal and regional variability and magnitude to Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, and Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer observations. The model AOT and Angstrom parameter are consistently low relative to AERONET in biomass-burning-dominated regions, where emissions appear to be underestimated, consistent with the results of the offline GOCART model. In contrast, the model AOT is biased high in sulfate-dominated regions of North America and Europe. Our model-satellite comparison methodology shows that diurnal variability in aerosol loading is unimportant compared to sampling the model where the satellite has cloud-free observations, particularly in sulfate-dominated regions. Simulated sea salt burden and optical thickness are high by a factor of 2-3 relative to other models, and agreement between model and satellite over-ocean AOT is improved by reducing the model sea salt burden by a factor of 2. The best agreement in both AOT magnitude and variability occurs immediately downwind of the Saharan dust plume.

Dependence of columnar aerosol size distribution, optical properties, and chemical components on regional transport in Beijing

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shuo; Zhao, Weixiong; Xu, Xuezhe; Fang, Bo; Zhang, Qilei; Qian, Xiaodong; Zhang, Weijun; Chen, Weidong; Pu, Wei; Wang, Xin

2017-11-01

Seasonal dependence of the columnar aerosol optical and chemical properties on regional transport in Beijing over 10 years (from January 2005 to December 2014) were analyzed by using the ground-based remote sensing combined with backward trajectory analysis. Daily air mass backward trajectories terminated in Beijing were computed with HYSPLIT-4 model and were categorized into five clusters. The columnar mass concentrations of black carbon (BC), brown carbon (BrC), dust (DU), aerosol water content (AW), and ammonium sulfate like aerosol (AS) of each cluster were retrieved from the optical data obtained from the Aerosol Robotic NETwork (AERONET) with five-component model. It was found that the columnar aerosol properties in different seasons were changed, and they were related to the air mass origins. In spring, aerosol was dominated by coarse particles. Summer was characterized by higher single scattering albedo (SSA), lower real part of complex refractive index (n), and obvious hygroscopic growth due to humid air from the south. During autumn and winter, there was an observable increase in absorption aerosol optical thickness (AAOT) and the imaginary part of complex refraction (k), with high levels of retrieved BC and BrC. However, concentrations of BC showed less dependence on the clusters during the two seasons owing to the widely spread coal heating in north China.

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Aerosol Optical Depth and Aerosol Particle Size Distribution Environmental Data Record (EDR) from NDE

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains a high quality operational Environmental Data Record (EDR) of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and particle size from the Visible Infrared Imaging...

SMEX03 Atmospheric Aerosol Optical Properties Data: Oklahoma

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This data set consists of observations of atmospheric parameters including spectral aerosol optical depths, precipitable water, sky radiance distributions and...

Estimates of the aerosol optical depth over Pretoria using the CSIR mobile lidar

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Shikwambana, L

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This study shows the estimates of aerosol optical depth measured over Pretoria, South Africa, using the CSIR-NLC mobile LIDAR. The measurements are also compared with observations from the Level-3 MODIS aerosol optical depth (AOD) data...

Evaluation of aerosol optical properties of GEOS-Chem over East Asia during the DRAGON-Asia 2012 campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Jo, D. S.; Park, R.; Kim, J.

2015-12-01

A nested version of 3-D chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem v9-01-02) is evaluated over East Asia during the Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observation Networks (DRAGON)-Asia 2012 campaign period, focusing on fine-mode aerosol optical depth (fAOD) and single scattering albedo (SSA). Both are important to assess the effect of anthropogenic aerosols on climate. We compare the daily mean simulated optical properties of aerosols with the observations from DRAGON-Asia campaign for March-May, 2012 (provided in level 2.0: cloud screened and quality assured). We find that the model reproduces the observed daily variability of fAOD (R=0.67), but overestimates the magnitude by 30%, which is in general consistent with other global model comparisons from ACCMIP. However, a significant high bias in the model is found compared to the observed SSA at 440 nm, which is important for determining the sign of aerosol radiative forcing. In order to understand causes for this gap we conduct several sensitivity tests by changing source magnitudes and input parameters of aerosols, affecting the aerosol optical properties under various atmospheric conditions, which allows us to reduce the gap and to find the optimal values in the model.

Long-term variability of aerosol optical properties and radiative effects in Northern Finland

Science.gov (United States)

Lihavainen, Heikki; Hyvärinen, Antti; Asmi, Eija; Hatakka, Juha; Viisanen, Yrjö

2017-04-01

We introduce long term dataset of aerosol scattering and absorption properties and combined aerosol optical properties measured in Pallas Atmosphere-Ecosystem Supersite in Norhern Finland. The station is located 170 km north of the Arctic Circle. The station is affected by both pristine Arctic air masses as well as long transported air pollution from northern Europe. We studied the optical properties of aerosols and their radiative effects in continental and marine air masses, including seasonal cycles and long-term trends. The average (median) scattering coefficient, backscattering fraction, absorption coefficient and single scattering albedo at the wavelength of 550 nm were 7.9 (4.4) 1/Mm, 0.13 (0.12), 0.74 (0.35) 1/Mm and 0.92 (0.93), respectively. We observed clear seasonal cycles in these variables, the scattering coefficient having high values during summer and low in fall, and absorption coefficient having high values during winter and low in fall. We found that the high values of the absorption coefficient and low values of the single scattering albedo were related to continental air masses from lower latitudes. These aerosols can induce an additional effect on the surface albedo and melting of snow. We observed the signal of the Arctic haze in marine (northern) air masses during March and April. The haze increased the value of the absorption coefficient by almost 80% and that of the scattering coefficient by about 50% compared with the annual-average values. We did not observe any long-term trend in the scattering coefficient, while our analysis showed a clear decreasing trend in the backscattering fraction and scattering Ångström exponent during winter. We also observed clear relationship with temperature and aerosol scattering coefficient. We will present also how these different features affects to aerosol direct radiative forcing.

Estimating the maritime component of aerosol optical depth and its dependency on surface wind speed using satellite data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Lehahn

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Six years (2003–2008 of satellite measurements of aerosol parameters from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS and surface wind speeds from Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT, the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E, and the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I, are used to provide a comprehensive perspective on the link between surface wind speed and marine aerosol optical depth over tropical and subtropical oceanic regions. A systematic comparison between the satellite derived fields in these regions allows to: (i separate the relative contribution of wind-induced marine aerosol to the aerosol optical depth; (ii extract an empirical linear equation linking coarse marine aerosol optical depth and wind intensity; and (iii identify a time scale for correlating marine aerosol optical depth and surface wind speed. The contribution of wind induced marine aerosol to aerosol optical depth is found to be dominated by the coarse mode elements. When wind intensity exceeds 4 m/s, coarse marine aerosol optical depth is linearly correlated with the surface wind speed, with a remarkably consistent slope of 0.009±0.002 s/m. A detailed time scale analysis shows that the linear correlation between the fields is well kept within a 12 h time frame, while sharply decreasing when the time lag between measurements is longer. The background aerosol optical depth, associated with aerosols that are not produced in-situ through wind driven processes, can be used for estimating the contributions of terrestrial and biogenic marine aerosol to over-ocean satellite retrievals of aerosol optical depth.

Aerosol Optical Depth Distribution in Extratropical Cyclones over the Northern Hemisphere Oceans

Science.gov (United States)

Naud, Catherine M.; Posselt, Derek J.; van den Heever, Susan C.

2016-01-01

Using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and an extratropical cyclone database,the climatological distribution of aerosol optical depth (AOD) in extratropical cyclones is explored based solely on observations. Cyclone-centered composites of aerosol optical depth are constructed for the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitude ocean regions, and their seasonal variations are examined. These composites are found to be qualitatively stable when the impact of clouds and surface insolation or brightness is tested. The larger AODs occur in spring and summer and are preferentially found in the warm frontal and in the post-cold frontal regions in all seasons. The fine mode aerosols dominate the cold sector AODs, but the coarse mode aerosols display large AODs in the warm sector. These differences between the aerosol modes are related to the varying source regions of the aerosols and could potentially have different impacts on cloud and precipitation within the cyclones.

Validation of high-resolution aerosol optical thickness simulated by a global non-hydrostatic model against remote sensing measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Goto, Daisuke; Sato, Yousuke; Yashiro, Hisashi; Suzuki, Kentaroh; Nakajima, Teruyuki

2017-02-01

A high-performance computing resource allows us to conduct numerical simulations with a horizontal grid spacing that is sufficiently high to resolve cloud systems. The cutting-edge computational capability, which was provided by the K computer at RIKEN in Japan, enabled the authors to perform long-term, global simulations of air pollutions and clouds with unprecedentedly high horizontal resolutions. In this study, a next generation model capable of simulating global air pollutions with O(10 km) grid spacing by coupling an atmospheric chemistry model to the Non-hydrostatic Icosahedral Atmospheric Model (NICAM) was performed. Using the newly developed model, month-long simulations for July were conducted with 14 km grid spacing on the K computer. Regarding the global distributions of aerosol optical thickness (AOT), it was found that the correlation coefficient (CC) between the simulation and AERONET measurements was approximately 0.7, and the normalized mean bias was -10%. The simulated AOT was also compared with satellite-retrieved values; the CC was approximately 0.6. The radiative effects due to each chemical species (dust, sea salt, organics, and sulfate) were also calculated and compared with multiple measurements. As a result, the simulated fluxes of upward shortwave radiation at the top of atmosphere and the surface compared well with the observed values, whereas those of downward shortwave radiation at the surface were underestimated, even if all aerosol components were considered. However, the aerosol radiative effects on the downward shortwave flux at the surface were found to be as high as 10 W/m2 in a global scale; thus, simulated aerosol distributions can strongly affect the simulated air temperature and dynamic circulation.

Water soluble organic aerosols in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, USA: composition, sources and optical properties

OpenAIRE

Xie, Mingjie; Mladenov, Natalie; Williams, Mark W.; Neff, Jason C.; Wasswa, Joseph; Hannigan, Michael P.

2016-01-01

Atmospheric aerosols have been shown to be an important input of organic carbon and nutrients to alpine watersheds and influence biogeochemical processes in these remote settings. For many remote, high elevation watersheds, direct evidence of the sources of water soluble organic aerosols and their chemical and optical characteristics is lacking. Here, we show that the concentration of water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in the total suspended particulate (TSP) load at a high elevation site in...

Black carbon aerosol mixing state, organic aerosols and aerosol optical properties over the UK

Science.gov (United States)

McMeeking, G. R.; Morgan, W. T.; Flynn, M.; Highwood, E. J.; Turnbull, K.; Haywood, J.; Coe, H.

2011-05-01

Black carbon (BC) aerosols absorb sunlight thereby leading to a positive radiative forcing and a warming of climate and can also impact human health through their impact on the respiratory system. The state of mixing of BC with other aerosol species, particularly the degree of internal/external mixing, has been highlighted as a major uncertainty in assessing its radiative forcing and hence its climate impact, but few in situ observations of mixing state exist. We present airborne single particle soot photometer (SP2) measurements of refractory BC (rBC) mass concentrations and mixing state coupled with aerosol composition and optical properties measured in urban plumes and regional pollution over the UK. All data were obtained using instrumentation flown on the UK's BAe-146-301 large Atmospheric Research Aircraft (ARA) operated by the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM). We measured sub-micron aerosol composition using an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and used positive matrix factorization to separate hydrocarbon-like (HOA) and oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA). We found a higher number fraction of thickly coated rBC particles in air masses with large OOA relative to HOA, higher ozone-to-nitrogen oxides (NOx) ratios and large concentrations of total sub-micron aerosol mass relative to rBC mass concentrations. The more ozone- and OOA-rich air masses were associated with transport from continental Europe, while plumes from UK cities had higher HOA and NOx and fewer thickly coated rBC particles. We did not observe any significant change in the rBC mass absorption efficiency calculated from rBC mass and light absorption coefficients measured by a particle soot absorption photometer despite observing significant changes in aerosol composition and rBC mixing state. The contributions of light scattering and absorption to total extinction (quantified by the single scattering albedo; SSA) did change for different air masses, with lower SSA observed in

Global direct radiative forcing by process-parameterized aerosol optical properties

Science.gov (United States)

KirkevâG, Alf; Iversen, Trond

2002-10-01

A parameterization of aerosol optical parameters is developed and implemented in an extended version of the community climate model version 3.2 (CCM3) of the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research. Direct radiative forcing (DRF) by monthly averaged calculated concentrations of non-sea-salt sulfate and black carbon (BC) is estimated. Inputs are production-specific BC and sulfate from [2002] and background aerosol size distribution and composition. The scheme interpolates between tabulated values to obtain the aerosol single scattering albedo, asymmetry factor, extinction coefficient, and specific extinction coefficient. The tables are constructed by full calculations of optical properties for an array of aerosol input values, for which size-distributed aerosol properties are estimated from theory for condensation and Brownian coagulation, assumed distribution of cloud-droplet residuals from aqueous phase oxidation, and prescribed properties of the background aerosols. Humidity swelling is estimated from the Köhler equation, and Mie calculations finally yield spectrally resolved aerosol optical parameters for 13 solar bands. The scheme is shown to give excellent agreement with nonparameterized DRF calculations for a wide range of situations. Using IPCC emission scenarios for the years 2000 and 2100, calculations with an atmospheric global cliamte model (AFCM) yield a global net anthropogenic DRF of -0.11 and 0.11 W m-2, respectively, when 90% of BC from biomass burning is assumed anthropogenic. In the 2000 scenario, the individual DRF due to sulfate and BC has separately been estimated to -0.29 and 0.19 W m-2, respectively. Our estimates of DRF by BC per BC mass burden are lower than earlier published estimates. Some sensitivity tests are included to investigate to what extent uncertain assumptions may influence these results.

Citizen-Enabled Aerosol Measurements for Satellites (CEAMS): A Network for High-Resolution Measurements of PM2.5 and Aerosol Optical Depth

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, J. R.; Volckens, J.; Ford, B.; Jathar, S.; Long, M.; Quinn, C.; Van Zyl, L.; Wendt, E.

2017-12-01

Atmospheric particulate matter with diameter smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) is a pollutant that contributes to the development of human disease. Satellite-derived estimates of surface-level PM2.5 concentrations have the potential to contribute greatly to our understanding of how particulate matter affects health globally. However, these satellite-derived PM2.5 estimates are often uncertain due to a lack of information about the ratio of surface PM2.5 to aerosol optical depth (AOD), which is the primary aerosol retrieval made by satellite instruments. While modelling and statistical analyses have improved estimates of PM2.5:AOD, large uncertainties remain in situations of high PM2.5 exposure (such as urban areas and in wildfire-smoke plumes) where the health impacts of PM2.5 may be the greatest. Surface monitoring networks for co-incident PM2.5 and AOD measurements are extremely rare, even in the North America. To provide constraints for the PM2.5:AOD relationship, we have developed a relatively low-cost (application (iOS and Android). Sun photometry is performed across 4 discrete wavelengths that match those reported by the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). Aerosol concentration is reported using both time-integrated filter mass (analyzed in an academic laboratory and reported as a 24-48hr average) and a continuous PM sensor within the instrument. Citizen scientists use the device to report daily AOD and PM2.5 measurements made in their backyards to a central server for data display and download. In this presentation, we provide an overview of (1) AOD and PM2.5 measurement calibration; (2) citizen recruiting and training efforts; and (3) results from our pilot citizen-science measurement campaign.

Chemical Composition Based Aerosol Optical Properties According to Size Distribution and Mixture Types during Smog and Asian Dust Events in Seoul, Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Chang Hoon; Lee, Ji Yi; Um, Junshik; Lee, Seung Soo; Kim, Yong Pyo

2018-02-01

This study investigated the optical properties of aerosols involved in different meteorological events, including smog and Asian dust days. Carbonaceous components and inorganic species were measured in Seoul, Korea between 25 and 31 March 2012. Based on the measurements, the optical properties of aerosols were calculated by considering composition, size distribution, and mixing state of aerosols. To represent polydisperse size distributions of aerosols, a lognormal size distribution with a wide range of geometric mean diameters and geometric standard deviations was used. For the optical property calculations, the Mie theory was used to compute single-scattering properties of aerosol particles with varying size and composition. Analysis of the sampled data showed that the water-soluble components of organic matter increased on smog days, whereas crustal elements increased on dust days. The water content significantly influenced the optical properties of aerosols during the smog days as a result of high relative humidity and an increase in the water-soluble component. The absorption coefficients depended on the aerosol mixture type and the aerosol size distributions. Therefore, to improve our knowledge on radiative impacts of aerosols, especially the regional impacts of aerosols in East Asia, accurate measurements of aerosols, such as size distribution, composition, and mixture type, under different meteorological conditions are required.

Broadband optical properties of biomass-burning aerosol and identification of brown carbon chromophores: OPTICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF BROWN CARBON AEROSOLS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bluvshtein, Nir [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot Israel; Lin, Peng [Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland Washington USA; Flores, J. Michel [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot Israel; Segev, Lior [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot Israel; Mazar, Yinon [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot Israel; Tas, Eran [The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot Israel; Snider, Graydon [Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax Nova Scotia Canada; Weagle, Crystal [Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax Nova Scotia Canada; Brown, Steven S. [Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder Colorado USA; Chemical Sciences Division, Earth System Research Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder Colorado USA; Laskin, Alexander [Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland Washington USA; Rudich, Yinon [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot Israel

2017-05-23

The radiative effects of biomass burning aerosols on regional and global scale is substantial. Accurate modeling of the radiative effects of smoke aerosols require wavelength-dependent measurements and parameterizations of their optical properties in the UV and visible spectral ranges along with improved description of their chemical composition. To address this issue, we used a recently developed approach to retrieve the time- and spectral-dependent optical properties of ambient biomass burning aerosols between 300 and 650 nm wavelength during a regional bonfire festival in Israel. During the biomass burning event, the overall absorption at 400 nm increased by about two orders of magnitude, changing the size-weighted single scattering albedo from a background level of 0.95 to 0.7. Based on the new retrieval method, we provide parameterizations of the wavelength-dependent effective complex refractive index from 350 to 650 nm for freshly emitted and aged biomass burning aerosols. In addition, PM2.5 filter samples were collected for detailed off-line chemical analysis of the water soluble organics that contribute to light absorption. Nitrophenols were identified as the main organic species responsible for the increased absorption at 400-500 nm. These include species such as 4- nitrocatechol, 4-nitrophenol, nitro-syringol and nitro-guaiacol; oxidation-nitration products of methoxyphenols, known products of lignin pyrolysis. Our findings emphasize the importance of both primary and secondary organic aerosol from biomass burning in absorption of solar radiation and in effective radiative forcing.

Total Volcanic Stratospheric Aerosol Optical Depths and Implications for Global Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Ridley, D. A.; Solomon, S.; Barnes, J. E.; Burlakov, V. D.; Deshler, T.; Dolgii, S. I.; Herber, A. B.; Nagai, T.; Neely, R. R., III; Nevzorov, A. V.;

Linking Aerosol Optical Properties Between Laboratory, Field, and Model Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, S. M.; Pokhrel, R. P.; Foster, K. A.; Brown, H.; Liu, X.

2017-12-01

The optical properties of aerosol emissions from biomass burning have a significant impact on the Earth's radiative balance. Based on measurements made during the Fourth Fire Lab in Missoula Experiment, our group published a series of parameterizations that related optical properties (single scattering albedo and absorption due to brown carbon at multiple wavelengths) to the elemental to total carbon ratio of aerosols emitted from biomass burning. In this presentation, the ability of these parameterizations to simulate the optical properties of ambient aerosol is assessed using observations collected in 2017 from our mobile laboratory chasing wildfires in the Western United States. The ambient data includes measurements of multi-wavelength absorption, scattering, and extinction, size distribution, chemical composition, and volatility. In addition to testing the laboratory parameterizations, this combination of measurements allows us to assess the ability of core-shell Mie Theory to replicate observations and to assess the impact of brown carbon and mixing state on optical properties. Finally, both laboratory and ambient data are compared to the optical properties generated by a prominent climate model (Community Earth System Model (CESM) coupled with the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM 5)). The discrepancies between lab observations, ambient observations and model output will be discussed.

Model of optical response of marine aerosols to Forbush decreases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bondo, Torsten; Enghoff, Martin Andreas Bødker; Svensmark, Henrik

2010-01-01

In order to elucidate the effect of galactic cosmic rays on cloud formation, we investigate the optical response of marine aerosols to Forbush decreases - abrupt decreases in galactic cosmic rays - by means of modeling. We vary the nucleation rate of new aerosols, in a sectional coagulation...

Aerosol physical and optical properties in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, Crete, from Aerosol Robotic Network data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Fotiadi

2006-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, we investigate the aerosol optical properties, namely aerosol extinction optical thickness (AOT, Angström parameter and size distribution over the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, using spectral measurements from the recently established FORTH (Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas AERONET station in Crete, for the two-year period 2003–2004. The location of the FORTH-AERONET station offers a unique opportunity to monitor aerosols from different sources. Maximum values of AOT are found primarily in spring, which together with small values of the Angström parameter indicate dust transported from African deserts, whereas the minimum values of AOT occur in winter. In autumn, large AOT values observed at near-infrared wavelengths arise also from dust transport. In summer, large AOT values at ultraviolet (340 nm and visible wavelengths (500 nm, together with large values of the Angström parameter, are associated with transport of fine aerosols of urban/industrial and biomass burning origin. The Angström parameter values vary on a daily basis within the range 0.05–2.20, and on a monthly basis within the range 0.68–1.9. This behaviour, together with broad frequency distributions and back-trajectory analyses, indicates a great variety of aerosol types over the study region including dust, urban-industrial and biomass-burning pollution, and maritime, as well as mixed aerosol types. Large temporal variability is observed in AOT, Angström parameter, aerosol content and size. The fine and coarse aerosol modes persist throughout the year, with the coarse mode dominant except in summer. The highest values of AOT are related primarily to southeasterly winds, associated with coarse aerosols, and to a less extent to northwesterly winds associated with fine aerosols. The results of this study show that the FORTH AERONET station in Crete is well suited for studying the transport and mixing of different types of aerosols from a variety

Fog-induced variations in aerosol optical and physical properties over the Indo-Gangetic Basin and impact to aerosol radiative forcing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. K. Das

2008-06-01

Full Text Available A detailed study on the changes in aerosol physical and optical properties during fog events were made in December 2004 at Hissar (29.13° N, 75.70° E, a city located in the Indo-Gangetic basin. The visible aerosol optical depth was relatively low (0.3 during the initial days, which, however, increased (0.86 as the month progressed. The increasing aerosol amount, the decreasing surface temperature and a higher relative humidity condition were found favoring the formation of fog. The fog event is also found to alter the aerosol size distribution. An increase in the number concentration of the nucleation mode (radius<0.1 μm particles, along with a decrease in the mode radius showed the formation of freshly nucleated aerosols. In the case of accumulation mode (0.1 μmaerosol optical depth spectra are model fitted to infer the aerosol components which are further used to compute the aerosol radiative forcing. The top of the atmosphere forcing is found to increase during foggy days due to large backscattering of radiation back to space. It is also shown that during foggy days, as the day progresses the RH value decreases, which reduces the forcing value while the increasing solar elevation increases the forcing value. Thus the fog event which prolongs longer into the daytime has a stronger effect on the diurnally averaged aerosol radiative forcing than those events which are confined only to the early morning hours.

Fog-induced variations in aerosol optical and physical properties over the Indo-Gangetic Basin and impact to aerosol radiative forcing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, S.K.; Misra, A. [Physical Research Lab., Ahmedabad (India); Jayaraman, A. [National Atmospheric Research Lab., Gadanki (India)

2008-07-01

A detailed study on the changes in aerosol physical and optical properties during fog events were made in December 2004 at Hissar (29.13 N, 75.70 E), a city located in the Indo-Gangetic basin. The visible aerosol optical depth was relatively low (0.3) during the initial days, which, however, increased (0.86) as the month progressed. The increasing aerosol amount, the decreasing surface temperature and a higher relative humidity condition were found favoring the formation of fog. The fog event is also found to alter the aerosol size distribution. An increase in the number concentration of the nucleation mode (radius<0.1 {mu}m) particles, along with a decrease in the mode radius showed the formation of freshly nucleated aerosols. In the case of accumulation mode (0.1 {mu}maerosol optical depth spectra are model fitted to infer the aerosol components which are further used to compute the aerosol radiative forcing. The top of the atmosphere forcing is found to increase during foggy days due to large backscattering of radiation back to space. It is also shown that during foggy days, as the day progresses the RH value decreases, which reduces the forcing value while the increasing solar elevation increases the forcing value. Thus the fog event which prolongs longer into the daytime has a stronger effect on the diurnally averaged aerosol radiative forcing than those events which are confined only to the early morning hours. (orig.)

NOAA JPSS Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) and Aerosol Particle Size Parameter (APSP) Environmental Data Record (EDR) from IDPS

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains a high quality operational Environmental Data Record (EDR) of Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer...

Chemical, optical and radiative characteristics of aerosols during haze episodes of winter in the North China Plain

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Jing; Zhang, Yufen; Han, Suqin; Xiao, Zhimei; Wang, Jiao; Feng, Yinchang

2018-05-01

Aerosol and water vapor radiative forcings, shortwave atmospheric heating rates and longwave atmospheric cooling rates were determined based on in situ physical and chemical measurements of aerosol, associated with the Mie theory and a radiative transfer model, LOWTRAN7, during the two haze episodes in the winter of 2013 in Tianjin, China. The aerosol types considered in LOWTRAN7 included rural, urban, marine, desert and custom aerosols. The default ratio of the absorption coefficient to the extinction coefficient for urban aerosol in LOWTRAN7 was approximately double of those found in this work, implying the weaker absorption ability of aerosols in the North China Plain (NCP). Moreover, the aerosol is assumed to be evenly distributed below 1 km of planetary boundary layer (PBL) on hazy days in LOWTRAN7. If the default urban aerosol optical properties and extinction profile in LOWTRAN7 is employed directly, a larger energy imbalance between the atmosphere and surface is generated and the warming effect of the aerosol is magnified. Hence, modified urban aerosol optical properties were established to replace the corresponding parameters' database in LOWTRAN7. The aerosol extinction profiles were obtained based on a 255-m meteorological tower and observed results from the studies about Tianjin. In the NCP, the aerosol had little impact on atmospheric counter radiation. The water vapor is the crucial factor that affects atmospheric counter radiation. Both modified high shortwave heating rates and longwave cooling rates occur near the surface due to the abundance of aerosol and water vapor. The modified net atmospheric heating rate near the surface is 1.2 K d-1 on hazy days and 0.3 K d-1 on non-hazy days. Compared with the default urban aerosol optical properties and its vertical distribution in LOWTRAN7, the feedback effect of the modified urban aerosol on the boundary layer may not necessarily result in a stable lower atmosphere, but depends on the aerosol light

Optical characterization of metallic aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Wenbo; Lin Bing

2006-01-01

Airborne metallic particulates from industry and urban sources are highly conducting aerosols. The characterization of these pollutant particles is important for environment monitoring and protection. Because these metallic particulates are highly reflective, their effect on local weather or regional radiation budget may also need to be studied. In this work, light scattering characteristics of these metallic aerosols are studied using exact solutions on perfectly conducting spherical and cylindrical particles. It is found that for perfectly conducting spheres and cylinders, when scattering angle is larger than ∼90 o the linear polarization degree of the scattered light is very close to zero. This light scattering characteristics of perfectly conducting particles is significantly different from that of other aerosols. When these perfectly conducting particles are immersed in an absorbing medium, this light scattering characteristics does not show significant change. Therefore, measuring the linear polarization of scattered lights at backward scattering angles can detect and distinguish metallic particulates from other aerosols. This result provides a great potential of metallic aerosol detection and monitoring for environmental protection

Black carbon aerosol mixing state, organic aerosols and aerosol optical properties over the United Kingdom

Science.gov (United States)

McMeeking, G. R.; Morgan, W. T.; Flynn, M.; Highwood, E. J.; Turnbull, K.; Haywood, J.; Coe, H.

2011-09-01

Black carbon (BC) aerosols absorb sunlight thereby leading to a positive radiative forcing and a warming of climate and can also impact human health through their impact on the respiratory system. The state of mixing of BC with other aerosol species, particularly the degree of internal/external mixing, has been highlighted as a major uncertainty in assessing its radiative forcing and hence its climate impact, but few in situ observations of mixing state exist. We present airborne single particle soot photometer (SP2) measurements of refractory BC (rBC) mass concentrations and mixing state coupled with aerosol composition and optical properties measured in urban plumes and regional pollution over the United Kingdom. All data were obtained using instrumentation flown on the UK's BAe-146-301 large Atmospheric Research Aircraft (ARA) operated by the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM). We measured sub-micron aerosol composition using an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and used positive matrix factorization to separate hydrocarbon-like (HOA) and oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA). We found a higher number fraction of thickly coated rBC particles in air masses with large OOA relative to HOA, higher ozone-to-nitrogen oxides (NOx) ratios and large concentrations of total sub-micron aerosol mass relative to rBC mass concentrations. The more ozone- and OOA-rich air masses were associated with transport from continental Europe, while plumes from UK cities had higher HOA and NOx and fewer thickly coated rBC particles. We did not observe any significant change in the rBC mass absorption efficiency calculated from rBC mass and light absorption coefficients measured by a particle soot absorption photometer despite observing significant changes in aerosol composition and rBC mixing state. The contributions of light scattering and absorption to total extinction (quantified by the single scattering albedo; SSA) did change for different air masses, with lower SSA

Black carbon aerosol mixing state, organic aerosols and aerosol optical properties over the United Kingdom

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. R. McMeeking

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Black carbon (BC aerosols absorb sunlight thereby leading to a positive radiative forcing and a warming of climate and can also impact human health through their impact on the respiratory system. The state of mixing of BC with other aerosol species, particularly the degree of internal/external mixing, has been highlighted as a major uncertainty in assessing its radiative forcing and hence its climate impact, but few in situ observations of mixing state exist. We present airborne single particle soot photometer (SP2 measurements of refractory BC (rBC mass concentrations and mixing state coupled with aerosol composition and optical properties measured in urban plumes and regional pollution over the United Kingdom. All data were obtained using instrumentation flown on the UK's BAe-146-301 large Atmospheric Research Aircraft (ARA operated by the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM. We measured sub-micron aerosol composition using an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS and used positive matrix factorization to separate hydrocarbon-like (HOA and oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA. We found a higher number fraction of thickly coated rBC particles in air masses with large OOA relative to HOA, higher ozone-to-nitrogen oxides (NO_x ratios and large concentrations of total sub-micron aerosol mass relative to rBC mass concentrations. The more ozone- and OOA-rich air masses were associated with transport from continental Europe, while plumes from UK cities had higher HOA and NO_x and fewer thickly coated rBC particles. We did not observe any significant change in the rBC mass absorption efficiency calculated from rBC mass and light absorption coefficients measured by a particle soot absorption photometer despite observing significant changes in aerosol composition and rBC mixing state. The contributions of light scattering and absorption to total extinction (quantified by the single scattering albedo; SSA did change for

Retrieval of Aerosol Optical Depth Above Clouds from OMI Observations: Sensitivity Analysis, Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, O.; Jethva, H.; Bhartia, P. K.

2012-01-01

A large fraction of the atmospheric aerosol load reaching the free troposphere is frequently located above low clouds. Most commonly observed aerosols above clouds are carbonaceous particles generally associated with biomass burning and boreal forest fires, and mineral aerosols originated in arid and semi-arid regions and transported across large distances, often above clouds. Because these aerosols absorb solar radiation, their role in the radiative transfer balance of the earth atmosphere system is especially important. The generally negative (cooling) top of the atmosphere direct effect of absorbing aerosols, may turn into warming when the light-absorbing particles are located above clouds. The actual effect depends on the aerosol load and the single scattering albedo, and on the geometric cloud fraction. In spite of its potential significance, the role of aerosols above clouds is not adequately accounted for in the assessment of aerosol radiative forcing effects due to the lack of measurements. In this paper we discuss the basis of a simple technique that uses near-UV observations to simultaneously derive the optical depth of both the aerosol layer and the underlying cloud for overcast conditions. The two-parameter retrieval method described here makes use of the UV aerosol index and reflectance measurements at 388 nm. A detailed sensitivity analysis indicates that the measured radiances depend mainly on the aerosol absorption exponent and aerosol-cloud separation. The technique was applied to above-cloud aerosol events over the Southern Atlantic Ocean yielding realistic results as indicated by indirect evaluation methods. An error analysis indicates that for typical overcast cloudy conditions and aerosol loads, the aerosol optical depth can be retrieved with an accuracy of approximately 54% whereas the cloud optical depth can be derived within 17% of the true value.

Orientation-averaged optical properties of natural aerosol aggregates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiaolin; Huang Yinbo; Rao Ruizhong

2012-01-01

Orientation-averaged optical properties of natural aerosol aggregates were analyzed by using discrete dipole approximation (DDA) for the effective radius in the range of 0.01 to 2 μm with the corresponding size parameter from 0.1 to 23 for the wavelength of 0.55 μm. Effects of the composition and morphology on the optical properties were also investigated. The composition show small influence on the extinction-efficiency factor in Mie scattering region, scattering- and backscattering-efficiency factors. The extinction-efficiency factor with the size parameter from 9 to 23 and asymmetry factor with the size parameter below 2.3 are almost independent of the natural aerosol composition. The extinction-, absorption, scattering-, and backscattering-efficiency factors with the size parameter below 0.7 are irrespective of the aggregate morphology. The intrinsic symmetry and discontinuity of the normal direction of the particle surface have obvious effects on the scattering properties for the size parameter above 4.6. Furthermore, the scattering phase functions of natural aerosol aggregates are enhanced at the backscattering direction (opposition effect) for large size parameters in the range of Mie scattering. (authors)

Aerosol Optical Properties at the Ground Sites during the 2010 CARES Field Campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, D. B.; Radney, J. G.; Harworth, J. W.

2010-12-01

Preliminary results from the ground sites at the 2010 CARES field campaign (T0 near Sacramento, CA and T1 near Cool, CA) will be presented. A number of aerosol optical properties were measured at high time resolution for the four week study period using custom instruments. The aerosol extinction coefficient was measured at T0 using a cavity ring-down transmissometer (CRDT) at two wavelengths (532 and 1064 nm) and the aerosol scattering coefficient was measured at 532 nm using a Radiance Research M903 nephelometer. At T1, a new CRDT instrument was deployed that measured the extinction coefficient at three wavelengths (355, 532, and 1064 nm) for sub-10 μm (nominal) and sub-2.5 μm aerosols at ambient, elevated, and reduced relative humidity. A new type of custom nephelometer that measures the aerosol scattering coefficient at 532 nm using an array detector was also deployed at T1.

Global validation of two-channel AVHRR aerosol optical thickness retrievals over the oceans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Li; Mishchenko, Michael I.; Geogdzhayev, Igor; Smirnov, Alexander; Sakerin, Sergey M.; Kabanov, Dmitry M.; Ershov, Oleg A.

2004-01-01

The paper presents validation results for the aerosol optical thickness derived by applying a two-channel retrieval algorithm to Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) radiance data. The satellite retrievals are compared with ship-borne sun-photometer results. The comparison of spatial and temporal statistics of the AVHRR results and the ship measurements shows a strong correlation. The satellite retrieval results obtained with the original algorithm for a wavelength of 0.55μm are systematically higher than the sun-photometer measurements in the cases of low aerosol loads. The ensemble averaged satellite-retrieved optical thickness overestimates the ensemble averaged sun-photometer data by about 11% with a random error of about 0.04. Increasing the diffuse component of the ocean surface reflectance from 0.002 to 0.004 in the AVHRR algorithm produces a better match, with the ensemble-averaged AVHRR-retrieved optical thickness differing by only about 3.6% from the sun-photometer truth and having a small offset of 0.03

The evolution of Titan's high-altitude aerosols under ultraviolet irradiation

Science.gov (United States)

Carrasco, Nathalie; Tigrine, Sarah; Gavilan, Lisseth; Nahon, Laurent; Gudipati, Murthy S.

2018-04-01

The Cassini-Huygens space mission revealed that Titan's thick brownish haze is initiated high in the atmosphere at an altitude of about 1,000 km, before a slow transportation down to the surface. Close to the surface, at altitudes below 130 km, the Huygens probe provided information on the chemical composition of the haze. So far, we have not had insights into the possible photochemical evolution of the aerosols making up the haze during their descent. Here, we address this atmospheric aerosol aging process, simulating in the laboratory how solar vacuum ultraviolet irradiation affects the aerosol optical properties as probed by infrared spectroscopy. An important evolution was found that could explain the apparent contradiction between the nitrogen-poor infrared spectroscopic signature observed by Cassini below 600 km of altitude in Titan's atmosphere and a high nitrogen content as measured by the aerosol collector and pyrolyser of the Huygens probe at the surface of Titan.

Aerosol Optical Depth Over India

Science.gov (United States)

David, Liji Mary; Ravishankara, A. R.; Kodros, John K.; Venkataraman, Chandra; Sadavarte, Pankaj; Pierce, Jeffrey R.; Chaliyakunnel, Sreelekha; Millet, Dylan B.

2018-04-01

Tropospheric aerosol optical depth (AOD) over India was simulated by Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS)-Chem, a global 3-D chemical-transport model, using SMOG (Speciated Multi-pOllutant Generator from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay) and GEOS-Chem (GC) (current inventories used in the GEOS-Chem model) inventories for 2012. The simulated AODs were 80% (SMOG) and 60% (GC) of those measured by the satellites (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer). There is no strong seasonal variation in AOD over India. The peak AOD values are observed/simulated during summer. The simulated AOD using SMOG inventory has particulate black and organic carbon AOD higher by a factor 5 and 3, respectively, compared to GC inventory. The model underpredicted coarse-mode AOD but agreed for fine-mode AOD with Aerosol Robotic Network data. It captured dust only over Western India, which is a desert, and not elsewhere, probably due to inaccurate dust transport and/or noninclusion of other dust sources. The calculated AOD, after dust correction, showed the general features in its observed spatial variation. Highest AOD values were observed over the Indo-Gangetic Plain followed by Central and Southern India with lowest values in Northern India. Transport of aerosols from Indo-Gangetic Plain and Central India into Eastern India, where emissions are low, is significant. The major contributors to total AOD over India are inorganic aerosol (41-64%), organic carbon (14-26%), and dust (7-32%). AOD over most regions of India is a factor of 5 or higher than over the United States.

Aerosol optical depth trend over the Middle East

KAUST Repository

Klingmü ller, Klaus; Pozzer, Andrea; Metzger, Swen; Stenchikov, Georgiy L.; Lelieveld, Jos

2016-01-01

We use the combined Dark Target/Deep Blue aerosol optical depth (AOD) satellite product of the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) collection 6 to study trends over the Middle East between 2000 and 2015. Our analysis corroborates a

Evaluation of sulfate aerosol optical depths over the North Atlantic and comparison with satellite observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berkowitz, C.M.; Ghan, S.J.; Benkovitz, C.M.; Wagener, R.; Nemesure, S.; Schwartz, S.E.

1993-11-01

It has been postulated that scattering of sunlight by aerosols can significantly reduce the amount of solar energy absorbed by the climate system. Aerosol measurement programs alone cannot provide all the information needed to evaluate the radiative forcing due to anthropogenic aerosols. Thus, comprehensive global-scale aerosol models, properly validated against surface-based and satellite measurements, are a fundamental tool for evaluating the impacts of aerosols on the planetary radiation balance. Analyzed meteorological fields from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts are used to drive a modified version of the PNL Global Chemistry Model, applied to the atmospheric sulfur cycle. The resulting sulfate fields are used to calculate aerosol optical depths, which in turn are compared to estimates of aerosol optical depth based on satellite observations

Improvement of aerosol optical depth retrieval from MODIS spectral reflectance over the global ocean using new aerosol models archived from AERONET inversion data and tri-axial ellipsoidal dust database

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Lee

2012-08-01

Full Text Available New over-ocean aerosol models are developed by integrating the inversion data from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET sun/sky radiometers with a database for the optical properties of tri-axial ellipsoid particles. The new aerosol models allow more accurate retrieval of aerosol optical depth (AOD from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS in the case of high AOD (AOD > 0.3. The aerosol models are categorized by using the fine-mode fraction (FMF at 550 nm and the single-scattering albedo (SSA at 440 nm from the AERONET inversion data to include a variety of aerosol types found around the globe. For each aerosol model, the changes in the aerosol optical properties (AOPs as functions of AOD are considered to better represent aerosol characteristics. Comparisons of AODs between AERONET and MODIS for the period from 2003 to 2010 show that the use of the new aerosol models enhances the AOD accuracy with a Pearson coefficient of 0.93 and a regression slope of 0.99 compared to 0.92 and 0.85 calculated using the MODIS Collection 5 data. Moreover, the percentage of data within an expected error of ± (0.03 + 0.05 × AOD is increased from 62% to 64% for overall data and from 39% to 5% for AOD > 0.3. Errors in the retrieved AOD are further characterized with respect to the Ångström exponent (AE, scattering angle (Θ, SSA, and air mass factor (AMF. Due to more realistic AOPs assumptions, the new algorithm generally reduces systematic errors in the retrieved AODs compared with the current operational algorithm. In particular, the underestimation of fine-dominated AOD and the scattering angle dependence of dust-dominated AOD are significantly mitigated as results of the new algorithm's improved treatment of aerosol size distribution and dust particle nonsphericity.

Improvement of Aerosol Optical Depth Retrieval from MODIS Spectral Reflectance over the Global Ocean Using New Aerosol Models Archived from AERONET Inversion Data and Tri-axial Ellipsoidal Dust Database

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, J.; Kim, J.; Yang, P.; Hsu, N. C.

2012-01-01

New over-ocean aerosol models are developed by integrating the inversion data from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sun/sky radiometers with a database for the optical properties of tri-axial ellipsoid particles. The new aerosol models allow more accurate retrieval of aerosol optical depth (AOD) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) in the case of high AOD (AOD greater than 0.3). The aerosol models are categorized by using the fine-mode fraction (FMF) at 550 nm and the singlescattering albedo (SSA) at 440 nm from the AERONET inversion data to include a variety of aerosol types found around the globe. For each aerosol model, the changes in the aerosol optical properties (AOPs) as functions of AOD are considered to better represent aerosol characteristics. Comparisons of AODs between AERONET and MODIS for the period from 2003 to 2010 show that the use of the new aerosol models enhances the AOD accuracy with a Pearson coefficient of 0.93 and a regression slope of 0.99 compared to 0.92 and 0.85 calculated using the MODIS Collection 5 data. Moreover, the percentage of data within an expected error of +/-(0.03 + 0.05xAOD) is increased from 62 percent to 64 percent for overall data and from 39 percent to 51 percent for AOD greater than 0.3. Errors in the retrieved AOD are further characterized with respect to the Angstrom exponent (AE), scattering angle, SSA, and air mass factor (AMF). Due to more realistic AOPs assumptions, the new algorithm generally reduces systematic errors in the retrieved AODs compared with the current operational algorithm. In particular, the underestimation of fine-dominated AOD and the scattering angle dependence of dust-dominated AOD are significantly mitigated as results of the new algorithm's improved treatment of aerosol size distribution and dust particle nonsphericity.

Aerosol optical depth in a western Mediterranean site: An assessment of different methods

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez-Romero, A.; González, J. A.; Calbó, J.; Sanchez-Lorenzo, A.; Michalsky, J.

2016-06-01

Column aerosol optical properties were derived from multifilter rotating shadowing radiometer (MFRSR) observations carried out at Girona (northeast Spain) from June 2012 to June 2014. We used a technique that allows estimating simultaneously aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ångström exponent (AE) at high time-resolution. For the period studied, mean AOD at 500 nm was 0.14, with a noticeable seasonal pattern, i.e. maximum in summer and minimum in winter. Mean AE from 500 to 870 nm was 1.2 with a strong day-to-day variation and slightly higher values in summer. So, the summer increase in AOD seems to be linked with an enhancement in the number of fine particles. A radiative closure experiment, using the SMARTS2 model, was performed to confirm that the MFRSR-retrieved aerosol optical properties appropriately represent the continuously varying atmospheric conditions in Girona. Thus, the calculated broadband values of the direct flux show a mean absolute difference of less than 5.9 W m- 2 (0.77%) and R = 0.99 when compared to the observed fluxes. The sensitivity of the achieved closure to uncertainties in AOD and AE was also examined. We use this MFRSR-based dataset as a reference for other ground-based and satellite measurements that might be used to assess the aerosol properties at this site. First, we used observations obtained from a 100 km away AERONET station; despite a general similar behavior when compared with the in-situ MFRSR observations, certain discrepancies for AOD estimates in the different channels (R < 0.84 and slope < 1) appear. Second, AOD products from MISR and MODIS satellite observations were compared with our ground-based retrievals. Reasonable agreements are found for the MISR product (R = 0.92), with somewhat poorer agreement for the MODIS product (R = 0.70). Finally, we apply all these methods to study in detail the aerosol properties during two singular aerosol events related to a forest fire and a desert dust intrusion.

Sun and aureole spectrometer for airborne measurements to derive aerosol optical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Asseng, Hagen; Ruhtz, Thomas; Fischer, Jürgen

2004-04-01

We have designed an airborne spectrometer system for the simultaneous measurement of the direct Sun irradiance and aureole radiance. The instrument is based on diffraction grating spectrometers with linear image sensors. It is robust, lightweight, compact, and reliable, characteristics that are important for airborne applications. The multispectral radiation measurements are used to derive optical properties of tropospheric aerosols. We extract the altitude dependence of the aerosol volume scattering function and of the aerosol optical depth by using flight patterns with descents and ascents ranging from the surface level to the top of the boundary layer. The extinction coefficient and the product of single scattering albedo and phase function of separate layers can be derived from the airborne measurements.

Physics of aerosols - Second part: nucleation-condensation-ions-electrification-optical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bricard, Jean

1977-01-01

This report is made of two volumes. Volume 1 includes the general properties of aerosols, the fundamentals of the theory of gases and mechanics are related to particle suspensions, ant the theories of diffusion and coagulation with their applications to atmospheric aerosols. Volume 2 begins with a chapter on nucleation (gas-particle conversion) in the case of one vapor, then two vapors, followed by the theory of aerosol evaporation. The following two chapters are devoted to the study of ions and their attachment to aerosol particles. Finally their optical properties are stated in the last chapter

Chemical apportionment of aerosol optical properties during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing, China

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Tingting; Xu, Weiqi; Chen, Chen; Liu, Xingang; Wang, Qingqing; Li, Jie; Zhao, Xiujuan; Du, Wei; Wang, Zifa; Sun, Yele

2015-12-01

We have investigated the chemical and optical properties of aerosol particles during the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing, China, using the highly time-resolved measurements by a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer and a cavity attenuated phase shift extinction monitor. The average (±σ) extinction coefficient (bext) and absorption coefficient (bap) were 186.5 (±184.5) M m-1 and 23.3 (±21.9) M m-1 during APEC, which were decreased by 63% and 56%, respectively, compared to those before APEC primarily due to strict emission controls. The aerosol composition and size distributions showed substantial changes during APEC; as a response, the mass scattering efficiency (MSE) of PM1 was decreased from 4.7 m2 g-1 to 3.5 m2 g-1. Comparatively, the average single-scattering albedo (SSA) remained relatively unchanged, illustrating the synchronous reductions of bext and bap during APEC. MSE and SSA were found to increase as function of the oxidation degree of organic aerosol (OA), indicating a change of aerosol optical properties during the aging processes. The empirical relationships between chemical composition and particle extinction were established using a multiple linear regression model. Our results showed the largest contribution of ammonium nitrate to particle extinction, accounting for 35.1% and 29.3% before and during APEC, respectively. This result highlights the important role of ammonium nitrate in the formation of severe haze pollution during this study period. We also observed very different optical properties of primary and secondary aerosol. Owing to emission controls in Beijing and surrounding regions and also partly the influences of meteorological changes, the average bext of secondary aerosol during APEC was decreased by 71% from 372.3 M m-1 to 108.5 M m-1, whereas that of primary aerosol mainly from cooking, traffic, and biomass burning emissions showed a smaller reduction from 136.7 M m-1 to 71.3 M m-1. As a result

Accuracy assessment of Terra-MODIS aerosol optical depth retrievals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safarpour, Sahabeh; Abdullah, Khiruddin; Lim, Hwee San; Dadras, Mohsen

2014-01-01

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol products have been widely used to address environment and climate change subjects with daily global coverage. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) is retrieved by different algorithms based on the pixel surface, determining between land and ocean. MODIS-Terra and Global Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) products can be obtained from the Multi-sensor Aerosol Products Sampling System (MAPSS) for coastal regions during 2000-2010. Using data collected from 83 coastal stations worldwide from AERONET from 2000-2010, accuracy assessments are made for coastal aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieved from MODIS aboard the Terra satellite. AOD retrieved from MODIS at 0.55μm wavelength has been compared With the AERONET derived AOD, because it is reliable with the major wavelength used by many chemistry transport and climate models as well as previous MODIS validation studies. After removing retrievals with quality flags below1 for Ocean algorithm and below 3 for Land algorithm, The accuracy of AOD retrieved from MODIS Dark Target Ocean algorithms (correlation coefficient R 2 is 0.844 and a regression equation of τ M = 0.91·τ A + 0.02 (where subscripts M and A represent MODIS and AERONET respectively), is the greater than the MODIS Dark Target Land algorithms (correlation coefficient R 2 is 0.764 and τ M = 0.95·τ A + 0.03) and the Deep Blue algorithm (correlation coefficient R 2 is 0.652 and τ M = 0.81·τ A + 0.04). The reasons of the retrieval error in AOD are found to be the various underlying surface reflectance. Therefore, the aerosol models and underlying surface reflectance are the dominant factors which influence the accuracy of MODIS retrieval performance. Generally the MODIS Land algorithm implements better than the Ocean algorithm for coastal sites

Aerosol optical properties and radiative effects: Assessment of urban aerosols in central China using 10-year observations

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ming; Ma, Yingying; Gong, Wei; Liu, Boming; Shi, Yifan; Chen, ZhongYong

2018-06-01

Poor air quality episodes are common in central China. Here, based on 10 years of ground-based sun-photometric observations, aerosol optical and radiative forcing characteristics were analyzed in Wuhan, the biggest metropolis in central China. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) in the last decade declined significantly, while the Ångström exponent (AE) showed slight growth. Single scattering albedo (SSA) at 440 nm reached the lowest value (0.87) in winter and highest value (0.93) in summer. Aerosol parameters derived from sun-photometric observations were used as input in a radiative transfer model to calculate aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) on the surface in ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR), and shortwave (SW) spectra. ARFSW sustained decreases (the absolute values) over the last 10 years. In terms of seasonal variability, due to the increases in multiple scattering effects and attenuation of the transmitted radiation as AOD increased, ARF in summer displayed the largest value (-73.94 W/m2). After eliminating the influence of aerosol loading, the maximum aerosol radiative forcing efficiency in SW range (ARFESW) achieved a value of -64.5 W/m2/AOD in April. The ARFE change in each sub-interval spectrum was related to the change in SSA and effective radius of fine mode particles (Refff), that is, ARFE increased with the decreases in SSA and Refff. The smallest contribution of ARFENIR to ARFESW was 34.11% under strong absorbing and fine particle conditions, and opposite results were found for the VIS range, whose values were always over 51.82%. Finally, due to the serious air pollution and frequency of haze day, aerosol characteristics in haze and clear days were analyzed. The percentage of ARFENIR increased from 35.71% on clear-air days to 37.63% during haze periods, while both the percentage of ARFEUV and ARFENIR in ARFESW kept decreasing. The results of this paper should help us to better understand the effect of aerosols on solar spectral radiation

Photoacoustic absorption spectroscopy of single optically trapped aerosol droplets

Science.gov (United States)

Covert, Paul A.; Cremer, Johannes W.; Signorell, Ruth

2017-08-01

Photoacoustics have been widely used for the study of aerosol optical properties. To date, these studies have been performed on particle ensembles, with minimal ability to control for particle size. Here, we present our singleparticle photoacoustic spectrometer. The sensitivity and stability of the instrument is discussed, along with results from two experiments that illustrate the unique capabilities of this instrument. In the first experiment, we present a measurement of the particle size-dependence of the photoacoustic response. Our results confirm previous models of aerosol photoacoustics that had yet to be experimentally tested. The second set of results reveals a size-dependence of photochemical processes within aerosols that results from the nanofocusing of light within individual droplets.

Sunphotometry of the 2006-2007 aerosol optical/radiative properties at the Himalayan Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid (5079 m a.s.l.)

Science.gov (United States)

Gobbi, G. P.; Angelini, F.; Bonasoni, P.; Verza, G. P.; Marinoni, A.; Barnaba, F.

2010-11-01

In spite of being located at the heart of the highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayan Nepal Climate Observatory (5079 m a.s.l.) at the Ev-K2-CNR Pyramid is shown to be affected by the advection of pollution aerosols from the populated regions of southern Nepal and the Indo-Gangetic plains. Such an impact is observed along most of the period April 2006-March 2007 addressed here, with a minimum in the monsoon season. Backtrajectory-analysis indicates long-range transport episodes occurring in this year to originate mainly in the west Asian deserts. At this high altitude site, the measured aerosol optical depth is observed to be about one order of magnitude lower than the one measured at Ghandi College (60 m a.s.l.), in the Indo-Gangetic basin. As for Ghandi College, and in agreement with the in situ ground observations at the Pyramid, the fine mode aerosol optical depth maximizes during winter and minimizes in the monsoon season. Conversely, total optical depth maximizes during the monsoon due to the occurrence of elevated, coarse particle layers. Possible origins of these particles are wind erosion from the surrounding peaks and hydrated/cloud-processed aerosols. Assessment of the aerosol radiative forcing is then expected to be hampered by the presence of these high altitude particle layers, which impede an effective, continuous measurement of anthropogenic aerosol radiative properties from sky radiance inversions and/or ground measurements alone. Even though the retrieved absorption coefficients of pollution aerosols were rather large (single scattering albedo of the order of 0.6-0.9 were observed in the month of April 2006), the corresponding low optical depths (~0.03 at 500 nm) are expected to limit the relevant radiative forcing. Still, the high specific forcing of this aerosol and its capability of altering snow surface albedo provide good reasons for continuous monitoring.

Use of the NASA GEOS-5 SEAC4RS Meteorological and Aerosol Reanalysis for assessing simulated aerosol optical properties as a function of smoke age

Science.gov (United States)

Randles, C. A.; da Silva, A. M., Jr.; Colarco, P. R.; Darmenov, A.; Buchard, V.; Govindaraju, R.; Chen, G.; Hair, J. W.; Russell, P. B.; Shinozuka, Y.; Wagner, N.; Lack, D.

2014-12-01

The NASA Goddard Earth Observing System version 5 (GEOS-5) Earth system model, which includes an online aerosol module, provided chemical and weather forecasts during the SEAC4RS field campaign. For post-mission analysis, we have produced a high resolution (25 km) meteorological and aerosol reanalysis for the entire campaign period. In addition to the full meteorological observing system used for routine NWP, we assimilate 550 nm aerosol optical depth (AOD) derived from MODIS (both Aqua and Terra satellites), ground-based AERONET sun photometers, and the MISR instrument (over bright surfaces only). Daily biomass burning emissions of CO, CO2, SO2, and aerosols are derived from MODIS fire radiative power retrievals. We have also introduced novel smoke "age" tracers, which provide, for a given time, a snapshot histogram of the age of simulated smoke aerosol. Because GEOS-5 assimilates remotely sensed AOD data, it generally reproduces observed (column) AOD compared to, for example, the airborne 4-STAR instrument. Constraining AOD, however, does not imply a good representation of either the vertical profile or the aerosol microphysical properties (e.g., composition, absorption). We do find a reasonable vertical structure for aerosols is attained in the model, provided actual smoke injection heights are not much above the planetary boundary layer, as verified with observations from DIAL/HRSL aboard the DC8. The translation of the simulated aerosol microphysical properties to total column AOD, needed in the aerosol assimilation step, is based on prescribed mass extinction efficiencies that depend on wavelength, composition, and relative humidity. Here we also evaluate the performance of the simulated aerosol speciation by examining in situ retrievals of aerosol absorption/single scattering albedo and scattering growth factor (f(RH)) from the LARGE and AOP suite of instruments. Putting these comparisons in the context of smoke age as diagnosed by the model helps us to

Optical extinction of size-controlled aerosols generated from squid chromatophore pigments

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Sean R. Dinneen

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Nanophotonic granules populate the interior of cephalopod chromatophores, contributing to their visible color by selectively absorbing and scattering light. Inspired by the performance of these granules, we fabricated nanostructured aerosols by nebulizing a pigment solution extracted from native squid chromatophores. We determined their optical extinction using cavity ring-down spectroscopy and show how extinction cross section is dependent on both particle concentration and size. This work not only advances the fundamental knowledge of the optical properties of chromatophore pigments but also serves as a proof-of-concept method that can be adapted to develop coatings derived from these pigmentary aerosols.

A case study of highly time-resolved evolution of aerosol chemical composition and optical properties during severe haze pollution in Shanghai, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, W.; Cheng, Z.; Lou, S.

2017-12-01

Despite of extensive efforts into characterization of the sources in severe haze pollution periods in the megacity of Shanghai, the study of aerosol composition, mass-size distribution and optical properties to PM1 in the pollution periods remain poorly understood. Here we conducted a 47days real-time measurement of submicron aerosol (PM1) composition and size distribution by a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass spectrometer (HR-TOF-AMS), particle light scattering by a Cavity Attenuated Phase Shift ALBedo monitor (CAPS-ALB) and Photoacoustic Extinctionmeter (PAX) in Shanghai, China, from November 28, 2016 to January 12, 2017. The average PM1 concentration was 85.9(±14.7) μg/m3 during the pollution period, which was nearly 4 times higher than that of clean period. Increased scattering coefficient during EP was associated with higher secondary inorganic aerosols and organics. We also observed organics mass size distribution for different pollution extents showing different distribution characteristics. There were no obvious differences for ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate among the pollution periods, which represented single peak distributions, and peaks ranged at 650-700nm and 700nm, respectively. A strong relationship can be expected between PM1 compounds mass concentration size distribution and scattering coefficient, suggesting that chemical composition, size distribution of the particles and their variations could also contribute to the extinction coefficients. Organics and secondary inorganic species to particle light scattering were quantified. The results showed that organics and ammonium nitrate were the largest contribution to scattering coefficients of PM1. The contribution of (NH4)2SO4 to the light scattering exceeded that of NH4NO3 during clean period due to the enhanced sulfate concentrations. Our results elucidate substantial changes of aerosol composition, formation mechanisms, size distribution and optical properties due to local

Relative humidity and its effect on aerosol optical depth in the vicinity of convective clouds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Altaratz, O; Bar-Or, R Z; Wollner, U; Koren, I

2013-01-01

The hygroscopic growth of aerosols is controlled by the relative humidity (RH) and changes the aerosols’ physical and hence optical properties. Observational studies of aerosol–cloud interactions evaluate the aerosol concentration using optical parameters, such as the aerosol optical depth (AOD), which can be affected by aerosol humidification. In this study we evaluate the RH background and variance values, in the lower cloudy atmosphere, an additional source of variance in AOD values beside the natural changes in aerosol concentration. In addition, we estimate the bias in RH and AOD, related to cloud thickness. This provides the much needed range of RH-related biases in studies of aerosol–cloud interaction. Twelve years of radiosonde measurements (June–August) in thirteen globally distributed stations are analyzed. The estimated non-biased AOD variance due to day-to-day changes in RH is found to be around 20% and the biases linked to cloud development around 10%. Such an effect is important and should be considered in direct and indirect aerosol effect estimations but it is inadequate to account for most of the AOD trend found in observational studies of aerosol–cloud interactions. (letter)

Aerosol climatology over the Mexico City basin: Characterization of optical properties

Science.gov (United States)

Carabali, Giovanni; Estévez, Héctor Raúl; Valdés-Barrón, Mauro; Bonifaz-Alfonzo, Roberto; Riveros-Rosas, David; Velasco-Herrera, Víctor Manuel; Vázquez-Gálvez, Felipe Adrián

2017-09-01

Climatology of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), Single Scattering Albedo (SSA), and aerosol particle-size distribution were analyzed using a 15-year (1999-2014) dataset from AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) observations over the Mexico City (MC) basin. The atmosphere over this site is dominated by two main aerosol types, represented by urban/industrial pollution and biomass-burning particles. Due to the specific meteorological conditions within the basin, seasons are usually classified into three as follows: Dry Winter (DW) (November-February); Dry Spring (DS) (March-April), and the RAiny season (RA) (May-October), which are mentioned throughout this article. Using a CIMEL sun photometer, we conducted continuous observations over the MC urban area from January 1999 to December 2014. Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), Ångström exponent (α440-870), Single Scattering Albedo (SSA), and aerosol particle-size distribution were derived from the observational data. The overall mean AOD500 during the 1999-2014 period was 0.34 ± 0.07. The monthly mean AOD reached a maximal value of 0.49 in May and a minimal value of 0.27 in February and March. The average α440-870 value for the period studied was 1.50 ± 0.16. The monthly average of α440-870 reached a minimal value of 1.32 in August and a maximal value of 1.61 in May. Average SSA at 440 nm was 0.89 throughout the observation period, indicating that aerosols over Mexico City are composed mainly of absorptive particles. Concentrations of fine- and coarse-mode aerosols over MC were highest in DS season compared with other seasons, especially for particles with radii measuring between 0.1 and 0.2 μm. Results from the Spectral De-convolution Algorithm (SDA) show that fine-mode aerosols dominated AOD variability in MC. In the final part of this article, we present a classification of aerosols in MC by using the graphical method proposed by Gobbi et al. (2007), which is based on the combined analysis of α and its spectral curvature

Micro-rheology and interparticle interactions in aerosols probed with optical tweezers

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Jonathan P.; Power, Rory M.; Cai, Chen; Simpson, Stephen H.

2014-09-01

Using optical tweezers for micro-rheological investigations of a surrounding fluid has been routinely demonstrated. In this work, we will demonstrate that rheological measurements of the bulk and surface properties of aerosol particles can be made directly using optical tweezers, providing important insights into the phase behavior of materials in confined environments and the rate of molecular diffusion in viscous phases. The use of holographic optical tweezers to manipulate aerosol particles has become standard practice in recent years, providing an invaluable tool to investigate particle dynamics, including evaporation/ condensation kinetics, chemical aging and phase transformation. When combined with non-linear Raman spectroscopy, the size and refractive index of a particle can be determined with unprecedented accuracy viscosity and surface tension of particles can be measured directly in the under-damped regime at low viscosity. In the over-damped regime, we will show that viscosity measurements can extend close to the glass transition, allowing measurements over an impressive dynamic range of 12 orders of magnitude in relaxation timescale and viscosity. Indeed, prior to the coalescence event, we will show how the Brownian trajectories of trapped particles can yield important and unique insights into the interactions of aerosol particles.

Modification of Local Urban Aerosol Properties by Long-Range Transport of Biomass Burning Aerosol

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Iwona S. Stachlewska

2018-03-01

Full Text Available During August 2016, a quasi-stationary high-pressure system spreading over Central and North-Eastern Europe, caused weather conditions that allowed for 24/7 observations of aerosol optical properties by using a complex multi-wavelength PollyXT lidar system with Raman, polarization and water vapour capabilities, based at the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET network urban site in Warsaw, Poland. During 24–30 August 2016, the lidar-derived products (boundary layer height, aerosol optical depth, Ångström exponent, lidar ratio, depolarization ratio were analysed in terms of air mass transport (HYSPLIT model, aerosol load (CAMS data and type (NAAPS model and confronted with active and passive remote sensing at the ground level (PolandAOD, AERONET, WIOS-AQ networks and aboard satellites (SEVIRI, MODIS, CATS sensors. Optical properties for less than a day-old fresh biomass burning aerosol, advected into Warsaw’s boundary layer from over Ukraine, were compared with the properties of long-range transported 3–5 day-old aged biomass burning aerosol detected in the free troposphere over Warsaw. Analyses of temporal changes of aerosol properties within the boundary layer, revealed an increase of aerosol optical depth and Ångström exponent accompanied by an increase of surface PM10 and PM2.5. Intrusions of advected biomass burning particles into the urban boundary layer seem to affect not only the optical properties observed but also the top height of the boundary layer, by moderating its increase.

Sunphotometry of the 2006–2007 aerosol optical/radiative properties at the Himalayan Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid (5079 m a.s.l.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. P. Gobbi

2010-11-01

Full Text Available In spite of being located at the heart of the highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayan Nepal Climate Observatory (5079 m a.s.l. at the Ev-K2-CNR Pyramid is shown to be affected by the advection of pollution aerosols from the populated regions of southern Nepal and the Indo-Gangetic plains. Such an impact is observed along most of the period April 2006–March 2007 addressed here, with a minimum in the monsoon season. Backtrajectory-analysis indicates long-range transport episodes occurring in this year to originate mainly in the west Asian deserts. At this high altitude site, the measured aerosol optical depth is observed to be about one order of magnitude lower than the one measured at Ghandi College (60 m a.s.l., in the Indo-Gangetic basin. As for Ghandi College, and in agreement with the in situ ground observations at the Pyramid, the fine mode aerosol optical depth maximizes during winter and minimizes in the monsoon season. Conversely, total optical depth maximizes during the monsoon due to the occurrence of elevated, coarse particle layers. Possible origins of these particles are wind erosion from the surrounding peaks and hydrated/cloud-processed aerosols. Assessment of the aerosol radiative forcing is then expected to be hampered by the presence of these high altitude particle layers, which impede an effective, continuous measurement of anthropogenic aerosol radiative properties from sky radiance inversions and/or ground measurements alone. Even though the retrieved absorption coefficients of pollution aerosols were rather large (single scattering albedo of the order of 0.6–0.9 were observed in the month of April 2006, the corresponding low optical depths (~0.03 at 500 nm are expected to limit the relevant radiative forcing. Still, the high specific forcing of this aerosol and its capability of altering snow surface albedo provide good reasons for continuous monitoring.

Aerosol Size and Chemical Composition in the Canadian High Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, R. Y. W.; Hayes, P. L.; Leaitch, W. R.; Croft, B.; O'Neill, N. T.; Fogal, P.; Drummond, J. R.; Sloan, J. J.

2015-12-01

Arctic aerosol have a strong annual cycle, with winter months dominated by long range transport from lower latitudes resulting in high mass loadings. Conversely, local emissions are more prominent in the summer months because of the decreased influence of transported aerosol, allowing us to regularly observe both transported and local aerosol. This study will present observations of aerosol chemical composition and particle number size distribution collected at the Polar Environment Artic Research Laboratory and the Alert Global Atmospheric Watch Observatory at Eureka (80N, 86W) and Alert (82N, 62W), Nunavut, respectively. Summer time observations of the number size distribution reveal a persistent mode of particles centered between 30-50 nm, with occasional bursts of smaller particles. The non-refractory aerosol chemical composition, measured by the Canadian Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Change quadrupole aerosol mass spectrometer, is primarily organic, with contributions from both aged and fresher organic aerosol. Factor analysis will be conducted to better understand these sources. The site at Eureka is more susceptible to long range transport since it is at the top of a mountain ridge (610 m above sea level) and will be compared to the site at Alert on an elevated plain (200 m above sea level). This will allow us to determine the relative contributions from processes and sources at the sites at different elevations. Comparisons with aerosol optical depth and GEOS-Chem model output will also be presented to put these surface measurements into context with the overlying and regional atmosphere. Results from this study contribute to our knowledge of aerosol in the high Arctic.

Examining the impact of overlying aerosols on the retrieval of cloud optical properties from passive remote sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Coddington, O. M.; Pilewskie, P.; Redemann, J.; Platnick, S.; Russell, P. B.; Schmidt, K. S.; Gore, W. J.; Livingston, J.; Wind, G.; Vukicevic, T.

2010-05-01

Haywood et al. (2004) show that an aerosol layer above a cloud can cause a bias in the retrieved cloud optical thickness and effective radius. Monitoring for this potential bias is difficult because space-based passive remote sensing cannot unambiguously detect or characterize aerosol above cloud. We show that cloud retrievals from aircraft measurements above cloud and below an overlying aerosol layer are a means to test this bias. The data were collected during the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment (INTEX-A) study based out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States, above extensive, marine stratus cloud banks affected by industrial outflow. Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer (SSFR) irradiance measurements taken along a lower level flight leg above cloud and below aerosol were unaffected by the overlying aerosol. Along upper level flight legs, the irradiance reflected from cloud top was transmitted through an aerosol layer. We compare SSFR cloud retrievals from below-aerosol legs to satellite retrievals from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) in order to detect an aerosol-induced bias. In regions of small variation in cloud properties, we find that SSFR and MODIS-retrieved cloud optical thickness compares within the uncertainty range for each instrument while SSFR effective radius tend to be smaller than MODIS values (by 1-2 μm) and at the low end of MODIS uncertainty estimates. In regions of large variation in cloud properties, differences in SSFR and MODIS-retrieved cloud optical thickness and effective radius can reach values of 10 and 10 μm, respectively. We include aerosols in forward modeling to test the sensitivity of SSFR cloud retrievals to overlying aerosol layers. We find an overlying absorbing aerosol layer biases SSFR cloud retrievals to smaller effective radii and optical thickness while nonabsorbing aerosols had no impact.

Examining the Impact of Overlying Aerosols on the Retrieval of Cloud Optical Properties from Passive Remote Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Coddington, O. M.; Pilewskie, P.; Redemann, J.; Platnick, S.; Russell, P. B.; Schmidt, K. S.; Gore, W. J.; Livingston, J.; Wind, G.; Vukicevic, T.

2010-01-01

Haywood et al. (2004) show that an aerosol layer above a cloud can cause a bias in the retrieved cloud optical thickness and effective radius. Monitoring for this potential bias is difficult because space ]based passive remote sensing cannot unambiguously detect or characterize aerosol above cloud. We show that cloud retrievals from aircraft measurements above cloud and below an overlying aerosol layer are a means to test this bias. The data were collected during the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment (INTEX-A) study based out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States, above extensive, marine stratus cloud banks affected by industrial outflow. Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer (SSFR) irradiance measurements taken along a lower level flight leg above cloud and below aerosol were unaffected by the overlying aerosol. Along upper level flight legs, the irradiance reflected from cloud top was transmitted through an aerosol layer. We compare SSFR cloud retrievals from below ]aerosol legs to satellite retrievals from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) in order to detect an aerosol ]induced bias. In regions of small variation in cloud properties, we find that SSFR and MODIS-retrieved cloud optical thickness compares within the uncertainty range for each instrument while SSFR effective radius tend to be smaller than MODIS values (by 1-2 microns) and at the low end of MODIS uncertainty estimates. In regions of large variation in cloud properties, differences in SSFR and MODIS ]retrieved cloud optical thickness and effective radius can reach values of 10 and 10 microns, respectively. We include aerosols in forward modeling to test the sensitivity of SSFR cloud retrievals to overlying aerosol layers. We find an overlying absorbing aerosol layer biases SSFR cloud retrievals to smaller effective radii and optical thickness while nonabsorbing aerosols had no impact.

Spectral optical properties of long-range transport Asian dust and pollution aerosols over Northeast Asia in 2007 and 2008

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Jung

2010-06-01

Full Text Available As a part of the IGAC (International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Mega-cities program, aerosol physical and optical properties were continuously measured from March 2007 to March 2008 at an urban site (37.57° N, 126.94° E in Seoul, Korea. Spectral optical properties of long-range transported Asian dust and pollution aerosols have been investigated based on the year long measurement data. Optically measured black carbon/thermally measured elemental carbon (BC/EC ratio showed clear monthly variation with high values in summer and low values in winter mainly due to the enhancement of light attenuation by the internal mixing of EC. Novel approach has been suggested to retrieve the spectral light absorption coefficient (b_abs from Aethalometer raw data by using BC/EC ratio. Mass absorption efficiency, σ_abs (=b_abs/EC at 550 nm was determined to be 9.0±1.3, 8.9±1.5, 9.5±2.0, and 10.3±1.7 m² g⁻¹ in spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively with an annual mean of 9.4±1.8 m² g⁻¹. Threshold values to classify severe haze events were suggested in this study. Increasing trend of aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA with wavelength was observed during Asian dust events while little spectral dependence of SSA was observed during long-range transport pollution (LTP events. Satellite aerosol optical thickness (AOT and Hysplit air mass backward trajectory analyses as well as chemical analysis were performed to characterize the dependence of spectral optical properties on aerosol type. Results from this study can provide useful information for studies on regional air quality and aerosol's effects on climate change.

Variability of aerosol optical properties in the Western Mediterranean Basin

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M. Pandolfi

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Aerosol light scattering, absorption and particulate matter (PM concentrations were measured at Montseny, a regional background site in the Western Mediterranean Basin (WMB which is part of the European Supersite for Atmospheric Aerosol Research (EUSAAR. Off line analyses of 24 h PM filters collected with Hi-Vol instruments were performed for the determination of the main chemical components of PM. Mean scattering and hemispheric backscattering coefficients (@ 635 nm were 26.6±23.2 Mm⁻¹ and 4.3±2.7 Mm⁻¹, respectively and the mean aerosol absorption coefficient (@ 637 nm was 2.8±2.2 Mm⁻¹. Mean values of Single Scattering Albedo (SSA and Ångström exponent (å (calculated from 450 nm to 635 nm at MSY were 0.90±0.05 and 1.3±0.5 respectively. A clear relationship was observed between the PM₁/PM₁₀ and PM_2.5/PM₁₀ ratios as a function of the calculated Ångström exponents. Mass scattering cross sections (MSC for fine mass and sulfate at 635 nm were 2.8±0.5 m² g⁻¹ and 11.8±2.2 m² g⁻¹, respectively, while the mean aerosol absorption cross section (MAC was 10.4±2.0 m² g⁻¹. The variability in aerosol optical properties in the WMB were largely explained by the origin and ageing of air masses over the measurement site. The MAC values appear dependent of particles aging: similar to the expected absorption cross-section for fresh emissions under Atlantic Advection episodes and higher under aerosol pollution episodes. The analysis of the Ångström exponent as a function of the origin the air masses revealed that polluted winter anticyclonic conditions and summer recirculation scenarios typical of the WMB led to an increase of fine particles in the atmosphere (å = 1.5±0.1 while the aerosol optical properties under Atlantic Advection episodes and Saharan dust outbreaks were clearly

Final Technical Report for Interagency Agreement No. DE-SC0005453 “Characterizing Aerosol Distributions, Types, and Optical and Microphysical Properties using the NASA Airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) and the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP)”

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hostetler, Chris [NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA (United States); Ferrare, Richard [NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA (United States)

2015-01-13

Measurements of the vertical profile of atmospheric aerosols and aerosol optical and microphysical characteristics are required to: 1) determine aerosol direct and indirect radiative forcing, 2) compute radiative flux and heating rate profiles, 3) assess model simulations of aerosol distributions and types, and 4) establish the ability of surface and space-based remote sensors to measure the indirect effect. Consequently the ASR program calls for a combination of remote sensing and in situ measurements to determine aerosol properties and aerosol influences on clouds and radiation. As part of our previous DOE ASP project, we deployed the NASA Langley airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) on the NASA B200 King Air aircraft during major field experiments in 2006 (MILAGRO and MaxTEX), 2007 (CHAPS), 2009 (RACORO), and 2010 (CalNex and CARES). The HSRL provided measurements of aerosol extinction (532 nm), backscatter (532 and 1064 nm), and depolarization (532 and 1064 nm). These measurements were typically made in close temporal and spatial coincidence with measurements made from DOE-funded and other participating aircraft and ground sites. On the RACORO, CARES, and CalNEX missions, we also deployed the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP). RSP provided intensity and degree of linear polarization over a broad spectral and angular range enabling column-average retrievals of aerosol optical and microphysical properties. Under this project, we analyzed observations and model results from RACORO, CARES, and CalNex and accomplished the following objectives. 1. Identified aerosol types, characterize the vertical distribution of the aerosol types, and partition aerosol optical depth by type, for CARES and CalNex using HSRL data as we have done for previous missions. 2. Investigated aerosol microphysical and macrophysical properties using the RSP. 3. Used the aerosol backscatter and extinction profiles measured by the HSRL

Optical properties of aerosols over a tropical rain forest in Xishuangbanna, South Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yongjing; Xin, Jinyuan; Zhang, Wenyu; Wang, Yuesi

2016-09-01

Observation and analysis of the optical properties of atmospheric aerosols in a South Asian tropical rain forest showed that the annual mean aerosol optical depth (AOD) and aerosol Ångström exponent (α) at 500 nm were 0.47 ± 0.30 (± value represents the standard deviation) and 1.35 ± 0.32, respectively, from 2012 to 2014, similar with that of Amazon region. Aerosol optical properties in this region varied significantly between the dry and wet seasons. The mean AOD and α were 0.50 ± 0.32 and 1.41 ± 0.28, respectively, in the dry season and 0.41 ± 0.20 and 1.13 ± 0.41 in the wet season. Because of the combustion of the rich biomass in the dry season, fine modal smoke aerosols increased, which led to a higher AOD and smaller aerosol control mode than in the wet season. The average atmospheric humidity in the wet season was 85.50%, higher than the 79.67% during the dry season. In the very damp conditions of the wet season, the aerosol control mode was relatively larger, while AOD appeared to be lower because of the effect of aerosol hygroscopic growth and wet deposition. The trajectories were similar both in dry and wet, but with different effects on the aerosol concentration. The highest AOD values 0.66 ± 0.34 (in dry) and 0.45 ± 0.21 (in wet) both occurred in continental air masses, while smaller (0.38-0.48 in dry and 0.30-0.35 in wet) in oceanic air masses. The range of AOD values during the wet season was relatively narrow (0.30-0.45), but the dry season range was wider (0.38-0.66). For the Ångström exponent, the range in the wet season (0.74-1.34) was much greater than that in the dry season (1.33-1.54).

Optical properties and source analysis of aerosols over a desert area in Dunhuang, Northwest china

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yongjing; Xin, Jinyuan; Ma, Yining; Kong, Lingbin; Zhang, Kequan; Zhang, Wenyu; Wang, Yuesi; Wang, Xiuqin; Zhu, Yongfeng

2017-08-01

Aerosol observational data for 2012 obtained from Dunhuang Station of CARE-China (Campaign on Atmospheric Aerosol Research Network of China) were analyzed to achieve in-depth knowledge of aerosol optical properties over Dunhuang region. The results showed that the annual average aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 nm was 0.32±0.06, and the Ångström exponent ( α) was 0.73 ± 0.27. Aerosol optical properties revealed significant seasonal characteristics. Frequent sandstorms in MAM (March-April-May) resulted in the seasonal maximum AOD, 0.41 ± 0.04, and a relatively smaller α value, 0.44±0.04. The tourism seasons, JJA (June-July-August) and SON (September-October-November) coincide with serious emissions of small anthropogenic aerosols. While in DJF (December-January-February), the composition of the atmosphere was a mixture of dust particles and polluted aerosols released by domestic heating; the average AOD and α were 0.29 ± 0.02 and 0.66 ± 0.17, respectively. Different air masses exhibited different degrees of influence on the aerosol concentration over Dunhuang in different seasons. During MAM, ranges of AOD (0.11-1.18) and α (0.06-0.82) were the largest under the dust influence of northwest-short-distance air mass in the four trajectories. Urban aerosols transported by northwest-short-distance air mass accounted for a very large proportion in JJA and the mixed aerosols observed in SON were mainly conveyed by air masses from the west. In DJF, the similar ranges of AOD and α under the three air mass demonstrated the analogous diffusion effects on regional pollutants over Dunhuang.

Retrieval of Aerosol Optical Depth Over Land by Inverse Modeling of Multi-Source Satellite Data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wu, Y.

2018-01-01

The Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), a measure of the scattering and absorption of light by aerosols, has been extensively used for scientific research such as monitoring air quality near the surface due to fine particles aggregated, aerosol radiative forcing (cooling effect against the warming effect

Aerosol Optical Depths over Oceans: a View from MISR Retrievals and Collocated MAN and AERONET in Situ Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Witek, Marcin L.; Garay, Michael J.; Diner, David J.; Smirnov, Alexander

2013-01-01

In this study, aerosol optical depths over oceans are analyzed from satellite and surface perspectives. Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) aerosol retrievals are investigated and validated primarily against Maritime Aerosol Network (MAN) observations. Furthermore, AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) data from 19 island and coastal sites is incorporated in this study. The 270 MISRMAN comparison points scattered across all oceans were identified. MISR on average overestimates aerosol optical depths (AODs) by 0.04 as compared to MAN; the correlation coefficient and root-mean-square error are 0.95 and 0.06, respectively. A new screening procedure based on retrieval region characterization is proposed, which is capable of substantially reducing MISR retrieval biases. Over 1000 additional MISRAERONET comparison points are added to the analysis to confirm the validity of the method. The bias reduction is effective within all AOD ranges. Setting a clear flag fraction threshold to 0.6 reduces the bias to below 0.02, which is close to a typical ground-based measurement uncertainty. Twelve years of MISR data are analyzed with the new screening procedure. The average over ocean AOD is reduced by 0.03, from 0.15 to 0.12. The largest AOD decrease is observed in high latitudes of both hemispheres, regions with climatologically high cloud cover. It is postulated that the screening procedure eliminates spurious retrieval errors associated with cloud contamination and cloud adjacency effects. The proposed filtering method can be used for validating aerosol and chemical transport models.

Aerosol optical depth in the European Brewer Network

Science.gov (United States)

López-Solano, Javier; Redondas, Alberto; Carlund, Thomas; Rodriguez-Franco, Juan J.; Diémoz, Henri; León-Luis, Sergio F.; Hernández-Cruz, Bentorey; Guirado-Fuentes, Carmen; Kouremeti, Natalia; Gröbner, Julian; Kazadzis, Stelios; Carreño, Virgilio; Berjón, Alberto; Santana-Díaz, Daniel; Rodríguez-Valido, Manuel; De Bock, Veerle; Moreta, Juan R.; Rimmer, John; Smedley, Andrew R. D.; Boulkelia, Lamine; Jepsen, Nis; Eriksen, Paul; Bais, Alkiviadis F.; Shirotov, Vadim; Vilaplana, José M.; Wilson, Keith M.; Karppinen, Tomi

2018-03-01

Aerosols play an important role in key atmospheric processes and feature high spatial and temporal variabilities. This has motivated scientific interest in the development of networks capable of measuring aerosol properties over large geographical areas in near-real time. In this work we present and discuss results of an aerosol optical depth (AOD) algorithm applied to instruments of the European Brewer Network. This network is comprised of close to 50 Brewer spectrophotometers, mostly located in Europe and adjacent areas, although instruments operating at, for example, South America and Australia are also members. Although we only show results for instruments calibrated by the Regional Brewer Calibration Center for Europe, the implementation of the AOD algorithm described is intended to be used by the whole network in the future. Using data from the Brewer intercomparison campaigns in the years 2013 and 2015, and the period in between, plus comparisons with Cimel sun photometers and UVPFR instruments, we check the precision, stability, and uncertainty of the Brewer AOD in the ultraviolet range from 300 to 320 nm. Our results show a precision better than 0.01, an uncertainty of less than 0.05, and, for well-maintained instruments, a stability similar to that of the ozone measurements. We also discuss future improvements to our algorithm with respect to the input data, their processing, and the characterization of the Brewer instruments for the measurement of AOD.

Effect of Wind Speed on Aerosol Optical Depth over Remote Oceans, Based on Data from the Maritime Aerosol Network

Science.gov (United States)

Smirnov, A.; Sayer, A. M.; Holben, B. N.; Hsu, N. C.; Sakerin, S. M.; Macke, A.; Nelson, N. B.; Courcoux, Y.; Smyth, T. J.; Croot, P.;

The impact of aerosol vertical distribution on aerosol optical depth retrieval using CALIPSO and MODIS data: Case study over dust and smoke regions

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yerong; de Graaf, Martin; Menenti, Massimo

2017-08-01

Global quantitative aerosol information has been derived from MODerate Resolution Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MODIS) observations for decades since early 2000 and widely used for air quality and climate change research. However, the operational MODIS Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) products Collection 6 (C6) can still be biased, because of uncertainty in assumed aerosol optical properties and aerosol vertical distribution. This study investigates the impact of aerosol vertical distribution on the AOD retrieval. We developed a new algorithm by considering dynamic vertical profiles, which is an adaptation of MODIS C6 Dark Target (C6_DT) algorithm over land. The new algorithm makes use of the aerosol vertical profile extracted from Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) measurements to generate an accurate top of the atmosphere (TOA) reflectance for the AOD retrieval, where the profile is assumed to be a single layer and represented as a Gaussian function with the mean height as single variable. To test the impact, a comparison was made between MODIS DT and Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) AOD, over dust and smoke regions. The results show that the aerosol vertical distribution has a strong impact on the AOD retrieval. The assumed aerosol layers close to the ground can negatively bias the retrievals in C6_DT. Regarding the evaluated smoke and dust layers, the new algorithm can improve the retrieval by reducing the negative biases by 3-5%.

Results from the Fourth WMO Filter Radiometer Comparison for aerosol optical depth measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Kazadzis, Stelios; Kouremeti, Natalia; Diémoz, Henri; Gröbner, Julian; Forgan, Bruce W.; Campanelli, Monica; Estellés, Victor; Lantz, Kathleen; Michalsky, Joseph; Carlund, Thomas; Cuevas, Emilio; Toledano, Carlos; Becker, Ralf; Nyeki, Stephan; Kosmopoulos, Panagiotis G.; Tatsiankou, Viktar; Vuilleumier, Laurent; Denn, Frederick M.; Ohkawara, Nozomu; Ijima, Osamu; Goloub, Philippe; Raptis, Panagiotis I.; Milner, Michael; Behrens, Klaus; Barreto, Africa; Martucci, Giovanni; Hall, Emiel; Wendell, James; Fabbri, Bryan E.; Wehrli, Christoph

2018-03-01

This study presents the results of the Fourth Filter Radiometer Comparison that was held in Davos, Switzerland, between 28 September and 16 October 2015. Thirty filter radiometers and spectroradiometers from 12 countries participated including reference instruments from global aerosol networks. The absolute differences of all instruments compared to the reference have been based on the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) criterion defined as follows: 95% of the measured data has to be within 0.005 ± 0.001/m (where m is the air mass). At least 24 out of 29 instruments achieved this goal at both 500 and 865 nm, while 12 out of 17 and 13 out of 21 achieved this at 368 and 412 nm, respectively. While searching for sources of differences among different instruments, it was found that all individual differences linked to Rayleigh, NO2, ozone, water vapor calculations and related optical depths and air mass calculations were smaller than 0.01 in aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 and 865 nm. Different cloud-detecting algorithms used have been compared. Ångström exponent calculations showed relatively large differences among different instruments, partly because of the high calculation uncertainty of this parameter in low AOD conditions. The overall low deviations of these AOD results and the high accuracy of reference aerosol network instruments demonstrated a promising framework to achieve homogeneity, compatibility and harmonization among the different spectral AOD networks in the near future.

Photoacoustic measurements of photokinetics in single optically trapped aerosol droplets

Science.gov (United States)

Covert, Paul; Cremer, Johannes; Signorell, Ruth; Thaler, Klemens; Haisch, Christoph

2017-04-01

It is well established that interaction of light with atmospheric aerosols has a large impact on the Earth's climate. However, uncertainties in the magnitude of this impact remain large, due in part to broad distributions of aerosol size, composition, and chemical reactivity. In this context, photoacoustic spectroscopy is commonly used to measure light absorption by aerosols. Here, we present photoacoustic measurements of single, optically-trapped nanodroplets to reveal droplet size-depencies of photochemical and physical processes. Theoretical considerations have pointed to a size-dependence in the magnitude and phase of the photoacoustic response from aerosol droplets. This dependence is thought to originate from heat transfer processes that are slow compared to the acoustic excitation frequency. In the case of a model aerosol, our measurements of single particle absorption cross-section versus droplet size confirm these theoretical predictions. In a related study, using the same model aerosol, we also demonstrate a droplet size-dependence of photochemical reaction rates [1]. Within sub-micron sized particles, photolysis rates were observed to be an order of magnitude greater than those observed in larger droplets. [1] J. W. Cremer, K. M. Thaler, C. Haisch, and R. Signorell. Photoacoustics of single laser-trapped nanodroplets for the direct observation of nanofocusing in aerosol photokinetics. Nat. Commun., 7:10941, 2016.

Improvement of Aerosol Optical Depth Retrieval over Hong Kong from a Geostationary Meteorological Satellite Using Critical Reflectance with Background Optical Depth Correction

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Mijin; Kim, Jhoon; Wong, Man Sing; Yoon, Jongmin; Lee, Jaehwa; Wu, Dong L.; Chan, P.W.; Nichol, Janet E.; Chung, Chu-Yong; Ou, Mi-Lim

2014-01-01

Despite continuous efforts to retrieve aerosol optical depth (AOD) using a conventional 5-channelmeteorological imager in geostationary orbit, the accuracy in urban areas has been poorer than other areas primarily due to complex urban surface properties and mixed aerosol types from different emission sources. The two largest error sources in aerosol retrieval have been aerosol type selection and surface reflectance. In selecting the aerosol type from a single visible channel, the season-dependent aerosol optical properties were adopted from longterm measurements of Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sun-photometers. With the aerosol optical properties obtained fromthe AERONET inversion data, look-up tableswere calculated by using a radiative transfer code: the Second Simulation of the Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum (6S). Surface reflectance was estimated using the clear sky composite method, awidely used technique for geostationary retrievals. Over East Asia, the AOD retrieved from the Meteorological Imager showed good agreement, although the values were affected by cloud contamination errors. However, the conventional retrieval of the AOD over Hong Kong was largely underestimated due to the lack of information on the aerosol type and surface properties. To detect spatial and temporal variation of aerosol type over the area, the critical reflectance method, a technique to retrieve single scattering albedo (SSA), was applied. Additionally, the background aerosol effect was corrected to improve the accuracy of the surface reflectance over Hong Kong. The AOD retrieved froma modified algorithmwas compared to the collocated data measured by AERONET in Hong Kong. The comparison showed that the new aerosol type selection using the critical reflectance and the corrected surface reflectance significantly improved the accuracy of AODs in Hong Kong areas,with a correlation coefficient increase from0.65 to 0.76 and a regression line change from tMI [basic algorithm] = 0

The impact of aerosol vertical distribution on aerosol optical depth retrieval using CALIPSO and MODIS data : Case study over dust and smoke regions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wu, Y.; de Graaf, M.; Menenti, M.

2017-01-01

Global quantitative aerosol information has been derived from MODerate Resolution Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MODIS) observations for decades since early 2000 and widely used for air quality and climate change research. However, the operational MODIS Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) products Collection

Aerosol optical properties over the Svalbard region of Arctic: ground-based measurements and satellite remote sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Gogoi, Mukunda M.; Babu, S. Suresh

2016-05-01

In view of the increasing anthropogenic presence and influence of aerosols in the northern polar regions, long-term continuous measurements of aerosol optical parameters have been investigated over the Svalbard region of Norwegian Arctic (Ny-Ålesund, 79°N, 12°E, 8 m ASL). This study has shown a consistent enhancement in the aerosol scattering and absorption coefficients during spring. The relative dominance of absorbing aerosols is more near the surface (lower single scattering albedo), compared to that at the higher altitude. This is indicative of the presence of local anthropogenic activities. In addition, long-range transported biomass burning aerosols (inferred from the spectral variation of absorption coefficient) also contribute significantly to the higher aerosol absorption in the Arctic spring. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) estimates from ground based Microtop sun-photometer measurements reveals that the columnar abundance of aerosols reaches the peak during spring season. Comparison of AODs between ground based and satellite remote sensing indicates that deep blue algorithm of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) retrievals over Arctic snow surfaces overestimate the columnar AOD.

In situ airborne measurements of aerosol optical properties during photochemical pollution events

Science.gov (United States)

Mallet, M.; van Dingenen, R.; Roger, J. C.; Despiau, S.; Cachier, H.

2005-02-01

Dry aerosol optical properties (scattering, absorbing coefficients, and single scattering albedo) were derived from in situ airborne measurements during two photochemical pollution events (25 and 26 June) observed during the Experience sur Site pour Contraindre les Modeles de Pollution atmospherique et de Transport d'Emissions (ESCOMPTE) experiment. Two flights were carried out during daytime (one during the morning and one at noon) over a domain, allowing the investigation of how an air pollution event affects the particle optical properties. Both horizontal distribution and vertical profiles are presented. Results from the horizontal mapping show that plumes of enhanced scattering and absorption are formed in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) during the day in the sea breeze-driven outflow of the coastal urban-industrial area of Marseille-Fos de Berre. The domain-averaged scattering coefficient (at 550 nm) over land σs changes from 35 (28) Mm-1 during land breeze to 63 (43) Mm-1 during sea breeze on 25 June (26 June), with local maxima reaching > 100 Mm-1. The increase in the scattering coefficient is associated with new particle formation, indicative of secondary aerosol formation. Simultaneously, the domain-averaged absorption coefficient increases from 5.6 (3.4) Mm-1 to 9.3 (8.0) Mm-1. The pollution plume leads to strong gradients in the single scattering albedo ωo over the domain studied, with local values as low as 0.73 observed inside the pollution plume. The role of photochemistry and secondary aerosol formation during the 25 June case is shown to increase ωo and to make the aerosol more `reflecting' while the plume moves away from the sources. The lower photochemical activity, observed in the 26 June case, induces a relatively higher contribution of black carbon, making the aerosol more absorbing. Results from vertical profiles at a single near-urban location in the domain indicate that the changes in optical properties happen almost entirely within

Evaluating Global Aerosol Models and Aerosol and Water Vapor Properties Near Clouds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richard A. Ferrare; David D. Turner

2011-09-01

Project goals: (1) Use the routine surface and airborne measurements at the ARM SGP site, and the routine surface measurements at the NSA site, to continue our evaluations of model aerosol simulations; (2) Determine the degree to which the Raman lidar measurements of water vapor and aerosol scattering and extinction can be used to remotely characterize the aerosol humidification factor; (3) Use the high temporal resolution CARL data to examine how aerosol properties vary near clouds; and (4) Use the high temporal resolution CARL and Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) data to quantify entrainment in optically thin continental cumulus clouds.

Hand-Held Sunphotometers for High School Student Construction and Measuring Aerosol Optical Thickness

Science.gov (United States)

Almonor, Linda; Baldwin, C.; Craig, R.; Johnson, L. P.

2000-01-01

Science education is taking the teaching of science from a traditional (lecture) approach to a multidimensional sense-making approach which allows teachers to support students by providing exploratory experiences. Using projects is one way of providing students with opportunities to observe and participate in sense-making activity. We created a learning environment that fostered inquiry-based learning. Students were engaged in a variety of Inquiry activities that enabled them to work in cooperative planning teams where respect for each other was encouraged and their ability to grasp, transform and transfer information was enhanced. Summer, 1998: An air pollution workshop was conducted for high school students in the Medgar Evers College/Middle College High School Liberty Partnership Summer Program. Students learned the basics of meteorology: structure and composition of the atmosphere and the processes that cause weather. The highlight of this workshop was the building of hand-held sunphotometers, which measure the intensity of the sunlight striking the Earth. Summer, 1999: high school students conducted a research project which measured the mass and size of ambient particulates and enhanced our ability to observe through land based measurements changes in the optical depth of ambient aerosols over Brooklyn. Students used hand held Sunphotometers to collect data over a two week period and entered it into the NASA GISS database by way of the internet.

Seasonal variability of aerosol concentration and size distribution in Cape Verde using a continuous aerosol optical spectrometer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Casimiro Adrião Pio

2014-05-01

Full Text Available One year of, almost continuous, measurements of aerosol optical properties and chemical composition were performed at the outskirts of Praia, Santiago Island, Cape Verde, within the framework of CV-DUST (Atmospheric aerosol in Cape Verde region: seasonal evaluation of composition, sources and transport research project, during 2011. This article reports the aerosol number and mass concentration measurements using a GRIMM Optical Aerosol Spectrometer that provides number size discrimination into 31 size ranges from 0.25 to 32 µm. Time series of 5 min average PM10 concentrations revealed peak values higher than 1000 µg.m-3 during winter dust storm events originating over Northern Africa. The 24 hours average concentrations exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO guidelines for PM2.5 and PM10 in 20% and 30% of the 2001 days, respectively. Annual average mass concentrations (±standard deviation for PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 were 5±5, 19±21 and 48±64 µg.m-3, respectively. The annual PM2.5 and PM10 values were also above the limits prescribed by the WHO (10 and 20 µg.m-3, respectively. The aerosol mass size distribution revealed two main modes for particles smaller than 10 µm: a fine mode (0.7-0.8 µm, which possibly results of gas to particle conversion processes; and a coarse mode with maxima at 3-4 µm, which is associated with desert dust and sea salt sources. Within the coarse mode two sub-modes with maxima at 5-6 µm and 10-12 µm were frequently present.

Monthly and seasonal variations of aerosol optical properties and direct radiative forcing over Zanjan, Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Gharibzadeh, Maryam; Alam, Khan; Abedini, Yousefali; Bidokhti, Abbasali Aliakbari; Masoumi, Amir

2017-11-01

Aerosol optical properties and radiative forcing over Zanjan in northwest of Iran has been analyzed during 2010-2013. The aerosol optical and radiative properties are less studied over Zanjan, and therefore, require a careful and in depth analysis. The optical properties like Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), Ångström Exponent (AE), ASYmmetry parameter (ASY), Single Scattering Albedo (SSA), and Aerosol Volume Size Distribution (AVSD) have been evaluated using the ground-based AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) data. Higher AOD while relatively lower AE were observed in the spring and summer, which showed the presence of coarse mode particles in these seasons. An obvious increase of coarse mode particles in AVSD distribution, as well as a higher value of SSA represented considerable addition of coarse mode particles like dust into the atmosphere of Zanjan in these two seasons. Increase in AE, while a decrease in AOD was detected in the winter and fall. The presence of fine particles indicates the dominance of particles like urban-industrial aerosols from local sources especially in the winter. The Santa Barbara DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (SBDART) model was utilized to calculate the Aerosol Radiative Forcing (ARF) at the Top of the Atmosphere (TOA), earth's surface and within the atmosphere. The annual averaged ARF values were -13.47 W m-2 and -36.1 W m-2 at the TOA and earth's surface, respectively, which indicate a significant cooling effect. Likewise, the ARF efficiencies at the TOA and earth's surface were -65.08 W m-2 and -158.43 W m-2, respectively. The annual mean atmospheric ARF and heating rate within the atmosphere were 22.63 W m-2 and 0.27 Kday-1 respectively, represented the warming effect within the atmosphere. Finally, a good agreement was found between AERONET retrieved ARF and SBDART simulated ARF.

Aerosol Size Distributions During ACE-Asia: Retrievals From Optical Thickness and Comparisons With In-situ Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Kuzmanoski, M.; Box, M.; Box, G. P.; Schmidt, B.; Russell, P. B.; Redemann, J.; Livingston, J. M.; Wang, J.; Flagan, R. C.; Seinfeld, J. H.

2002-12-01

As part of the ACE-Asia experiment, conducted off the coast of China, Korea and Japan in spring 2001, measurements of aerosol physical, chemical and radiative characteristics were performed aboard the Twin Otter aircraft. Of particular importance for this paper were spectral measurements of aerosol optical thickness obtained at 13 discrete wavelengths, within 354-1558 nm wavelength range, using the AATS-14 sunphotometer. Spectral aerosol optical thickness can be used to obtain information about particle size distribution. In this paper, we use sunphotometer measurements to retrieve size distribution of aerosols during ACE-Asia. We focus on four cases in which layers influenced by different air masses were identified. Aerosol optical thickness of each layer was inverted using two different techniques - constrained linear inversion and multimodal. In the constrained linear inversion algorithm no assumption about the mathematical form of the distribution to be retrieved is made. Conversely, the multimodal technique assumes that aerosol size distribution is represented as a linear combination of few lognormal modes with predefined values of mode radii and geometric standard deviations. Amplitudes of modes are varied to obtain best fit of sum of optical thicknesses due to individual modes to sunphotometer measurements. In this paper we compare the results of these two retrieval methods. In addition, we present comparisons of retrieved size distributions with in situ measurements taken using an aerodynamic particle sizer and differential mobility analyzer system aboard the Twin Otter aircraft.

Operational aerosol and dust storm forecasting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westphal, D L; Curtis, C A; Liu, M; Walker, A L

2009-01-01

The U. S. Navy now conducts operational forecasting of aerosols and dust storms on global and regional scales. The Navy Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS) is run four times per day and produces 6-day forecasts of sulfate, smoke, dust and sea salt aerosol concentrations and visibility for the entire globe. The Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS (registered) ) is run twice daily for Southwest Asia and produces 3-day forecasts of dust, smoke, and visibility. The graphical output from these models is available on the Internet (www.nrlmry.navy.mil/aerosol/). The aerosol optical properties are calculated for each specie for each forecast output time and used for sea surface temperature (SST) retrieval corrections, regional electro-optical (EO) propagation assessments, and the development of satellite algorithms. NAAPS daily aerosol optical depth (AOD) values are compared with the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) AOD values. Visibility forecasts are compared quantitatively with surface synoptic reports.

Estimates of the Spectral Aerosol Single Sea Scattering Albedo and Aerosol Radiative Effects during SAFARI 2000

Science.gov (United States)

Bergstrom, Robert W.; Pilewskie, Peter; Schmid, Beat; Russell, Philip B.

2003-01-01

Using measurements of the spectral solar radiative flux and optical depth for 2 days (24 August and 6 September 2000) during the SAFARI 2000 intensive field experiment and a detailed radiative transfer model, we estimate the spectral single scattering albedo of the aerosol layer. The single scattering albedo is similar on the 2 days even though the optical depth for the aerosol layer was quite different. The aerosol single scattering albedo was between 0.85 and 0.90 at 350 nm, decreasing to 0.6 in the near infrared. The magnitude and decrease with wavelength of the single scattering albedo are consistent with the absorption properties of small black carbon particles. We estimate the uncertainty in the single scattering albedo due to the uncertainty in the measured fractional absorption and optical depths. The uncertainty in the single scattering albedo is significantly less on the high-optical-depth day (6 September) than on the low-optical-depth day (24 August). On the high-optical-depth day, the uncertainty in the single scattering albedo is 0.02 in the midvisible whereas on the low-optical-depth day the uncertainty is 0.08 in the midvisible. On both days, the uncertainty becomes larger in the near infrared. We compute the radiative effect of the aerosol by comparing calculations with and without the aerosol. The effect at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) is to cool the atmosphere by 13 W/sq m on 24 August and 17 W/sq m on 6 September. The effect on the downward flux at the surface is a reduction of 57 W/sq m on 24 August and 200 W/sq m on 6 September. The aerosol effect on the downward flux at the surface is in good agreement with the results reported from the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX).

Development and experimental evaluation of an optical sensor for aerosol particle characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Somesfalean, G.

1998-03-01

A sensor for individual aerosol particle characterization, based on a single-mode semiconductor laser coupled to an external cavity is presented. The light emitting semiconductor laser acts as a sensitive optical detector itself, and the whole system has the advantage of using conventional optical components and providing a compact set-up. Aerosol particles moving through the sensing volume, which is located in the external cavity of a semiconductor laser, scatter and absorb light. Thereby they act as small disturbances on the electromagnetic field inside the dynamic multi-cavity laser system. From the temporal variation of the output light intensity, information about the number, velocity, size, and refractive index of the aerosol particles can be derived. The diffracted light in the near-forward scattering direction is collected and Fourier-transformed by a lens, and subsequently imaged on a CCD camera. The recorded Fraunhofer diffraction pattern provides information about the projected area of the scattering particle, and can thus be used to determine the size and the shape of aerosol particles. The sensor has been tested on fibers which are of interest in the field of working environment monitoring. The recorded output intensity variation has been analysed, and the relationship between the shape and the size of each fibre, and the resulting scattering profiles has been investigated. A simple one-dimensional model for the optical feedback variation due to the light-particle interaction in the external cavity is also discussed 34 refs, 26 figs, 6 tabs

Spatial and Temporal Variations of Aerosol Optical Properties during KORUS-AQ

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Y.; Ghim, Y. S.; Segal-Rosenhaimer, M.; Redemann, J.

2017-12-01

As part of the KORUS-AQ campaign, Aerosol Robotic Networks (AERONET) Cimel sunphotometers were deployed at more than 20 sites over Korea including the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) and rural/background areas. We analyzed hourly mean values of fine and coarse mode aerosol optical depths (AODs), and fine mode fraction (FMF) from spectral deconvolution algorithm retrievals. The AERONET sites over Korea were classified into four groups - those in SMA, southeastern and southwestern parts of Korea, and background sites, which distribute similar results from particulate matter (PM) stations in Korea. Temporal and spatial variations of aerosol optical properties (AOPs) from the four groups were further examined using AODs from the Spectrometer for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research (4STAR), which can provide denser spatial resolution than AERONET sites and PM stations. AOPs from more than 30 flights over SMA were also investigated to distinguish the characteristics of diurnal variations upwind and downwind of SMA. The spatial and temporal homogeneity and/or heterogeneity of AOPs are discussed in terms of meteorological variables, other pollutants and nearby emission sources.

Analysis of intensive aerosol optical properties measured at the Jungfraujoch station

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, F.; Nyeki, S.; Baltensperger, U.; Weingartner, E.; Lugauer, M. [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)

1997-09-01

Characterisation of atmospheric aerosol optical properties at the Jungfraujoch has been conducted to deliver basic data for comparison with those from NOAA baseline atmospheric monitoring stations. (author) 2 figs., 2 refs.

Deriving the effect of wind speed on clean marine aerosol optical properties using the A-Train satellites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. P. Kiliyanpilakkil

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The relationship between "clean marine" aerosol optical properties and ocean surface wind speed is explored using remotely sensed data from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP on board the CALIPSO satellite and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E on board the AQUA satellite. Detailed data analyses are carried out over 15 regions selected to be representative of different areas of the global ocean for the time period from June 2006 to April 2011. Based on remotely sensed optical properties the CALIPSO algorithm is capable of discriminating "clean marine" aerosols from other types often present over the ocean (such as urban/industrial pollution, desert dust and biomass burning. The global mean optical depth of "clean marine" aerosol at 532 nm (AOD₅₃₂ is found to be 0.052 ± 0.038 (mean plus or minus standard deviation. The mean layer integrated particulate depolarization ratio of marine aerosols is 0.02 ± 0.016. Integrated attenuated backscatter and color ratio of marine aerosols at 532 nm were found to be 0.003 ± 0.002 sr⁻¹ and 0.530 ± 0.149, respectively. A logistic regression between AOD₅₃₂ and 10-m surface wind speed (U₁₀ revealed three distinct regimes. For U₁₀ ≤ 4 m s⁻¹ the mean CALIPSO-derived AOD₅₃₂ is found to be 0.02 ± 0.003 with little dependency on the surface wind speed. For 4 < U₁₀ ≤ 12 m s⁻¹, representing the dominant fraction of all available data, marine aerosol optical depth is linearly correlated with the surface wind speed values, with a slope of 0.006 s m⁻¹. In this intermediate wind speed region, the AOD₅₃₂ vs. U₁₀ regression slope derived here is comparable to previously reported values. At very high wind speed values (U₁₀ > 18 m s⁻¹, the AOD₅₃₂-wind speed relationship

Modeling the South American regional smoke plume: aerosol optical depth variability and surface shortwave flux perturbation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. E. Rosário

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Intra-seasonal variability of smoke aerosol optical depth (AOD and downwelling solar irradiance at the surface during the 2002 biomass burning season in South America was modeled using the Coupled Chemistry-Aerosol-Tracers Transport model with the Brazilian developments on the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (CCATT-BRAMS. Measurements of total and fine mode fraction (FMF AOD from the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET and solar irradiance at the surface from the Solar Radiation Network (SolRad-NET were used to evaluate model results. In general, the major features associated with AOD evolution over the southern part of the Amazon basin and cerrado ecosystem are captured by the model. The main discrepancies were found for high aerosol loading events. In the northeastern portion of the Amazon basin the model systematically underestimated total AOD, as expected, since smoke contribution is not dominant as it is in the southern portion and emissions other than smoke were not considered in the simulation. Better agreement was obtained comparing the model results with observed FMF AOD, which pointed out the relevance of coarse mode aerosol emission in that region. Likewise, major discrepancies over cerrado during high AOD events were found to be associated with coarse mode aerosol omission in our model. The issue of high aerosol loading events in the southern part of the Amazon was related to difficulties in predicting the smoke AOD field, which was discussed in the context of emissions shortcomings. The Cuiabá cerrado site was the only one where the highest quality AERONET data were unavailable for both total and FMF AOD. Thus, lower quality data were used. Root-mean-square error (RMSE between the model and observed FMF AOD decreased from 0.34 to 0.19 when extreme AOD events (FMF AOD550 nm ≥ 1.0 and Cuiabá were excluded from the analysis. Downward surface solar irradiance comparisons also followed similar trends when extreme AOD were excluded

Development of 2-D-MAX-DOAS and retrievals of trace gases and aerosols optical properties

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Ortega, Ivan

Air pollution is a major problem worldwide that adversely a_ects human health, impacts ecosystems and climate. In the atmosphere, there are hundreds of important compounds participating in complex atmospheric reactions linked to air quality and climate. Aerosols are relevant because they modify the radiation balance, a_ect clouds, and thus Earth albedo. The amount of aerosol is often characterized by the vertical integral through the entire height of the atmosphere of the logarithm fraction of incident light that is extinguished called Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD). The AOD at 550 nm (AOD550) over land is 0.19 (multi annual global mean), and that over oceans is 0.13. About 43 % of the Earth surface shows AOD550 smaller than 0.1. There is a need for measurement techniques that are optimized to measure aerosol optical properties under low AOD conditions, sample spatial scales that resemble satellite ground-pixels and atmospheric models, and help integrate remote sensing and in-situ observations to obtain optical closure on the effects of aerosols and trace gases in our changing environment. In this work, I present the recent development of the University of Colorado two dimensional (2-D) Multi-AXis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (2-D-MAX-DOAS) instrument to measure the azimuth and altitude distribution of trace gases and aerosol optical properties simultaneously with a single instrument. The instrument measures solar scattered light from any direction in the sky, including direct sun light in the hyperspectral domain. In Chapter 2, I describe the capabilities of 2-D measurements in the context of retrievals of azimuth distributions of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), formaldehyde (HCHO), and glyoxal (CHOCHO), which are precursors for tropospheric O3 and aerosols. The measurements were carried out during the Multi-Axis DOAS Comparison campaign for Aerosols and Trace gases (MAD-CAT) campaign in Mainz, Germany and show the ability to bridge spatial scales to

Beyond the Alphabet Soup: Molecular Properties of Aerosol Components Influence Optics. (Invited)

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Thompson, J. E.

2013-12-01

Components within atmospheric aerosols exhibit almost every imaginable model of chemical bonding and physical diversity. The materials run the spectrum from crystalline to amorphous, covalent to ionic, and have varying viscosities, phase, and hygroscopicity. This seminar will focus on the molecular properties of materials that influence the optical behavior of aerosols. Special focus will be placed on the polarizability of materials, hygroscopic growth, and particle phase.

Wild fire aerosol optical properties measured by lidar at Haifa, Israel

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Heese, Birgit; Hofer, Julian; Baars, Holger; Engelmann, Ronny; Althausen, Dietrich; Schechner, Yoav Y.

2018-04-01

Optical properties of fresh biomass burning aerosol were measured by lidar during the wild fires in Israel in November 2016. A single-wavelength lidar Polly was operated at the Technion Campus at Haifa. The detector with originally two channels at 532 and 607 nm was recently upgraded with a cross- and a co-polarised channel at 532 nm, and a rotational Raman channel at 530.2 nm. Preliminary results show high particle depolarisation ratios probably caused by soil dust and large fly-ash particles.

Changes in column aerosol optical properties during extreme haze-fog episodes in January 2013 over urban Beijing

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Yu, Xingna; Kumar, K. Raghavendra; Lü, Rui; Ma, Jia

2016-01-01

Several dense haze-fog (HF) episodes were occurred in the North China Plain (NCP), especially over Beijing in January 2013 characterized by a long duration, a large influential region, and an extremely high PM 2.5 values (>500 μg m −3 ). In this study, we present the characteristics of aerosol optical properties and radiative forcing using Cimel sun-sky radiometer measurements during HF and no haze-fog (NHF) episodes occurred over Beijing during 1–31 January, 2013. The respective maximum values of daily mean aerosol optical depth at 440 nm (AOD 440 ) were observed to be 1.21, 1.43, 1.52, and 2.21 occurred on 12, 14 19, and 28 January. It was found that the Ångström exponent (AE) values were almost higher than 1.0 during all the days with its maximum on 26 January (1.53), suggests the dominance of fine-mode particles. The maximum (minimum) aerosol volume size distributions occurred during dense HF (NHF) days with larger particle volumes of fine-mode. The single scattering albedo, asymmetry parameter, and complex refractive index values during HF events suggest the abundance of fine-mode particles from anthropogenic (absorbing) activities mixed with scattering dust particles. The average shortwave direct aerosol radiative forcing (DARF) values at the bottom-of-atmosphere (BOA) during HF and NHF days were estimated to be 112.29 ± 42.18 W m −2 and −58.61 ± 13.09 W m −2 , while at the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) the forcing values were −45.78 ± 22.17 W m −2 and −18.64 ± 5.84 W m −2 , with the corresponding heating rate of 1.61 ± 0.48 K day −1 and 1.12 ± 0.31 K day −1 , respectively. The DARF values retrieved from the AERONET were in good agreement with the SBDART computed both at the TOA (r = 0.95) and the BOA (r = 0.97) over Beijing in January 2013. - Highlights: • Aerosol optical properties were reported during dense haze-fog (HF) episode. • High AE during HF episode observed dominance of fine mode

Comparing multiple model-derived aerosol optical properties to spatially collocated ground-based and satellite measurements

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Ocko, Ilissa B.; Ginoux, Paul A.

2017-04-01

Anthropogenic aerosols are a key factor governing Earth's climate and play a central role in human-caused climate change. However, because of aerosols' complex physical, optical, and dynamical properties, aerosols are one of the most uncertain aspects of climate modeling. Fortunately, aerosol measurement networks over the past few decades have led to the establishment of long-term observations for numerous locations worldwide. Further, the availability of datasets from several different measurement techniques (such as ground-based and satellite instruments) can help scientists increasingly improve modeling efforts. This study explores the value of evaluating several model-simulated aerosol properties with data from spatially collocated instruments. We compare aerosol optical depth (AOD; total, scattering, and absorption), single-scattering albedo (SSA), Ångström exponent (α), and extinction vertical profiles in two prominent global climate models (Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, GFDL, CM2.1 and CM3) to seasonal observations from collocated instruments (AErosol RObotic NETwork, AERONET, and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization, CALIOP) at seven polluted and biomass burning regions worldwide. We find that a multi-parameter evaluation provides key insights on model biases, data from collocated instruments can reveal underlying aerosol-governing physics, column properties wash out important vertical distinctions, and improved models does not mean all aspects are improved. We conclude that it is important to make use of all available data (parameters and instruments) when evaluating aerosol properties derived by models.

Estimation of the Cloud condensation nuclei concentration(CCN) and aerosol optical depth(AOD) relation in the Arctic region

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Jung, C. H.; Yoon, Y. J.; Ahn, S. H.; Kang, H. J.; Gim, Y. T.; Lee, B. Y.

2017-12-01

Information of the spatial and temporal variations of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations is important in estimating aerosol indirect effects. Generally, CCN aerosol is difficult to estimate using remote sensing methods. Although there are many CCN measurements data, extensive measurements of CCN are not feasible because of the complex nature of the operation and high cost, especially in the Arctic region. Thus, there have been many attempts to estimate CCN concentrations from more easily obtainable parameters such as aerosol optical depth (AOD) because AOD has the advantage of being readily observed by remote sensing from space by several sensors. For example, some form of correlation was derived between AOD and the number concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) through the comparison results from AERONET network and CCN measurements (Andreae 2009). In this study, a parameterization of CCN concentration as a function of AOD at 500 nm is given in the Arctic region. CCN data was collected during the period 2007-2013 at the Zeppelin observatory (78.91° N, 11.89° E, 474 masl). The AERONET network and MODIS AOD data are compared with ground measured CCN measurement and the relations between AOD and CCN are parameterized. The seasonal characteristics as well as long term trends are also considered. Through the measurement, CCN concentration remains high during spring because of aerosol transportation from the mid-latitudes, known as Arctic Haze. Lowest CCN number densities were observed during Arctic autumn and early winter when aerosol long-range transport into the Arctic is not effective and new particle formation ceases. The results show that the relation between AOD and CCN shows a different parameter depending on the seasonal aerosol and CCN characteristics. This seasonal different CCN-AOD relation can be interpreted as many physico-chemical aerosol properties including aerosol size distribution, composition. ReferenceAndreae, M. O. (2009

Aerosol optical properties of Western Mediterranean basin from multi-year AERONET data

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Benkhalifa, Jamel; Léon, Jean François; Chaabane, Mabrouk

2017-11-01

Aerosol optical properties including the total and coarse mode aerosol extinction optical depth (AODt and AODc respectively), Angstrom exponent (AE), size distribution, single scattering albedo (SSA) were examined using long-term ground-based radiometric measurements at 9 sites in the Western Mediterranean: Oujda, Malaga, Barcelona, Carpentras, Rome Tor Vergata, Ersa, Ispra, Venice and Evora, during the 4-year study period (2010-2013). The South-North gradient in the fraction of AODc represents the signature of the increasing influence of coarse particles on the optical properties at southern stations. This fraction has a daily mean ranging from 48 ± 18% at the southern site Oujda and to 8 ± 8% at Ispra. The low average AE444-870 value (<0.7) at Oujda confirms the major influence of large dust particles. Conversely, the AOD at urban stations are dominated by fine mode particles. The Angstrom Exponent (AE444-870) above 1.5 in Ispra and Venice indicates an atmospheric situation corresponding to the urban pollution controlled by small particles. We have analyzed the intrinsic dust optical properties by selecting the dusty days corresponding to a total optical depth above 0.3 and a fraction of the coarse mode optical depth above 30%. For these cases, the mean AODt during dusty days was shown to be close to 0.4. During dusty days, the coarse mode fraction represents 88% of the total volume at Oudja and above 83% for all other sites. There is a weak variability in the mean coarse mode volume median radius, showing an average of 1.98 ± 0.1. A maximum in the AODc was observed in the summer of 2012, with particular high events on June 27. The forward trajectory starting at Evora on June 27 clearly indicates that all the sites were affected by such dust events in the following days.

Assessment of aerosol optics, microphysics, and transport process of biomass-burning haze over northern SE Asia: 7-SEAS AERONET observations

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Wang, S.; Giles, D. M.; Eck, T. F.; Lin, N.; Tsay, S.; Holben, B. N.

2013-12-01

Initiated in 2007, the Seven South East Asian Studies (7-SEAS) is aimed to facilitate an interdisciplinary research on the aerosol environment in SE Asia (SEA) as a whole, promote international collaboration, and further enhance scientific understanding of the impact of biomass burning on clouds, atmospheric radiation, hydrological cycle, and region climates. One of the key measurements proposed in the 7-SEAS is the NASA/AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) observation, which provides helpful information on columnar aerosol optical properties and allows us consistently to examine biomass-burning aerosols across northern SEA from ground-based remote-sensing point of view. In this presentation, we will focus on the two 7-SEAS field deployments, i.e. the 2012 Son La Experiment and the 2013 BASELInE (Biomass-burning Aerosols & Stratocumulus Environment: Lifecycles and Interactions Experiment). We analyze the daytime variation of aerosol by using consistent measurements from 15 of AERONET sites over Indochina, the South China Sea, and Taiwan. Spatiotemporal characteristics of aerosol optical properties (e.g., aerosol optical depth (AOD), fine/coarse mode AOD, single-scattering albedo, asymmetry factor) will be discussed. Strong diurnal variation of aerosol optical properties was observed to be attributed to planetary boundary layer (PBL) dynamics. A comparison between aerosol loading (i.e. AOD) and surface PM2.5 concentration will be presented. Our results demonstrate that smoke aerosols emitted from agriculture burning that under certain meteorological conditions can degrade regional air quality 3000 km from the source region, with additional implications for aerosol radiative forcing and regional climate change over northern SE Asia.

Long-term measurements of aerosol optical parameters in Athens, Greece

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Paraskevopoulou, Despoina; Liakakou, Eleni; Gerasopoulos, Evangelos; Mihalopoulos, Nikolaos

2015-04-01

Aerosol chemical composition was studied in conjunction with its optical properties in the area of Athens Greece. For this purpose, sampling of fine aerosol fraction (PM2,5) took place on a daily basis from August 2010 to April 2013 at an urban background location. The samples are subsequently analyzed for their content in organic (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), major ions and trace metals, resulting in the exercise of chemical mass closure. In parallel, the optical properties of aerosols are recorded using a nephelometer and a particle soot absorption photometer (PSAP), leading to the calculation of scattering (σscat) and absorption (σabs) coefficients, respectively; while single scattering albedo (SSA) and mass scattering and absorption efficiencies are thereinafter calculated. Daily σscat values provide an average of 30.1±3.9 Μm-1 while, the average of σabs is 5.2±1.4 Μm-1. The seasonal cycle of σscat presents maximum during summer and in November, due to long-range transport of aerosol from continental Europe and dust transfer from Africa, respectively. The estimated mass absorption efficiency of EC is estimated to be 8.3±0.2 m2 g-1 for the whole studied period, while the corresponding estimated mass scattering efficiency of PM2.5 is 1.7±0.1 m2 g-1 and does not affected by the presence of dust. The average SSA equals to 0.87±0.11 for the three-year period. On a seasonal basis, SSA presents maximum values during summer that is consistent with the reduction of EC - the main absorbing specie. Finally, the reconstruction of scattering coefficients was performed taking into consideration the measured chemistry of fine aerosol.

Hemispheric aerosol vertical profiles: anthropogenic impacts on optical depth and cloud nuclei.

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Clarke, Antony; Kapustin, Vladimir

2010-09-17

Understanding the effect of anthropogenic combustion upon aerosol optical depth (AOD), clouds, and their radiative forcing requires regionally representative aerosol profiles. In this work, we examine more than 1000 vertical profiles from 11 major airborne campaigns in the Pacific hemisphere and confirm that regional enhancements in aerosol light scattering, mass, and number are associated with carbon monoxide from combustion and can exceed values in unperturbed regions by more than one order of magnitude. Related regional increases in a proxy for cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and AOD imply that direct and indirect aerosol radiative effects are coupled issues linked globally to aged combustion. These profiles constrain the influence of combustion on regional AOD and CCN suitable for challenging climate model performance and informing satellite retrievals.

Empirical estimates of CCN from aerosol optical properties at four remote sites

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A. Jefferson

2010-07-01

Full Text Available This study presents an empirical method to estimate the CCN concentration as a function of percent supersaturation. The aerosol optical properties, backscatter fraction and single scatter albedo, function as proxies for the aerosol size and composition in a power law relationship to CCN. This method is tested at four sites with aged aerosol: SGP (Oklahoma, USA, FKB (Black Forest, Germany, HFE (Hefei, China and GRW (Graciosa, Azores. Each site represents a different aerosol type and thus demonstrates the method robustness and limitations. Good agreement was found between the calculated and measured CCN with slopes between 0.81 and 1.03 and correlation coefficients (r² values between 0.59 and 0.67. The fit quality declined at low CCN concentrations.

Seasonal differences in the vertical profiles of aerosol optical properties over rural Oklahoma

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E. Andrews

2011-10-01

Full Text Available A small airplane made 597 aerosol optical property (light absorption and light scattering vertical profile measurements over a rural Oklahoma site between March 2000 and December 2007. The aerosol profiles obtained during these 8 yr of measurements suggest significant seasonal differences in aerosol loading (scattering and absorption. The highest amounts of scattering and absorbing aerosol are observed during the summer and the lowest loading occurs during the winter. The relative contribution of aerosol absorption is highest in the winter (i.e., single scattering albedo is lowest in winter, particularly aloft. Aerosol absorption generally decreased with altitude below ~1.5 km and then was relatively constant or decreased more gradually above that. Aerosol scattering decreased sharply with altitude below ~1.5 km but, unlike absorption, also decreased at higher altitudes, albeit less sharply. Scattering Ångström exponents suggest that the aerosol was dominated by sub-micron aerosol during the summer at all altitudes, but that larger particles were present, especially in the spring and winter above 1 km. The seasonal variability observed for aerosol loading is consistent with AERONET aerosol optical depth (AOD although the AOD values calculated from in situ adjusted to ambient conditions and matching wavelengths are up to a factor of two lower than AERONET AOD values depending on season. The column averaged single scattering albedo derived from in situ airplane measurements are similar in value to the AERONET single scattering albedo inversion product but the seasonal patterns are different – possibly a consequence of the strict constraints on obtaining single scattering albedo from AERONET data. A comparison of extinction Ångström exponent and asymmetry parameter from the airplane and AERONET platforms suggests similar seasonal variability with smaller particles observed in the summer and fall and larger particles observed in spring and

Airborne measurements of aerosol optical properties related to early spring transport of mid-latitude sources into the Arctic

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R. A. de Villiers

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Airborne lidar and in-situ measurements of the aerosol properties were conducted between Svalbard Island and Scandinavia in April 2008. Evidence of aerosol transport from Europe and Asia is given. The analysis of the aerosol optical properties based on a multiwavelength lidar (355, 532, 1064 nm including volume depolarization at 355 nm aims at distinguishing the role of the different aerosol sources (Siberian wild fires, Eastern Asia and European anthropogenic emissions. Combining, first aircraft measurements, second FLEXPART simulations with a calculation of the PBL air fraction originating from the three different mid-latitude source regions, and third level-2 CALIPSO data products (i.e. backscatter coefficient 532 nm,volume depolarization and color ratio between 1064 and 532 nm in aerosol layers along the transport pathways, appears a valuable approach to identify the role of the different aerosol sources even after a transport time larger than 4 days. Optical depth of the aerosol layers are always rather small (<4% while transported over the Arctic and ratio of the total attenuated backscatter (i.e. including molecular contribution provide more stable result than conventional aerosol backscatter ratio. Above Asia, CALIPSO data indicate more depolarization (up to 15% and largest color ratio (>0.5 for the northeastern Asia emissions (i.e. an expected mixture of Asian pollution and dust, while low depolarization together with smaller and quasi constant color ratio (≈0.3 are observed for the Siberian biomass burning emissions. A similar difference is visible between two layers observed by the aircraft above Scandinavia. The analysis of the time evolution of the aerosol optical properties revealed by CALIPSO between Asia and Scandinavia shows a gradual decrease of the aerosol backscatter, depolarization ratio and color ratio which suggests the removal of the largest particles in the accumulation mode. A similar study conducted for a European

Diurnal spatial distributions of aerosol optical and cloud micro-macrophysics properties in Africa based on MODIS observations

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Ntwali, Didier; Chen, Hongbin

2018-06-01

The diurnal spatial distribution of both natural and anthropogenic aerosols, as well as liquid and ice cloud micro-macrophysics have been evaluated over Africa using Terra and Aqua MODIS collection 6 products. The variability of aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångström exponent (AE), liquid and ice cloud microphysics (Liquid cloud effective radius LCER, Ice cloud effective radius ICER) and cloud macrophysics (Liquid cloud optical thickness LCOT, Liquid cloud water path LCWP, Ice cloud optical thickness ICOT, Ice cloud water path ICWP) parameters were investigated from the morning to afternoon over Africa from 2010 to 2014. In both the morning (Terra) and afternoon (Aqua) heavy pollution (AOD ≥ 0.6) occurs in the coastal and central areas (between 120 N-170 N and 100 E-150 E) of West of Africa (WA), Central of Africa (CA) (0.50 S-70S and 100 E-250 E),. Moderate pollution (0.3 1.2) aerosols. The mixture of dust and biomass burning aerosols (0.7 improve aerosol and cloud remote sensing retrieval.

Optical properties of humic-like substances (HULIS in biomass-burning aerosols

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A. Hoffer

2006-01-01

Full Text Available We present here the optical properties of humic-like substances (HULIS isolated from the fine fraction of biomass-burning aerosol collected in the Amazon basin during the LBA-SMOCC (Large scale Biosphere atmosphere experiment in Amazonia – SMOke aerosols, Clouds, rainfall and Climate experiment in September 2002. From the isolated HULIS, aerosol particles were generated and their scattering and absorption coefficients measured. The size distribution and mass of the particles were also recorded. The value of the index of refraction was derived from "closure" calculations based on particle size, scattering and absorption measurements. On average, the complex index of refraction at 532 nm of HULIS collected during day and nighttime was 1.65–0.0019i and 1.69–0.0016i, respectively. In addition, the imaginary part of the complex index of refraction was calculated using the measured absorption coefficient of the bulk HULIS. The mass absorption coefficient of the HULIS at 532 nm was found to be quite low (0.031 and 0.029 m2 g−1 for the day and night samples, respectively. However, due to the high absorption Ångström exponent (6–7 of HULIS, the specific absorption increases substantially towards shorter wavelengths (~2–3 m2 g−1 at 300 nm, causing a relatively high (up to 50% contribution to the light absorption of our Amazonian aerosol at 300 nm. For the relative contribution of HULIS to light absorption in the entire solar spectrum, lower values (6.4–8.6% are obtained, but those are still not negligible.

Analyzing the Formation, Physicochemical, and Optical Properties of Aging Biomass Burning Aerosol Using an Indoor Smog Chamber

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Smith, D. M.; Fiddler, M. N.; Bililign, S.; Spann, M.

2017-12-01

Biomass burning (BB) is recognized as one of the largest sources of absorbing aerosols in the atmosphere and significantly influences the radiative properties of the atmosphere. The chemical composition and physical properties of particles evolve during their atmospheric lifetime due to condensation, oxidation reactions, etc., which alters their optical properties. To this end, an indoor smog chamber was constructed to study aging BB aerosol in a laboratory setting. Injections to the chamber, including NOx, O3, and various biogenic and anthropogenic VOCs, can simulate a variety of atmospheric conditions. These components and some of their oxidation products are monitored during the aging process. A tube furnace is used for combustion of biomass to be introduced to the chamber, while size distributions are taken as the aerosol ages. Online measurements of optical properties are determined using a Cavity Ring-down Spectrometry and Integrating Nephelometry system. Chemical properties are measured from samples captured on filters and analyzed using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled in-line to both a Diode Array Detector and High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization. The measured changes in the optical properties as a function of particle size, aging, and chemical properties are presented for fuel sources used in Africa.

Variability of aerosol optical depth and Angstrom wavelength exponent derived from AERONET observations in recent decades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Xiangao

2011-01-01

Using aerosol loading data from 79 Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) stations with observations from more than six years, changes in aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Angstrom wavelength exponent (AWE) were studied. A statistical method was developed to determine whether AOD changes were due to increased background AOD values and/or an increased number of high AOD events. AOD decreased significantly at AERONET sites in northeastern North American and in Western Europe, which was accompanied by decreased AWE. Reduction of AOD there was mainly due to a decreased frequency of high AOD events and an increased frequency of background AOD events. In addition, decreased AOD values for high AOD events also accounted for ∼ 16–32% of the AOD reduction. This is indicative of significant meteorological effects on AOD variability. AOD trends in other regions were marginal and most were not significant; however, AOD increased significantly at one site in the Sahel and another in Saudi Arabia, predominantly due to the increased frequency of high AOD events and their average AOD.

Aerosol optical properties in the mega-cities Beijing and Guangzhou: Measurements and implications for regional air pollution, aerosol sources and remote sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Garland, R. M.; Yang, H.; Schmid, O.; Rose, D.; Gunthe, S. S.

2009-04-01

Aerosol optical properties were measured in two mega-city regions in China. The first site (Backgarden) was in a rural area approximately 60 km northwest of the mega-city Guangzhou in south China and was part of the "Program of Regional Integrated Experiments of Air Quality over the Pearl River Delta" intensive campaign in July 2006 (PRIDE-PRD2006). The second site (Yufa) was in a suburban area approximately 40 km south of Beijing and was part of "Campaigns of Air Quality Research in Beijing" (CAREBeijing-2006) in August 2006. Both sites were designed to measure the regional pollution of the mega-cities. The optical parameters determined with a nephelometer and photoacoustic spectrometer include absorption and scattering coefficients, single scattering albedos and Angstrom exponents at multiple wavelengths (450-700 nm). In both measurement campaigns, we observed pronounced diurnal cycles in absorption and scattering coefficients and single scattering albedo, which can be explained by boundary layer mixing effects and enhanced light absorbing carbon emissions from traffic activity during the nighttime and early morning, respectively (diesel soot from regulated truck traffic). In Beijing both the extensive and the intensive properties were highly dependent upon the origin of the air mass, which indicates that not only does the aerosol concentration change with air mass origin, but so do the chemical composition and sources. When the measured air masses originated in the north and passed over Beijing, the single scattering albedo was generally low (transported into the city from the south. The scattering and absorption coefficients measured in the outflow of the Guangzhou area during PRIDE-PRD2006 were ~2 times smaller than the southerly inflow into Beijing during CARBeijing-2006, which indicates that the sources of particulate pollution south of Beijing are even stronger than those in the Pearl River Delta. In both mega-city regions the Angstrom exponent exhibited a

Aerosol optical properties and radiative forcing in the high Himalaya based on measurements at the Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid site (5079 m a.s.l.

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S. Marcq

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Intense anthropogenic emissions over the Indian sub-continent lead to the formation of layers of particulate pollution that can be transported to the high altitude regions of the Himalaya-Hindu-Kush (HKH. Aerosol particles contain a substantial fraction of strongly absorbing material, including black carbon (BC, organic compounds (OC, and dust all of which can contribute to atmospheric warming, in addition to greenhouse gases. Using a 3-year record of continuous measurements of aerosol optical properties, we present a time series of key climate relevant aerosol properties including the aerosol absorption (σ_ap and scattering (σ_sp coefficients as well as the single-scattering albedo (w₀. Results of this investigation show substantial seasonal variability of these properties, with long range transport during the pre- and post-monsoon seasons and efficient precipitation scavenging of aerosol particles during the monsoon season. The monthly averaged scattering coefficients range from 0.1 Mm⁻¹ (monsoon to 20 Mm⁻¹ while the average absorption coefficients range from 0.5 Mm⁻¹ to 3.5 Mm⁻¹. Both have their maximum values during the pre-monsoon period (April and reach a minimum during Monsoon (July–August. This leads to dry w₀ values from 0.86 (pre-monsoon to 0.79 (monsoon seasons. Significant diurnal variability due to valley wind circulation is also reported. Using aerosol optical depth (AOD measurements, we calculated the resulting direct local radiative forcing due to aerosols for selected air mass cases. We found that the presence of absorbing particulate material can locally induce an additional top of the atmosphere (TOA forcing of 10 to 20 W m⁻² for the first atmospheric layer (500 m above surface. The TOA positive forcing depends on the presence of snow at the surface, and takes place preferentially during episodes of

Estimation of Optical Properties for HULIS Aerosols at Anmyeon Island, Korea

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Ji Yi Lee

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, the sensitivity of the optical properties of carbonaceous aerosols, especially humic-like substances (HULIS, are investigated based on a one-year measurement of ambient fine atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5 at a Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW station in South Korea. The extinction, absorption coefficient, and radiative forcing (RF are calculated from the analysis data of water soluble (WSOC and insoluble (WISOC organic aerosols, elemental carbon (EC, and HULIS. The sensitivity of the optical properties on the variations of refractive index, hygroscopicity, and light absorption properties of HULIS as well as the polydispersity of organic aerosols are studied. The results showed that the seasonal absorption coefficient of HULIS varied from 0.09 to 11.64 Mm−1 and EC varied from 0.11 to 3.04 Mm−1 if the geometric mean diameter varied from 0.1 to 1.0 µm and the geometric standard deviation varied from 1.1 to 2.0, with the imaginary refractive index (IRI of HULIS varying from 0.006 to 0.3. Subsequently, this study shows that the RF of HULIS was larger than other constituents, which suggested that HULIS contributed significantly to radiative forcing.

Intercomparison between aerosol optical properties by a PREDE skyradiometer and CIMEL sunphotometer over Beijing, China

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H. Che

2008-06-01

Full Text Available This study compares the aerosol optical and physical properties simultaneously measured by a SKYNET PREDE skyradiometer and AERONET/PHOTONS CIMEL sunphotometer at a location in Beijing, China. Aerosol optical properties (AOP including the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD, Angstrom exponent (α, volume size distribution, single scattering albedo (ω and the complex refractive index were compared. The difference between the two types of instruments was less than 1.3% for the AOD and less than 4% for the single scattering albedo below the wavelength of 670 nm. There is a difference between the volume size distribution patterns derived from two instruments, which is probably due to difference of measurement protocols and inversion algorithms for the respective instruments.

AOP under three distinct weather conditions (background, haze, and dust days over Beijing were compared by using the retrieved skyradiometer and sunphotometer data combined with MODIS satellite results, pyranometer measurements, PM₁₀ measurements, and backtrajectory analysis. The results show that the significant difference of AOP under background, haze, and dust days over Beijing is probably due to different aerosol components under distinct weather conditions.

Global two-channel AVHRR aerosol climatology: effects of stratospheric aerosols and preliminary comparisons with MODIS and MISR retrievals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geogdzhayev, Igor V.; Mishchenko, Michael I.; Liu Li; Remer, Lorraine

2004-01-01

We present an update on the status of the global climatology of the aerosol column optical thickness and Angstrom exponent derived from channel-1 and -2 radiances of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) in the framework of the Global Aerosol Climatology Project (GACP). The latest version of the climatology covers the period from July 1983 to September 2001 and is based on an adjusted value of the diffuse component of the ocean reflectance as derived from extensive comparisons with ship sun-photometer data. We use the updated GACP climatology and Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) data to analyze how stratospheric aerosols from major volcanic eruptions can affect the GACP aerosol product. One possible retrieval strategy based on the AVHRR channel-1 and -2 data alone is to infer both the stratospheric and the tropospheric aerosol optical thickness while assuming fixed microphysical models for both aerosol components. The second approach is to use the SAGE stratospheric aerosol data in order to constrain the AVHRR retrieval algorithm. We demonstrate that the second approach yields a consistent long-term record of the tropospheric aerosol optical thickness and Angstrom exponent. Preliminary comparisons of the GACP aerosol product with MODerate resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) and Multiangle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer aerosol retrievals show reasonable agreement, the GACP global monthly optical thickness being lower than the MODIS one by approximately 0.03. Larger differences are observed on a regional scale. Comparisons of the GACP and MODIS Angstrom exponent records are less conclusive and require further analysis

Demonstration of a diode-laser-based high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) for quantitative profiling of clouds and aerosols.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayman, Matthew; Spuler, Scott

2017-11-27

We present a demonstration of a diode-laser-based high spectral resolution lidar. It is capable of performing calibrated retrievals of aerosol and cloud optical properties at a 150 m range resolution with less than 1 minute integration time over an approximate range of 12 km during day and night. This instrument operates at 780 nm, a wavelength that is well established for reliable semiconductor lasers and detectors, and was chosen because it corresponds to the D2 rubidium absorption line. A heated vapor reference cell of isotopic rubidium 87 is used as an effective and reliable aerosol signal blocking filter in the instrument. In principle, the diode-laser-based high spectral resolution lidar can be made cost competitive with elastic backscatter lidar systems, yet delivers a significant improvement in data quality through direct retrieval of quantitative optical properties of clouds and aerosols.

Aerosol optical properties during firework, biomass burning and dust episodes in Beijing

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Xingna; Shi, Chanzhen; Ma, Jia; Zhu, Bin; Li, Mei; Wang, Jing; Yang, Suying; Kang, Na

2013-12-01

In order to characterize the aerosol optical properties during different pollution episodes that occurred in Beijing, the aerosol loading, scattering, and size distributions are presented using solar and sky radiance measurements from 2001 to 2010 in this paper. A much higher aerosol loading than the background level was observed during the pollution episodes. The average aerosol optical depth (AOD) is largest during dust episodes coupled with the lowest Ångström exponent (α), while higher AOD and lower α were more correlated with firework and biomass burning days. The total mean AOD at 440, 675, 870 and 1020 nm were 0.24, 0.49, 0.64 and 1.38 in the clean, firework display, biomass burning and dust days, respectively. The mean α for dust days was 0.51 and exceeded 1.1 for the remaining episodes. The size distribution of the dusty periods was dominated by the coarse mode, but the coarse mode was similar magnitude to the fine mode during the firework and biomass burning days. The volume concentration of the coarse mode during the dust days increased by a magnitude of more than 2-8 times that derived in the other three aerosol conditions, suggesting that dust is the major contributor of coarse mode particles in Beijing. The single scattering albedo (SSA) values also increased during the pollution episodes. The overall mean SSA at the four wavelengths were 0.865, 0.911, 0.922 and 0.931 in clean, firework display, biomass burning, and dust days in Beijing, respectively. However, in the blue spectral range, the dust aerosols exhibited pronounced absorption.

Retrievals of aerosol optical depth and Angström exponent from ground-based Sun-photometer data of Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Salinas, Santo V; Chew, Boon N; Liew, Soo C

2009-03-10

The role of aerosols in climate and climate change is one of the factors that is least understood at the present. Aerosols' direct interaction with solar radiation is a well understood mechanism that affects Earth's net radiative forcing. However, quantifying its magnitude is more problematic because of the temporal and spatial variability of aerosol particles. To enhance our understanding of the radiative effects of aerosols on the global climate, Singapore has joined the AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) worldwide network by contributing ground-based direct Sun measurements performed by means of a multiwavelength Sun-photometer instrument. Data are collected on an hourly basis, then are uploaded to be fully screened and quality assured by AERONET. We use a one year data record (level 1.5/2.0) of measured columnar atmospheric optical depth, spanning from November 2006 to October 2007, to study the monthly and seasonal variability of the aerosol optical depth and the Angström exponent. We performed independent retrievals of these parameters (aerosol optical depth and Angström exponent) by using the photometer's six available bands covering the near-UV to near-IR (380-1080 nm). As a validation, our independent retrievals were compared with AERONET 1.5/2.0 level direct Sun product.

The Use of Remote Sensing to Resolve the Aerosol Radiative Forcing

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufman, Y. J.; Tanre, D.; Remer, Lorraine

1999-01-01

Satellites are used for remote sensing of aerosol optical thickness and optical properties in order to derive the aerosol direct and indirect radiative forcing of climate. Accuracy of the derived aerosol optical thickness is used as a measure of the accuracy in deriving the aerosol radiative forcing. Several questions can be asked to challenge this concept. Is the accuracy of the satellite-derived aerosol direct forcing limited to the accuracy of the measured optical thickness? What are the spectral bands needed to derive the total aerosol forcing? Does most of the direct or indirect aerosol forcing of climate originate from regions with aerosol concentrations that are high enough to be detected from space? What should be the synergism ground-based and space-borne remote sensing to solve the problem? We shall try to answer some of these questions, using AVIRIS airborne measurements and simulations.

Analysis of shipboard aerosol optical thickness measurements from multiple sunphotometers aboard the R/V Ronald H. Brown during the Aerosol Characterization Experiment - Asia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, Mark A.; Knobelspiesse, Kirk; Frouin, Robert; Bartholomew, Mary Jane; Reynolds, R. Michael; Pietras, Christophe; Fargion, Giulietta; Quinn, Patricia; Thieuleux, Francois

2005-01-01

Marine sunphotometer measurements collected aboard the R/V Ronald H. Brown during the Aerosol Characterization Experiment - Asia (ACE-Asia) are used to evaluate the ability of complementary instrumentation to obtain the best possible estimates of aerosol optical thickness and Angstrom exponent from ships at sea. A wide range of aerosol conditions, including clean maritime conditions and highly polluted coastal environments, were encountered during the ACE-Asia cruise. The results of this study suggest that shipboard hand-held sunphotometers and fast-rotating shadow-band radiometers (FRSRs) yield similar measurements and uncertainties if proper measurement protocols are used and if the instruments are properly calibrated. The automated FRSR has significantly better temporal resolution (2 min) than the hand-held sunphotometers when standard measurement protocols are used, so it more faithfully represents the variability of the local aerosol structure in polluted regions. Conversely, results suggest that the hand-held sunphotometers may perform better in clean, maritime air masses for unknown reasons. Results also show that the statistical distribution of the Angstrom exponent measurements is different when the distributions from hand-held sunphotometers are compared with those from the FRSR and that the differences may arise from a combination of factors

Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) Version 3 Aerosol Optical Depth and Inversion Products

Science.gov (United States)

Giles, D. M.; Holben, B. N.; Eck, T. F.; Smirnov, A.; Sinyuk, A.; Schafer, J.; Sorokin, M. G.; Slutsker, I.

2017-12-01

The Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) surface-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) database has been a principal component of many Earth science remote sensing applications and modelling for more than two decades. During this time, the AERONET AOD database had utilized a semiautomatic quality assurance approach (Smirnov et al., 2000). Data quality automation developed for AERONET Version 3 (V3) was achieved by augmenting and improving upon the combination of Version 2 (V2) automatic and manual procedures to provide a more refined near real time (NRT) and historical worldwide database of AOD. The combined effect of these new changes provides a historical V3 AOD Level 2.0 data set comparable to V2 Level 2.0 AOD. The recently released V3 Level 2.0 AOD product uses Level 1.5 data with automated cloud screening and quality controls and applies pre-field and post-field calibrations and wavelength-dependent temperature characterizations. For V3, the AERONET aerosol retrieval code inverts AOD and almucantar sky radiances using a full vector radiative transfer called Successive ORDers of scattering (SORD; Korkin et al., 2017). The full vector code allows for potentially improving the real part of the complex index of refraction and the sphericity parameter and computing the radiation field in the UV (e.g., 380nm) and degree of linear depolarization. Effective lidar ratio and depolarization ratio products are also available with the V3 inversion release. Inputs to the inversion code were updated to the accommodate H2O, O3 and NO2 absorption to be consistent with the computation of V3 AOD. All of the inversion products are associated with estimated uncertainties that include the random error plus biases due to the uncertainty in measured AOD, absolute sky radiance calibration, and retrieved MODIS BRDF for snow-free and snow covered surfaces. The V3 inversion products use the same data quality assurance criteria as V2 inversions (Holben et al. 2006). The entire AERONET V3

Study of Aerosol Optical Properties Over Two Sites in the Foothills of the Central Himalayas

Science.gov (United States)

Rupakheti, D.; Kang, S.; Cong, Z.; Rupakheti, M.; Tripathee, L.; Panday, A. K.; Holben, B.

2018-04-01

Atmospheric aerosol possesses impacts on climate system and ecological environments, human health and agricultural productivity. The environment over Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau region are continuously degraded due to the transport of pollution from the foothills of the Himalayas; mostly the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Thus, analysis of aerosol optical properties over two sites; Lumbini and Kathmandu (the southern slope of central Himalayas) using AERONET's CIMEL sun photometer were conducted in this study. Aerosol optical depth (AOD at 500 nm), angstrom exponent (α or AE), volume size distribution (VSD), single scattering albedo (SSA) and asymmetry parameter (AP) were studied for 2013-2014 and the average AOD was found to be: 0.64 ± 0.41 (Lumbini) and 0.45 ± 0.30 (Kathmandu). The average AE was found to be: 1.25 ± 0.24 and 1.26 ± 0.18 respectively for two sites. The relation between AOD and AE was used to discriminate the aerosol types over these sites which indicated anthropogenic, mixed and biomass burning origin aerosol constituted the major aerosol types in Lumbini and Kathmandu. A clear bi-modal distribution of aerosol volume size was observed with highest volume concentration during the post-monsoon season in fine mode and pre-monsoon season in coarse mode (Lumbini) and highest value over both modes during pre-monsoon season in Kathmandu. The single scattering albedo (SSA) and asymmetry parameter (AP) analyses suggested aerosols over the Himalayan foothills sites are dominated by absorbing and anthropogenic aerosols from urban and industrial activities and biomass burning. Long-term studies are essential to understand and characterize the nature of aerosol over this research gap zone.

Measured Mass-Normalized Optical Cross Sections For Aerosolized Organophosphorus Chemical Warfare Simulants

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Gurton, Kristan P; Felton, Melvin; Dahmani, Rachid; Ligon, David

2007-01-01

We present newly measured results of an ongoing experimental program established to measure optical cross sections in the mid and long wave infrared for a variety of chemical and biologically based aerosols...

Retrieval of Aerosol Optical Depth over Land using two-angle view Satellite Radiometry during TARFOX

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veefkind, J.P.; Leeuw, G. de; Durkee, P.H.

1998-01-01

A new aerosol optical depth retrieval algorithm is presented that uses the two-angle view capability of the Along Track Scanning Radiometer 2 (ATSR-2). By combining the two-angle view and the spectral information this so-called dual view algorithm separates between aerosol and surface contributions

Aerosol spectral optical depths and size characteristics at a coastal industriallocation in India - effect of synoptic and mesoscale weather

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Niranjan

2004-06-01

Full Text Available The aerosol spectral optical depths at ten discrete channels in the visible and near IR bands, obtained from a ground-based passive multi-wavelength solar radiometer at a coastal industrial location, Visakhapatnam, on the east coast of India, are used to study the response of the aerosol optical properties and size distributions to the changes in atmospheric humidity, wind speed and direction. It is observed that during high humidity conditions, the spectral optical depths show about 30% higher growth factors, and the size distributions show the generation of a typical new mode around 0.4 microns. The surface wind speed and direction also indicate the formation of new particles when the humid marine air mass interacts with the industrial air mass. This is interpreted in terms of new particle formation and subsequent particle growth by condensation and self-coagulation. The results obtained on the surface-size segregated aerosol mass distribution from a co-located Quartz Crystal Microbalance during different humidity conditions also show a large mass increase in the sub-micron size range with an increase in atmospheric humidity, indicating new particle formation at the sub-micron size range.

Origins of atmospheric aerosols. Basic concepts on aerosol main physical properties; L`aerosol atmospherique: ses origines quelques notions sur les principales proprietes physiques des aerosols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Renoux, A. [Paris-12 Univ., 94 - Creteil (France). Laboratoire de Physique des aerosols et de transferts des contaminations

1996-12-31

Natural and anthropogenic sources of atmospheric aerosols are reviewed and indications of their concentrations and granulometry are given. Calculation of the lifetime of an atmospheric aerosol of a certain size is presented and the various modes of aerosol granulometry and their relations with photochemical and physico-chemical processes in the atmosphere are discussed. The main physical, electrical and optical properties of aerosols are also presented: diffusion coefficient, dynamic mobility and relaxation time, Stokes number, limit rate of fall, electrical mobility, optical diffraction

An assessment of aerosol optical properties from remote-sensing observations and regional chemistry-climate coupled models over Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Palacios-Peña, Laura; Baró, Rocío; Baklanov, Alexander; Balzarini, Alessandra; Brunner, Dominik; Forkel, Renate; Hirtl, Marcus; Honzak, Luka; María López-Romero, José; Montávez, Juan Pedro; Pérez, Juan Luis; Pirovano, Guido; San José, Roberto; Schröder, Wolfram; Werhahn, Johannes; Wolke, Ralf; Žabkar, Rahela; Jiménez-Guerrero, Pedro

2018-04-01

Atmospheric aerosols modify the radiative budget of the Earth due to their optical, microphysical and chemical properties, and are considered one of the most uncertain climate forcing agents. In order to characterise the uncertainties associated with satellite and modelling approaches to represent aerosol optical properties, mainly aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ångström exponent (AE), their representation by different remote-sensing sensors and regional online coupled chemistry-climate models over Europe are evaluated. This work also characterises whether the inclusion of aerosol-radiation (ARI) or/and aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI) help improve the skills of modelling outputs.Two case studies were selected within the EuMetChem COST Action ES1004 framework when important aerosol episodes in 2010 all over Europe took place: a Russian wildfire episode and a Saharan desert dust outbreak that covered most of the Mediterranean Sea. The model data came from different regional air-quality-climate simulations performed by working group 2 of EuMetChem, which differed according to whether ARI or ACI was included or not. The remote-sensing data came from three different sensors: MODIS, OMI and SeaWIFS. The evaluation used classical statistical metrics to first compare satellite data versus the ground-based instrument network (AERONET) and then to evaluate model versus the observational data (both satellite and ground-based data).Regarding the uncertainty in the satellite representation of AOD, MODIS presented the best agreement with the AERONET observations compared to other satellite AOD observations. The differences found between remote-sensing sensors highlighted the uncertainty in the observations, which have to be taken into account when evaluating models. When modelling results were considered, a common trend for underestimating high AOD levels was observed. For the AE, models tended to underestimate its variability, except when considering a sectional approach in

Diurnal Cycles of Aerosol Optical Properties at Pico Tres Padres, Mexico City: Evidences for Changes in Particle Morphology and Secondary Aerosol Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzoleni, C.; Dubey, M.; Chakrabarty, R.; Moosmuller, H.; Onasch, T.; Zavala, M.; Herndon, S.; Kolb, C.

2007-12-01

Aerosol optical properties affect planetary radiative balance and depend on chemical composition, size distribution, and morphology. During the MILAGRO field campaign, we measured aerosol absorption and scattering in Mexico City using the Los Alamos aerosol photoacoustic (LAPA) instrument operating at 781 nm. The LAPA was mounted on-board the Aerodyne Research Inc. mobile laboratory, which hosted a variety of gaseous and aerosol instruments. During the campaign, the laboratory was moved to different sites, capturing spatial and temporal variability. Additionally, we collected ambient aerosols on Nuclepore filters for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. SEM images of selected filters were taken to study particle morphology. Between March 7th and 19th air was sampled at the top of Pico Tres Padres, a mountain on the north side of Mexico City. Aerosol absorption and scattering followed diurnal patterns related to boundary layer height and solar insulation. We report an analysis of aerosol absorption, scattering, and morphology for three days (9th, 11th and 12th of March 2006). The single scattering albedo (SSA, ratio of scattering to total extinction) showed a drop in the tens-of-minutes-to-hour time frame after the boundary layer grew above the sampling site. Later in the day the SSA rose steadily reaching a maximum in the afternoon. The SEM images showed a variety of aerosol shapes including fractal-like aggregates, spherical particles, and other shapes. The absorption correlated with the CO2 signal and qualitatively with the fraction of fractal-like particles to the total particle count. In the afternoon the SSA qualitatively correlated with a relative increase in spherical particles and total particle count. These observed changes in optical properties and morphology can be explained by the dominant contribution of freshly emitted particles in the morning and by secondary particle formation in the afternoon. SSA hourly averaged values ranged from ~0.63 in

Simultaneous polarimeter retrievals of microphysical aerosol and ocean color parameters from the "MAPP" algorithm with comparison to high-spectral-resolution lidar aerosol and ocean products.

Science.gov (United States)

Stamnes, S; Hostetler, C; Ferrare, R; Burton, S; Liu, X; Hair, J; Hu, Y; Wasilewski, A; Martin, W; van Diedenhoven, B; Chowdhary, J; Cetinić, I; Berg, L K; Stamnes, K; Cairns, B

2018-04-01

We present an optimal-estimation-based retrieval framework, the microphysical aerosol properties from polarimetry (MAPP) algorithm, designed for simultaneous retrieval of aerosol microphysical properties and ocean color bio-optical parameters using multi-angular total and polarized radiances. Polarimetric measurements from the airborne NASA Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP) were inverted by MAPP to produce atmosphere and ocean products. The RSP MAPP results are compared with co-incident lidar measurements made by the NASA High-Spectral-Resolution Lidar HSRL-1 and HSRL-2 instruments. Comparisons are made of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 355 and 532 nm, lidar column-averaged measurements of the aerosol lidar ratio and Ångstrøm exponent, and lidar ocean measurements of the particulate hemispherical backscatter coefficient and the diffuse attenuation coefficient. The measurements were collected during the 2012 Two-Column Aerosol Project (TCAP) campaign and the 2014 Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR) campaign. For the SABOR campaign, 73% RSP MAPP retrievals fall within ±0.04 AOD at 532 nm as measured by HSRL-1, with an R value of 0.933 and root-mean-square deviation of 0.0372. For the TCAP campaign, 53% of RSP MAPP retrievals are within 0.04 AOD as measured by HSRL-2, with an R value of 0.927 and root-mean-square deviation of 0.0673. Comparisons with HSRL-2 AOD at 355 nm during TCAP result in an R value of 0.959 and a root-mean-square deviation of 0.0694. The RSP retrievals using the MAPP optimal estimation framework represent a key milestone on the path to a combined lidar + polarimeter retrieval using both HSRL and RSP measurements.

Assessment of aerosols optical properties and radiative forcing over an Urban site in North-Western India.

Science.gov (United States)

Mor, Vikram; Dhankhar, Rajesh; Attri, S D; Soni, V K; Sateesh, M; Taneja, Kanika

2017-05-01

The present work is aimed to analyze aerosols optical properties and to estimate aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) from January to December 2013, using sky radiometer data over Rohtak, an urban site in North-Western India. The results reveal strong wavelength dependency of aerosol optical depth (AOD), with high values of AOD at shorter wavelengths and lower values at longer wavelength during the study period. The highest AOD values of 1.07 ± 0.45 at 500 nm were observed during July. A significant decline in Ångström exponent was observed during April-May, which represents the dominance of coarse mode particles due to dust-raising convective activities. Aerosols' size distribution exhibits a bimodal structure with fine mode particles around 0.17 µm and coarse mode particles with a radius around 5.28 µm. Single scattering albedo values were lowest during November-December at all wavelengths, ranging from 0.87 to 0.76, which corresponds to the higher absorption during this period. Aerosols optical properties retrieved during observation period are used as input for SBDART (Santa Barbara DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer) to estimate the direct ARF at the surface, in the atmosphere and at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). The ARF at the TOA, surface and in the atmosphere are found to be in the range of -4.98 to -19.35 W m -2 , -8.01 to -57.66 W m -2 and +3.02 to +41.64 W m -2 , respectively. The averaged forcing for the whole period of observations at the TOA is -11.26 W m -2 , while at the surface it is -38.64 W m -2 , leading to atmospheric forcing of 27.38 W m -2 . The highest (1.168 K day -1 ) values of heating rate was estimated during November, whereas the lowest value (0.084 K day -1 ) was estimated for the February.

Infrared remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols; Apports du sondage infrarouge a l'etude des aerosols atmospheriques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pierangelo, C

2005-09-15

The 2001 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasized the very low level of understanding of atmospheric aerosol effects on climate. These particles originate either from natural sources (dust, volcanic aerosols...) or from anthropogenic sources (sulfates, soot...). They are one of the main sources of uncertainty on climate change, partly because they show a very high spatio-temporal variability. Observation from space, being global and quasi-continuous, is therefore a first importance tool for aerosol studies. Remote sensing in the visible domain has been widely used to obtain a better characterization of these particles and their effect on solar radiation. On the opposite, remote sensing of aerosols in the infrared domain still remains marginal. Yet, not only the knowledge of the effect of aerosols on terrestrial radiation is needed for the evaluation of their total radiative forcing, but also infrared remote sensing provides a way to retrieve other aerosol characteristics (observations are possible at night and day, over land and sea). In this PhD dissertation, we show that aerosol optical depth, altitude and size can be retrieved from infrared sounder observations. We first study the sensitivity of aerosol optical properties to their micro-physical properties, we then develop a radiative transfer code for scattering medium adapted to the very high spectral resolution of the new generation sounder NASA-Aqua/AIRS, and we finally focus on the inverse problem. The applications shown here deal with Pinatubo stratospheric volcanic aerosol, observed with NOAA/HIRS, and with the building of an 8 year climatology of dust over sea and land from this sounder. Finally, from AIRS observations, we retrieve the optical depth at 10 {mu}m, the average altitude and the coarse mode effective radius of mineral dust over sea. (author)

Aerosol optical, microphysical and radiative forcing properties during variable intensity African dust events in the Iberian Peninsula

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández, A. J.; Molero, F.; Salvador, P.; Revuelta, A.; Becerril-Valle, M.; Gómez-Moreno, F. J.; Artíñano, B.; Pujadas, M.

2017-11-01

Aerosol measurements at two AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) sites of the Iberian Peninsula: Madrid (40°.45N, 3.72W) and La Coruña (43°.36N, 8°.42W) have been analyzed for the period 2012-2015 to assess aerosol optical properties (intensive and extensive) throughout the atmospheric column and their radiative forcing (RF) and radiative forcing efficiency (RFeff) estimates at the Bottom and Top Of Atmosphere (BOA and TOA respectively). Specific conditions as dust-free and African dust have been considered for the study. Unprecedented, this work uses the quantification of the African dust aerosol at ground level which allows us to study such AERONET products at different intensity levels of African events: Low (L), High (H) and very high (VH). The statistical difference between dust-free and African dust conditions on the aforementioned parameters, quantified by means of the non-parametric Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, is quite clear in Madrid, however it is not in La Coruña. Scattering Angstrom Exponent (SAE) and Absorption Angstrom Exponent (AAE) were found to be 1.64 ± 0.29 and 1.14 ± 0.23 respectively in Madrid for dust-free conditions because typical aerosol sources are traffic emissions and residential heating, and black carbon is an important compound in this aerosol kind. On the other hand, SAE and AAE were 0.96 ± 0.60 and 1.44 ± 0.51 for African dust conditions in this location. RF (at shortwave radiation) seems to decrease as the African dust contribution at ground level is larger which indicates the cooling effect of African dust aerosol in Madrid. We have also proved the potential of a 2D-cluster analysis based on AAE and SAE to differentiate both situations in Madrid. Conversely, it is suggested that aerosols observed in La Coruña under dust-free conditions might come from different sources. Then, SAE and AAE are not good enough indicators to distinguish between dust-free and African dust conditions. Besides, as La Coruña is at a further distance

Experiments on aerosol removal by high-pressure water spray

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corno, Ada del, E-mail: delcorno@rse-web.it [RSE, Power Generation Technologies and Materials Dept, via Rubattino 54, I-20134 Milano (Italy); Morandi, Sonia, E-mail: morandi@rse-web.it [RSE, Power Generation Technologies and Materials Dept, via Rubattino 54, I-20134 Milano (Italy); Parozzi, Flavio, E-mail: parozzi@rse-web.it [RSE, Power Generation Technologies and Materials Dept, via Rubattino 54, I-20134 Milano (Italy); Araneo, Lucio, E-mail: lucio.araneo@polimi.it [Politecnico di Milano, Department of Energy, via Lambruschini 4A, I-20156 Milano (Italy); CNR-IENI, via Cozzi 53, I-20125 Milano (Italy); Casella, Francesco, E-mail: francesco2.casella@mail.polimi.it [Politecnico di Milano, Department of Energy, via Lambruschini 4A, I-20156 Milano (Italy)

2017-01-15

Highlights: • Experimental research to measure the efficiency of high-pressure sprays in capturing aerosols if applied to a filtered containment venting system in case of severe accident. • Cloud of monodispersed SiO{sub 2} particles with sizes 0.5 or 1.0 μm and initial concentration in the range 2–90 mg/m{sup 3}. • Carried out in a chamber 0.5 × 1.0 m and 1.5 m high, with transparent walls equipped with a high pressure water spray with single nozzle. • Respect to low-pressure sprays, removal efficiency turned out significant: the half-life for 1 μm particles with a removal high-pressure spray system is orders of magnitude shorter than that with a low-pressure sprays system. - Abstract: An experimental research was managed in the framework of the PASSAM European Project to measure the efficiency of high-pressure sprays in capturing aerosols when applied to a filtered containment venting system in case of severe accident. The campaign was carried out in a purposely built facility composed by a scrubbing chamber 0.5 × 1.0 m and 1.5 m high, with transparent walls to permit the complete view of the aerosol removal process, where the aerosol was injected to form a cloud of specific particle concentration. The chamber was equipped with a high pressure water spray system with a single nozzle placed on its top. The test matrix consisted in the combination of water pressure injections, in the range 50–130 bar, on a cloud of monodispersed SiO{sub 2} particles with sizes 0.5 or 1.0 μm and initial concentration ranging between 2 and 99 mg/m{sup 3}. The spray was kept running for 2 min and the efficiency of the removal was evaluated, along the test time, using an optical particle sizer. With respect to low-pressure sprays, the removal efficiency turned out much more significant: the half-life for 1 μm particles with a removal high-pressure spray system is orders of magnitude shorter than that with a low-pressure spray system. The highest removal rate was

Experiments on aerosol removal by high-pressure water spray

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corno, Ada del; Morandi, Sonia; Parozzi, Flavio; Araneo, Lucio; Casella, Francesco

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Experimental research to measure the efficiency of high-pressure sprays in capturing aerosols if applied to a filtered containment venting system in case of severe accident. • Cloud of monodispersed SiO_2 particles with sizes 0.5 or 1.0 μm and initial concentration in the range 2–90 mg/m"3. • Carried out in a chamber 0.5 × 1.0 m and 1.5 m high, with transparent walls equipped with a high pressure water spray with single nozzle. • Respect to low-pressure sprays, removal efficiency turned out significant: the half-life for 1 μm particles with a removal high-pressure spray system is orders of magnitude shorter than that with a low-pressure sprays system. - Abstract: An experimental research was managed in the framework of the PASSAM European Project to measure the efficiency of high-pressure sprays in capturing aerosols when applied to a filtered containment venting system in case of severe accident. The campaign was carried out in a purposely built facility composed by a scrubbing chamber 0.5 × 1.0 m and 1.5 m high, with transparent walls to permit the complete view of the aerosol removal process, where the aerosol was injected to form a cloud of specific particle concentration. The chamber was equipped with a high pressure water spray system with a single nozzle placed on its top. The test matrix consisted in the combination of water pressure injections, in the range 50–130 bar, on a cloud of monodispersed SiO_2 particles with sizes 0.5 or 1.0 μm and initial concentration ranging between 2 and 99 mg/m"3. The spray was kept running for 2 min and the efficiency of the removal was evaluated, along the test time, using an optical particle sizer. With respect to low-pressure sprays, the removal efficiency turned out much more significant: the half-life for 1 μm particles with a removal high-pressure spray system is orders of magnitude shorter than that with a low-pressure spray system. The highest removal rate was detected with 1 �

Observation of optical properties and sources of aerosols at Buddha's birthplace, Lumbini, Nepal: environmental implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Rupakheti, Dipesh; Kang, Shichang; Rupakheti, Maheswar; Cong, Zhiyuan; Tripathee, Lekhendra; Panday, Arnico K; Holben, Brent N

2018-03-15

For the first time, aerosol optical properties are measured over Lumbini, Nepal, with CIMEL sunphotometer of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) program. Lumbini is a sacred place as the birthplace of Lord Buddha, and thus a UNESCO world heritage site, located near the northern edge of the central Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) and before the Himalayan foothills (and Himalayas) to its north. Average aerosol optical depth (AOD) is found to be 0.64 ± 0.38 (0.06-3.28) over the sampling period (January 2013-December 2014), with the highest seasonal AOD during the post-monsoon season (0.72 ± 0.44). More than 80% of the daily averaged AOD values, during the monitoring period, are above 0.3, indicating polluted conditions in the region. The levels of aerosol load observed over Lumbini are comparable to those observed at several heavily polluted sites in the IGP. Based on the relationship between AOD and Ångstrom exponent (α), anthropogenic, biomass burning, and mixed aerosols are found to be the most prevalent aerosol types. The aerosol volume-size distribution is bi-modal during all four seasons with modes centered at 0.1-0.3 and 3-4 μm. For both fine and coarse modes, the highest volumetric concentration of ~ 0.08 μm -3  μm -2 is observed during the post-monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons. As revealed by the single-scattering albedo (SSA), asymmetry parameter (AP), and refractive index (RI) analyses, aerosol loading over Lumbini is dominated by absorbing, urban-industrial, and biomass burning aerosols.

Long-term analysis of aerosol optical depth over Northeast Asia using a satellite-based measurement: MI Yonsei Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm (YAER)

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Mijin; Kim, Jhoon; Yoon, Jongmin; Chung, Chu-Yong; Chung, Sung-Rae

2017-04-01

In 2010, the Korean geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, the Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS), was launched including the Meteorological Imager (MI). The MI measures atmospheric condition over Northeast Asia (NEA) using a single visible channel centered at 0.675 μm and four IR channels at 3.75, 6.75, 10.8, 12.0 μm. The visible measurement can also be utilized for the retrieval of aerosol optical properties (AOPs). Since the GEO satellite measurement has an advantage for continuous monitoring of AOPs, we can analyze the spatiotemporal variation of the aerosol using the MI observations over NEA. Therefore, we developed an algorithm to retrieve aerosol optical depth (AOD) using the visible observation of MI, and named as MI Yonsei Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm (YAER). In this study, we investigated the accuracy of MI YAER AOD by comparing the values with the long-term products of AERONET sun-photometer. The result showed that the MI AODs were significantly overestimated than the AERONET values over bright surface in low AOD case. Because the MI visible channel centered at red color range, contribution of aerosol signal to the measured reflectance is relatively lower than the surface contribution. Therefore, the AOD error in low AOD case over bright surface can be a fundamental limitation of the algorithm. Meanwhile, an assumption of background aerosol optical depth (BAOD) could result in the retrieval uncertainty, also. To estimate the surface reflectance by considering polluted air condition over the NEA, we estimated the BAOD from the MODIS dark target (DT) aerosol products by pixel. The satellite-based AOD retrieval, however, largely depends on the accuracy of the surface reflectance estimation especially in low AOD case, and thus, the BAOD could include the uncertainty in surface reflectance estimation of the satellite-based retrieval. Therefore, we re-estimated the BAOD using the ground-based sun-photometer measurement, and

Hyperspectral aerosol optical depths from TCAP flights

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shinozuka, Yohei [NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA (United States); Bay Area Environmental REsearch Institute; Johnson, Roy R [NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA (United States); Flynn, Connor J [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Russell, Philip B [NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Moffett Field, Mountain View, CA (United States); Schmid, Beat [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2016-06-01

4STAR (Spectrometer for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research), a hyperspectral airborne sunphotometer, acquired aerosol optical depths (AOD) at 1 Hz during all July 2012 flights of the Two Column Aerosol Project (TCAP). Root-mean-square differences from AERONET ground-based observations were 0.01 at wavelengths between 500-1020 nm, 0.02 at 380 and 1640 nm and 0.03 at 440 nm in four clear-sky fly-over events, and similar in ground side-by-side comparisons. Changes in the above-aircraft AOD across 3- km-deep spirals were typically consistent with integrals of coincident in situ (on DOE Gulfstream 1 with 4STAR) and lidar (on NASA B200) extinction measurements within 0.01, 0.03, 0.01, 0.02, 0.02, 0.02 at 355, 450, 532, 550, 700, 1064 nm, respectively, despite atmospheric variations and combined measurement uncertainties. Finer vertical differentials of the 4STAR measurements matched the in situ ambient extinction profile within 14% for one homogeneous column. For the AOD observed between 350-1660 nm, excluding strong

Probing the micro-rheological properties of aerosol particles using optical tweezers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Power, Rory M; Reid, Jonathan P

2014-01-01

The use of optical trapping techniques to manipulate probe particles for performing micro-rheological measurements on a surrounding fluid is well-established. Here, we review recent advances made in the use of optical trapping to probe the rheological properties of trapped particles themselves. In particular, we review observations of the continuous transition from liquid to solid-like viscosity of sub-picolitre supersaturated solution aerosol droplets using optical trapping techniques. Direct measurements of the viscosity of the particle bulk are derived from the damped oscillations in shape following coalescence of two particles, a consequence of the interplay between viscous and surface forces and the capillary driven relaxation of the approximately spheroidal composite particle. Holographic optical tweezers provide a facile method for the manipulation of arrays of particles allowing coalescence to be controllably induced between two micron-sized aerosol particles. The optical forces, while sufficiently strong to confine the composite particle, are several orders of magnitude weaker than the capillary forces driving relaxation. Light, elastically back-scattered by the particle, is recorded with sub-100 ns resolution allowing measurements of fast relaxation (low viscosity) dynamics, while the brightfield image can be used to monitor the shape relaxation extending to times in excess of 1000 s. For the slowest relaxation dynamics studied (particles with the highest viscosity) the presence and line shape of whispering gallery modes in the cavity enhanced Raman spectrum can be used to infer the relaxation time while serving the dual purpose of allowing the droplet size and refractive index to be measured with accuracies of ±0.025% and ±0.1%, respectively. The time constant for the damped relaxation can be used to infer the bulk viscosity, spanning from the dilute solution limit to a value approaching that of a glass, typically considered to be >10 12 �

Probing the micro-rheological properties of aerosol particles using optical tweezers

Science.gov (United States)

Power, Rory M.; Reid, Jonathan P.

2014-07-01

The use of optical trapping techniques to manipulate probe particles for performing micro-rheological measurements on a surrounding fluid is well-established. Here, we review recent advances made in the use of optical trapping to probe the rheological properties of trapped particles themselves. In particular, we review observations of the continuous transition from liquid to solid-like viscosity of sub-picolitre supersaturated solution aerosol droplets using optical trapping techniques. Direct measurements of the viscosity of the particle bulk are derived from the damped oscillations in shape following coalescence of two particles, a consequence of the interplay between viscous and surface forces and the capillary driven relaxation of the approximately spheroidal composite particle. Holographic optical tweezers provide a facile method for the manipulation of arrays of particles allowing coalescence to be controllably induced between two micron-sized aerosol particles. The optical forces, while sufficiently strong to confine the composite particle, are several orders of magnitude weaker than the capillary forces driving relaxation. Light, elastically back-scattered by the particle, is recorded with sub-100 ns resolution allowing measurements of fast relaxation (low viscosity) dynamics, while the brightfield image can be used to monitor the shape relaxation extending to times in excess of 1000 s. For the slowest relaxation dynamics studied (particles with the highest viscosity) the presence and line shape of whispering gallery modes in the cavity enhanced Raman spectrum can be used to infer the relaxation time while serving the dual purpose of allowing the droplet size and refractive index to be measured with accuracies of ±0.025% and ±0.1%, respectively. The time constant for the damped relaxation can be used to infer the bulk viscosity, spanning from the dilute solution limit to a value approaching that of a glass, typically considered to be >1012 Pa s, whilst

Characterization of Wildfire-Induced Aerosol Emissions From the Maritime Continent Peatland and Central African Dry Savannah with MISR and CALIPSO Aerosol Products

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Huikyo; Jeong, Su-Jong; Kalashnikova, Olga; Tosca, Mika; Kim, Sang-Woo; Kug, Jong-Seong

2018-03-01

Aerosol plumes from wildfires affect the Earth's climate system through regulation of the radiative budget and clouds. However, optical properties of aerosols from individual wildfire smoke plumes and their resultant impact on regional climate are highly variable. Therefore, there is a critical need for observations that can constrain the partitioning between different types of aerosols. Here we present the apparent influence of regional ecosystem types on optical properties of wildfire-induced aerosols based on remote sensing observations from two satellite instruments and three ground stations. The independent observations commonly show that the ratio of the absorbing aerosols is significantly lower in smoke plumes from the Maritime Continent than those from Central Africa, so that their impacts on regional climate are different. The observed light-absorbing properties of wildfire-induced aerosols are explained by dominant ecosystem types such as wet peatlands for the Maritime Continent and dry savannah for Central Africa, respectively. These results suggest that the wildfire-aerosol-climate feedback processes largely depend on the terrestrial environments from which the fires originate. These feedbacks also interact with climate under greenhouse warming. Our analysis shows that aerosol optical properties retrieved based on satellite observations are critical in assessing wildfire-induced aerosols forcing in climate models. The optical properties of carbonaceous aerosol mixtures used by state-of-the-art chemistry climate models may overestimate emissions for absorbing aerosols from wildfires over the Maritime Continent.

Optical Properties and Aging of Light Absorbing Secondary Organic Aerosol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Jiumeng; Lin, Peng; Laskin, Alexander; Laskin, Julia; Kathmann, Shawn M.; Wise, Matthew E.; Caylor, Ryan; Imholt, Felisha; Selimovic, Vanessa; Shilling, John E.

2016-10-14

The light-absorbing organic aerosol (OA), commonly referred to as “brown carbon (BrC)”, has attracted considerable attention in recent years because of its potential to affect atmospheric radiation balance, especially in the ultraviolet region and thus impact photochemical processes. A growing amount of data has indicated that BrC is prevalent in the atmosphere, which has motivated numerous laboratory and field studies; however, our understanding of the relationship between the chemical composition and optical properties of BrC remains limited. We conducted chamber experiments to investigate the effect of various VOC precursors, NOx concentrations, photolysis time and relative humidity (RH) on the light absorption of selected secondary organic aerosols (SOA). Light absorption of chamber generated SOA samples, especially aromatic SOA, was found to increase with NOx concentration, at moderate RH, and for the shortest photolysis aging times. The highest mass absorption coefficients (MAC) value is observed from toluene SOA products formed under high NOx conditions at moderate RH, in which nitro-aromatics were previously identified as the major light absorbing compounds. BrC light absorption is observed to decrease with photolysis time, correlated with a decline of the organonitrate fraction of SOA. SOA formed from mixtures of aromatics and isoprene absorb less visible and UV light than SOA formed from aromatic precursors alone on a mass basis. However, the mixed-SOA absorption was underestimated when optical properties were predicted using a two-product SOA formation model, as done in many current climate models. Further investigation, including analysis on detailed mechanisms, are required to explain the discrepancy.

Using high-resolution satellite aerosol optical depth to estimate daily PM2.5 geographical distribution in Mexico City

OpenAIRE

Just, Allan C.; Wright, Robert O.; Schwartz, Joel; Coull, Brent A.; Baccarelli, Andrea A.; Tellez-Rojo, Martha María; Moody, Emily; Wang, Yujie; Lyapustin, Alexei; Kloog, Itai

2015-01-01

Recent advances in estimating fine particle (PM2.5) ambient concentrations use daily satellite measurements of aerosol optical depth (AOD) for spatially and temporally resolved exposure estimates. Mexico City is a dense megacity that differs from other previously modeled regions in several ways: it has bright land surfaces, a distinctive climatological cycle, and an elevated semi-enclosed air basin with a unique planetary boundary layer dynamic. We extend our previous satellite methodology to...

Assessment of aerosol optical property and radiative effect for the layer decoupling cases over the northern South China Sea during the 7-SEAS/Dongsha Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Pani, Shantanu Kumar; Wang, Sheng-Hsiang; Lin, Neng-Huei; Tsay, Si-Chee; Lolli, Simone; Chuang, Ming-Tung; Lee, Chung-Te; Chantara, Somporn; Yu, Jin-Yi

2016-05-01

The aerosol radiative effect can be modulated by the vertical distribution and optical properties of aerosols, particularly when aerosol layers are decoupled. Direct aerosol radiative effects over the northern South China Sea (SCS) were assessed by incorporating an observed data set of aerosol optical properties obtained from the Seven South East Asian Studies (7-SEAS)/Dongsha Experiment into a radiative transfer model. Aerosol optical properties for a two-layer structure of aerosol transport were estimated. In the radiative transfer calculations, aerosol variability (i.e., diversity of source region, aerosol type, and vertical distribution) for the complex aerosol environment was also carefully quantified. The column-integrated aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 nm was 0.1-0.3 for near-surface aerosols and increased 1-5 times in presence of upper layer biomass-burning aerosols. A case study showed the strong aerosol absorption (single-scattering albedo (ω) ≈ 0.92 at 440 nm wavelength) exhibited by the upper layer when associated with predominantly biomass-burning aerosols, and the ω (≈0.95) of near-surface aerosols was greater than that of the upper layer aerosols because of the presence of mixed type aerosols. The presence of upper level aerosol transport could enhance the radiative efficiency at the surface (i.e., cooling) and lower atmosphere (i.e., heating) by up to -13.7 and +9.6 W m-2 per AOD, respectively. Such enhancement could potentially modify atmospheric stability, can influence atmospheric circulation, as well as the hydrological cycle over the tropical and low-latitude marginal northern SCS.

Assessment of Aerosol Optical Property and Radiative Effect for the Layer Decoupling Cases over the Northern South China Sea During the 7-SEAS Dongsha Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Pani, Shantau Kumar; Wang, Sheng-Hsiang; Lin, Neng-Huei; Tsay, Si-Chee; Lolli, Simone; Chuang, Ming-Tung; Lee, Chung-Te; Chantara, Somporn; Yu, Jin-Yi

2016-01-01

The aerosol radiative effect can be modulated by the vertical distribution and optical properties of aerosols, particularly when aerosol layers are decoupled. Direct aerosol radiative effects over the northern South China Sea (SCS) were assessed by incorporating an observed data set of aerosol optical properties obtained from the Seven South East Asian Studies (7-SEAS)/Dongsha Experiment into a radiative transfer model. Aerosol optical properties for a two-layer structure of aerosol transport were estimated. In the radiative transfer calculations, aerosol variability (i.e., diversity of source region, aerosol type, and vertical distribution) for the complex aerosol environment was also carefully quantified. The column-integrated aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500nm was 0.1-0.3 for near-surface aerosols and increased 1-5 times in presence of upper layer biomass-burning aerosols. A case study showed the strong aerosol absorption (single-scattering albedo (omega) approx. = 0.92 at 440nm wavelength) exhibited by the upper layer when associated with predominantly biomass-burning aerosols, and the omega (approx. = 0.95) of near-surface aerosols was greater than that of the upper layer aerosols because of the presence of mixed type aerosols. The presence of upper level aerosol transport could enhance the radiative efficiency at the surface (i.e., cooling) and lower atmosphere (i.e., heating) by up to -13.7 and +9.6W/sq m2 per AOD, respectively. Such enhancement could potentially modify atmospheric stability, can influence atmospheric circulation, as well as the hydrological cycle over the tropical and low-latitude marginal northern SCS.

Three-Dimensional Physical and Optical Characteristics of Aerosols over Central China from Long-Term CALIPSO and HYSPLIT Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Lu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Aerosols greatly influence global and regional atmospheric systems, and human life. However, a comprehensive understanding of the source regions and three-dimensional (3D characteristics of aerosol transport over central China is yet to be achieved. Thus, we investigate the 3D macroscopic, optical, physical, and transport properties of the aerosols over central China based on the March 2007 to February 2016 data obtained from the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO mission and the hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory (HYSPLIT model. Our results showed that approximately 60% of the aerosols distributed over central China originated from local areas, whereas non-locally produced aerosols constituted approximately 40%. Anthropogenic aerosols constituted the majority of the aerosol pollutants (69% that mainly distributed less than 2.0 km above mean sea level. Natural aerosols, which are mainly composed of dust, accounted for 31% of the total aerosols, and usually existed at an altitude higher than that of anthropogenic aerosols. Aerosol particles distributed in the near surface were smaller and more spherical than those distributed above 2.0 km. Aerosol optical depth (AOD and the particulate depolarization ratio displayed decreasing trends, with a total decrease of 0.11 and 0.016 from March 2007 to February 2016, respectively. These phenomena indicate that during the study period, the extinction properties of aerosols decreased, and the degree of sphericity in aerosol particles increased. Moreover, the annual anthropogenic and natural AOD demonstrated decreasing trends, with a total decrease of 0.07 and 0.04, respectively. This study may benefit the evaluation of the effects of the 3D properties of aerosols on regional climates.

Experimental synergy combining lidar measurements so as to optically characterize aerosols: applications to air quality and radiative forcing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raut, J.Ch.

2008-09-01

The work carried out in this study is devoted to a better understanding of the evolution of aerosol physical, chemical and optical properties for urban pollution aerosols, dust and biomass burning particles. It mainly concerns the complex refractive index and the single-scattering albedo. Such a characterisation is indeed necessary so as to fulfil the requirements of scientific and societal air quality and global climate evolution questions. Our study is based on a synergy between different measurements platforms: ground-based or airborne measurements, together with active and passive remote sensing observations. Lidar in particular turns out to be an essential tool in order to assess horizontal and vertical variability of aerosol micro-physical and optical properties in the atmospheric boundary layer, but also in the residual layer, as well as in layers transported from the boundary layer to the free troposphere. The original methodology we developed highlights the importance of the geographical origin, the impact of aging and dynamical processes in the evolution of structural, optical and hygroscopic aerosol features. The related accurate determination of the properties in each aerosol layer is required for radiative fluxes and heating rates calculations in the atmospheric column. The radiative impact of both dust particles and biomass burning aerosols observed over the region of Niamey (Niger) was thus assessed during the dry season. These results reveal the need of a better characterisation of those significant aerosol properties for each layer in models. (author)

Infrared remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols; Apports du sondage infrarouge a l'etude des aerosols atmospheriques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pierangelo, C.

2005-09-15

The 2001 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasized the very low level of understanding of atmospheric aerosol effects on climate. These particles originate either from natural sources (dust, volcanic aerosols...) or from anthropogenic sources (sulfates, soot...). They are one of the main sources of uncertainty on climate change, partly because they show a very high spatio-temporal variability. Observation from space, being global and quasi-continuous, is therefore a first importance tool for aerosol studies. Remote sensing in the visible domain has been widely used to obtain a better characterization of these particles and their effect on solar radiation. On the opposite, remote sensing of aerosols in the infrared domain still remains marginal. Yet, not only the knowledge of the effect of aerosols on terrestrial radiation is needed for the evaluation of their total radiative forcing, but also infrared remote sensing provides a way to retrieve other aerosol characteristics (observations are possible at night and day, over land and sea). In this PhD dissertation, we show that aerosol optical depth, altitude and size can be retrieved from infrared sounder observations. We first study the sensitivity of aerosol optical properties to their micro-physical properties, we then develop a radiative transfer code for scattering medium adapted to the very high spectral resolution of the new generation sounder NASA-Aqua/AIRS, and we finally focus on the inverse problem. The applications shown here deal with Pinatubo stratospheric volcanic aerosol, observed with NOAA/HIRS, and with the building of an 8 year climatology of dust over sea and land from this sounder. Finally, from AIRS observations, we retrieve the optical depth at 10 {mu}m, the average altitude and the coarse mode effective radius of mineral dust over sea. (author)

Aerosol Optical Properties Derived from the DRAGON-NE Asia Campaign, and Implications for a Single-Channel Algorithm to Retrieve Aerosol Optical Depth in Spring from Meteorological Imager (MI) On-Board the Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS)

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, M.; Kim, J.; Jeong, U.; Kim, W.; Hong, H.; Holben, B.; Eck, T. F.; Lim, J.; Song, C.; Lee, S.;

Radiative forcing of the desert aerosol at Ouarzazate (Morocco)

Science.gov (United States)

Tahiri, Abdelouahid; Diouri, Mohamed

2018-05-01

The atmospheric aerosol contributes to the definition of the climate with direct effect, the diffusion and absorption of solar and terrestrial radiations, and indirect, the cloud formation process where aerosols behave as condensation nuclei and alter the optical properties. Satellites and ground-based networks (solar photometers) allow the terrestrial aerosol observation and the determination of impact. Desert aerosol considered among the main types of tropospheric aerosols whose optical property uncertainties are still quite important. The analysis concerns the optical parameters recorded in 2015 at Ouarzazate solar photometric station (AERONET/PHOTONS network, http://aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov/) close to Saharan zone. The daily average aerosol optical depthτaer at 0.5μm, are relatively high in summer and less degree in spring (from 0.01 to 1.82). Daily average of the Angstrom coefficients α vary between 0.01 and 1.55. The daily average of aerosol radiative forcing at the surface range between -150W/m2 and -10 W/m2 with peaks recorded in summer, characterized locally by large loads of desert aerosol in agreement with the advections of the Southeast of Morocco. Those recorded at the Top of the atmosphere show a variation from -74 W/m2 to +24 W/m2

Aerosol Observing System (AOS) Handbook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jefferson, A

2011-01-17

The Aerosol Observing System (AOS) is a suite of in situ surface measurements of aerosol optical and cloud-forming properties. The instruments measure aerosol properties that influence the earth’s radiative balance. The primary optical measurements are those of the aerosol scattering and absorption coefficients as a function of particle size and radiation wavelength and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) measurements as a function of percent supersaturation. Additional measurements include those of the particle number concentration and scattering hygroscopic growth. Aerosol optical measurements are useful for calculating parameters used in radiative forcing calculations such as the aerosol single-scattering albedo, asymmetry parameter, mass scattering efficiency, and hygroscopic growth. CCN measurements are important in cloud microphysical models to predict droplet formation.

Evaluating the impact of aerosol particles above cloud on cloud optical depth retrievals from MODIS

Science.gov (United States)

Alfaro-Contreras, Ricardo; Zhang, Jianglong; Campbell, James R.; Holz, Robert E.; Reid, Jeffrey S.

2014-05-01

Using two different operational Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud optical depth (COD) retrievals (0.86 versus 1.6 µm), we evaluate the impact of above-cloud smoke aerosol particles on near-IR (0.86 µm) COD retrievals. Aerosol Index (AI) from the collocated Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) are used to identify above-cloud aerosol particle loading over the southern Atlantic Ocean, including both smoke and dust from the African subcontinent. Collocated Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation data constrain cloud phase and provide contextual above-cloud aerosol optical depth. The frequency of occurrence of above-cloud aerosol events is depicted on a global scale for the spring and summer seasons from OMI and Cloud Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization. Seasonal frequencies for smoke-over-cloud off the southwestern Africa coastline reach 20-50% in boreal summer. We find a corresponding low COD bias of 10-20% for standard MODIS COD retrievals when averaged OMI AI are larger than 1. No such bias is found over the Saharan dust outflow region off northern Africa, since both MODIS 0.86 and 1.6 µm channels are vulnerable to radiance attenuation due to dust particles. A similar result is found for a smaller domain, in the Gulf of Tonkin region, from smoke advection over marine stratocumulus clouds and outflow into the northern South China Sea in spring. This study shows the necessity of accounting for the above-cloud aerosol events for future studies using standard MODIS cloud products in biomass burning outflow regions, through the use of collocated OMI AI and supplementary MODIS 1.6 µm COD products.

Production of aerosols by optical catapulting: Imaging, performance parameters and laser-induced plasma sampling rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelhamid, M.; Fortes, F.J.; Fernández-Bravo, A.; Harith, M.A.; Laserna, J.J.

2013-01-01

Optical catapulting (OC) is a sampling and manipulation method that has been extensively studied in applications ranging from single cells in heterogeneous tissue samples to analysis of explosive residues in human fingerprints. Specifically, analysis of the catapulted material by means of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) offers a promising approach for the inspection of solid particulate matter. In this work, we focus our attention in the experimental parameters to be optimized for a proper aerosol generation while increasing the particle density in the focal region sampled by LIBS. For this purpose we use shadowgraphy visualization as a diagnostic tool. Shadowgraphic images were acquired for studying the evolution and dynamics of solid aerosols produced by OC. Aluminum silicate particles (0.2–8 μm) were ejected from the substrate using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm, while time-resolved images recorded the propagation of the generated aerosol. For LIBS analysis and shadowgraphy visualization, a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm and 532 nm was employed, respectively. Several parameters such as the time delay between pulses and the effect of laser fluence on the aerosol production have been also investigated. After optimization, the particle density in the sampling focal volume increases while improving the aerosol sampling rate till ca. 90%. - Highlights: • Aerosol generation by optical catapulting has been successfully optimized. • We study the evolution and dynamics of solid aerosols produced by OC. • We use shadowgraphy visualization as a diagnostic tool. • Effects of temporal conditions and laser fluence on the elevation of the aerosol cloud have been investigated. • The observed LIBS sampling rate increased from 50% reported before to approximately 90%

How do the optical properties of Asian aerosols change when they cross the Pacific?

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, E. V.; Jaffe, D. A.

2009-12-01

Primary and secondary aerosols from Asia may have important climate implications. These aerosols are emitted locally, but can then be lofted into the free troposphere and advected across the Pacific. In this analysis we used observations from the Mount Bachelor Observatory (MBO) in conjunction with satellite data to identify the dominant aerosol types in specific Asian plumes that crossed the Pacific. In situ data from MBO is used to understand the observed changes in radiative properties. A suite of gas phase and aerosol measurements were made during spring 2008 and spring 2009 at MBO (2763 masl), located in central Oregon. Here we focus on observations of dry sub-μm aerosol scattering (σsp) and absorption (σap), made with an integrating nephelometer and a particle soot absorption photometer (PSAP). Using a combination of backward trajectory calculations and satellite observations, we identified 7 well defined plumes of Asian origin. These plumes included the highest σsp (34.8 Mm-1 hourly average) and σap (4.8 Mm-1 hourly average) observed at MBO over the 2008 and 2009 spring campaigns. Of interest in this analysis is 1) whether the intensive optical properties differ between these 7 Asian events, 2) whether these differences can be linked to differences in composition, and 3) whether the intensive optical properties differ from those observed closer to the Asian source region. Preliminary results show that the plumes clustered in terms of their optical properties; plumes hypothesized to contain a large fraction of mineral dust were the most distinct. We also observed larger variability in the average scattering Ångstrom exponent of the plumes and a higher average single scatter albedo than observations closer to the Asian coast. This work will be extended to compare observations at MBO with the most recent observations from Asia as they become available.

Measurements and estimation of the columnar optical depth of tropospheric aerosols in the UV spectral region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. E. Cachorro

2002-04-01

Full Text Available We report values of the columnar tropospheric aerosol optical depth at UV wavelengths based on experimental measurements of the direct spectral irradiances carried out by a commercial spectroradiometer (Li1800 of Licor company covering the range from 300–1100 nm at two stations with different climate characteristics in Spain. The first station is located in a rural site in north central Spain with continental climate. The data extend from March to the end of October of 1995. The other station is a coastal site in the Gulf of Cádiz (southwest Spain of maritime climate type. This study is mainly focused on the capability of estimating aerosol optical depth values in the UV region based on the extracted information in the visible and near infrared ranges. A first method has been used based on the Ångström turbidity parameters. However, since this method requires detailed spectral information, a second method has also been used, based on the correlation between wavelengths. A correlation has been established between the experimental aerosol optical depth values at 350 nm and 500 nm wavelengths. Although the type of aerosol seems to be the key factor that determines the quality of these estimations, the evaluation of the associated error is necessary to know the behaviour of these estimations in each area of study.Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (aerosols and particles; transmission and scattering of radiation; troposphere – composition and chemistry

Measurements and estimation of the columnar optical depth of tropospheric aerosols in the UV spectral region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. E. Cachorro

Full Text Available We report values of the columnar tropospheric aerosol optical depth at UV wavelengths based on experimental measurements of the direct spectral irradiances carried out by a commercial spectroradiometer (Li1800 of Licor company covering the range from 300–1100 nm at two stations with different climate characteristics in Spain. The first station is located in a rural site in north central Spain with continental climate. The data extend from March to the end of October of 1995. The other station is a coastal site in the Gulf of Cádiz (southwest Spain of maritime climate type. This study is mainly focused on the capability of estimating aerosol optical depth values in the UV region based on the extracted information in the visible and near infrared ranges. A first method has been used based on the Ångström turbidity parameters. However, since this method requires detailed spectral information, a second method has also been used, based on the correlation between wavelengths. A correlation has been established between the experimental aerosol optical depth values at 350 nm and 500 nm wavelengths. Although the type of aerosol seems to be the key factor that determines the quality of these estimations, the evaluation of the associated error is necessary to know the behaviour of these estimations in each area of study.

Key words. Atmospheric composition and structure (aerosols and particles; transmission and scattering of radiation; troposphere – composition and chemistry

Study on aerosol optical properties and radiative effect in cloudy weather in the Guangzhou region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deng, Tao, E-mail: tdeng@grmc.gov.cn [Institute of Tropical and Marine Meteorology/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Numerical Weather Prediction, China Meteorological Administration, Guangzhou 510080 (China); Deng, XueJiao; Li, Fei [Institute of Tropical and Marine Meteorology/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Numerical Weather Prediction, China Meteorological Administration, Guangzhou 510080 (China); Wang, ShiQiang [Zhuhai Meteorological Administration, Zhuhai 519000 (China); Wang, Gang [Haizhu Meteorological Administration, Guangzhou, 510000 (China)

2016-10-15

Currently, Guangzhou region was facing the problem of severe air pollution. Large amount of aerosols in the polluted air dramatically attenuated solar radiation. This study investigated the vertical optical properties of aerosols and inverted the height of boundary layer in the Guangzhou region using the lidar. Simultaneously, evaluated the impact of different types of clouds on aerosol radiation effects using the SBDART. The results showed that the height of the boundary layer and the surface visibility changed consistently, the average height of the boundary layer on the hazy days was only 61% of that on clear days. At the height of 2 km or lower, the aerosol extinction coefficient profile distribution decreased linearly along with height on clear days, but the haze days saw an exponential decrease. When there was haze, the changing of heating rate of atmosphere caused by the aerosol decreased from 3.72 K/d to 0.9 K/d below the height of 2 km, and the attenuation of net radiation flux at the ground surface was 97.7 W/m{sup 2}, and the attenuation amplitude was 11.4%; when there were high clouds, the attenuation was 125.2 W/m{sup 2} and the attenuation amplitude was 14.6%; where there were medium cloud, the attenuation was 286.4 W/m{sup 2} and the attenuation amplitude was 33.4%. Aerosol affected mainly shortwave radiation, and affected long wave radiation very slightly. - Highlights: • Large amount of aerosols dramatically attenuated solar radiation in Guangzhou region. • Investigated the aerosol extinction coefficient profile distribution and inverted the height of boundary layer using the lidar • Evaluated the impact of different types of clouds on aerosol radiation effects.

Evaluation of methods to determine the spectral variations of aerosol optical thickness

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Suresh, T.; Talaulikar, M.; Rodrigues, A.; Desa, E.; Chauhan, P.

The methods used to derive spectral variations of aerosol optical thickness, AOT are evaluated. For our analysis we have used the AOT measured using a hand held sunphotometer at the coastal station on the west coast of India, Dona-Paula, Goa...

Validation of new satellite aerosol optical depth retrieval algorithm using Raman lidar observations at radiative transfer laboratory in Warsaw

Science.gov (United States)

Zawadzka, Olga; Stachlewska, Iwona S.; Markowicz, Krzysztof M.; Nemuc, Anca; Stebel, Kerstin

2018-04-01

During an exceptionally warm September of 2016, the unique, stable weather conditions over Poland allowed for an extensive testing of the new algorithm developed to improve the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval. The development was conducted in the frame of the ESA-ESRIN SAMIRA project. The new AOD algorithm aims at providing the aerosol optical depth maps over the territory of Poland with a high temporal resolution of 15 minutes. It was tested on the data set obtained between 11-16 September 2016, during which a day of relatively clean atmospheric background related to an Arctic airmass inflow was surrounded by a few days with well increased aerosol load of different origin. On the clean reference day, for estimating surface reflectance the AOD forecast available on-line via the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) was used. The obtained AOD maps were validated against AODs available within the Poland-AOD and AERONET networks, and with AOD values obtained from the PollyXT-UW lidar. of the University of Warsaw (UW).

A study of the effect of non-spherical dust particles on Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) aerosol optical properties retrievals

Science.gov (United States)

Go, S.; Kim, J.; KIM, M.; Choi, M.; Lim, H.

2017-12-01

Non-spherical assumption of particle shape has been used to replace the spherical assumption in the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) aerosol optical properties retrievals for dust particles. GEMS aerosol retrieval algorithms are based on optimal estimation method to provide aerosol optical depth (AOD), single scattering albedo (SSA) at 443nm, and aerosol loading height (ALH) simultaneously as products. Considering computing time efficiency, the algorithm takes Look-Up Table (LUT) approach using Vector Linearized Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer code (VLIDORT), and aerosol optical properties for three aerosol types of absorbing fine aerosol (BC), dust and non-absorbing aerosol (NA) are integrated from AERONET inversion data, and fed into the LUT calculation. In this study, by applying the present algorithm to OMI top-of the atmosphere normalized radiance, retrieved AOD, SSA with both spherical and non-spherical assumptions have been compared to the surface AERONET observations at East Asia sites for 3 years from 2005 to 2007 to evaluate and quantify the effect of non-spherical dust particles on the satellite aerosol retrievals. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) in the satellite retrieved AOD have been slightly reduced as a result of adopting the non-spherical assumption in the GEMS aerosol retrieval algorithm. For SSA, algorithm tested with spheroid models on dust particle shows promising results for the improved SSA. In terms of ALH, the results are qualitatively compared with CALIOP products, and shows consistent variation. This result suggests the importance of taking into account the effects of non-sphericity in the retrieval of dust particles from GEMS measurements.

Comparison of Coincident Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Aerosol Optical Depths over Land and Ocean Scenes Containing Aerosol Robotic Network Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Abdou, Wedad A.; Diner, David J.; Martonchik, John V.; Bruegge, Carol J.; Kahn, Ralph A.; Gaitley, Barbara J.; Crean, Kathleen A.; Remer, Lorraine A.; Holben, Brent

2005-01-01

The Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), launched on 18 December 1999 aboard the Terra spacecraft, are making global observations of top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiances. Aerosol optical depths and particle properties are independently retrieved from these radiances using methodologies and algorithms that make use of the instruments corresponding designs. This paper compares instantaneous optical depths retrieved from simultaneous and collocated radiances measured by the two instruments at locations containing sites within the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). A set of 318 MISR and MODIS images, obtained during the months of March, June, and September 2002 at 62 AERONET sites, were used in this study. The results show that over land, MODIS aerosol optical depths at 470 and 660 nm are larger than those retrieved from MISR by about 35% and 10% on average, respectively, when all land surface types are included in the regression. The differences decrease when coastal and desert areas are excluded. For optical depths retrieved over ocean, MISR is on average about 0.1 and 0.05 higher than MODIS in the 470 and 660 nm bands, respectively. Part of this difference is due to radiometric calibration and is reduced to about 0.01 and 0.03 when recently derived band-to-band adjustments in the MISR radiometry are incorporated. Comparisons with AERONET data show similar patterns.

Evaluation and application of passive and active optical remote sensing methods for the measurement of atmospheric aerosol properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mielonen, T.

2010-07-01

Atmospheric aerosol particles affect the atmosphere's radiation balance by scattering and absorbing sunlight. Moreover, the particles act as condensation nuclei for clouds and affect their reflectivity. In addition, aerosols have negative health effects and they reduce visibility. Aerosols are emitted into the atmosphere from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Different types of aerosols have different effects on the radiation balance, thus global monitoring and typing of aerosols is of vital importance. In this thesis, several remote sensing methods used in the measurement of atmospheric aerosols are evaluated. Remote sensing of aerosols can be done with active and passive instruments. Passive instruments measure radiation emitted by the sun and the Earth while active instruments have their own radiation source, for example a black body radiator or laser. The instruments utilized in these studies were sun photometers (PFR, Cimel), lidars (POLLYXT, CALIOP), transmissiometer (OLAF) and a spectroradiometer (MODIS). Retrieval results from spaceborne instruments (MODIS, CALIOP) were evaluated with ground based measurements (PFR, Cimel). In addition, effects of indicative aerosol model assumptions on the calculated radiative transfer were studied. Finally, aerosol particle mass at the ground level was approximated from satellite measurements and vertical profiles of aerosols measured with a lidar were analyzed. For the evaluation part, these studies show that the calculation of aerosol induced attenuation of radiation based on aerosol size distribution measurements is not a trivial task. In addition to dry aerosol size distribution, the effect of ambient relative humidity on the size distribution and the optical properties of the aerosols need to be known in order to achieve correct results from the calculations. Furthermore, the results suggest that aerosol size parameters retrieved from passive spaceborne measurements depend heavily on surgace reflectance

Effects on stratospheric moistening by rates of change of aerosol optical depth and ozone due to solar activity in extra-tropics

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, U.; Maitra, A.

2014-11-01

The solar-induced changes in ozone and aerosol optical depth have relative effects on stratospheric moistening at upper troposphere/lower stratosphere region. Wavelet-based multi-scale principal component analysis technique has been applied to de-noise component of quasi-biennial oscillation and El Niño-Southern Oscillation from ozone and aerosol optical depth variations. Rate of change of aerosol optical depth sharply increases indicating a positive gradient whereas rate of change of ozone sharply decreases indicating a negative gradient with solar activity during the years 2004-2010. It is also observed that with increase of rate of change of aerosol optical depth, there is a sharp increase of stratospheric moistening caused by enhanced deep convection. On the contrary, with the increase of stratospheric moistening, there is a sharp decrease of rate of change of ozone resulting in a cross-over between the two parameters. An increase in aerosol optical depth may cause a significant increase in the gradient of vertical temperature profile, as well as formation of cloud condensation nuclei, clouds and hence rainfall. This may lead to formation of strong convective system in the atmosphere that is essential for vertical transfer of water vapour in the tropics percolating tropical tropopause layer and depleting stratospheric ozone in the extra-tropics.

Optical Properties of the Urban Aerosol Particles Obtained from Ground Based Measurements and Satellite-Based Modelling Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Genrik Mordas

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Applications of satellite remote sensing data combined with ground measurements and model simulation were applied to study aerosol optical properties as well as aerosol long-range transport under the impact of large scale circulation in the urban environment in Lithuania (Vilnius. Measurements included the light scattering coefficients at 3 wavelengths (450, 550, and 700 nm measured with an integrating nephelometer and aerosol particle size distribution (0.5–12 μm and number concentration (Dpa > 0.5 μm registered by aerodynamic particle sizer. Particle number concentration and mean light scattering coefficient varied from relatively low values of 6.0 cm−3 and 12.8 Mm−1 associated with air masses passed over Atlantic Ocean to relatively high value of 119 cm−3 and 276 Mm−1 associated with South-Western air masses. Analysis shows such increase in the aerosol light scattering coefficient (276 Mm−1 during the 3rd of July 2012 was attributed to a major Sahara dust storm. Aerosol size distribution with pronounced coarse particles dominance was attributed to the presence of dust particles, while resuspended dust within the urban environment was not observed.

Climatology of the Aerosol Optical Depth by Components from the Multi-Angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) and Chemistry Transport Models

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Huikyo; Kalashnikova, Olga V.; Suzuki, Kentaroh; Braverman, Amy; Garay, Michael J.; Kahn, Ralph A.

2016-01-01

The Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) Joint Aerosol (JOINT_AS) Level 3 product has provided a global, descriptive summary of MISR Level 2 aerosol optical depth (AOD) and aerosol type information for each month over 16+ years since March 2000. Using Version 1 of JOINT_AS, which is based on the operational (Version 22) MISR Level 2 aerosol product, this study analyzes, for the first time, characteristics of observed and simulated distributions of AOD for three broad classes of aerosols: spherical nonabsorbing, spherical absorbing, and nonspherical - near or downwind of their major source regions. The statistical moments (means, standard deviations, and skew-nesses) and distributions of AOD by components derived from the JOINT_AS are compared with results from two chemistry transport models (CTMs), the Goddard Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport (GOCART) and SPectral RadIatioN-TrAnSport (SPRINTARS). Overall, the AOD distributions retrieved from MISR and modeled by GOCART and SPRINTARS agree with each other in a qualitative sense. Marginal distributions of AOD for each aerosol type in both MISR and models show considerable high positive skewness, which indicates the importance of including extreme AOD events when comparing satellite retrievals with models. The MISR JOINT_AS product will greatly facilitate comparisons between satellite observations and model simulations of aerosols by type.

Simulation of aerosol optical properties over a tropical urban site in India using a global model and its comparison with ground measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Goto

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Aerosols have great impacts on atmospheric environment, human health, and earth's climate. Therefore, information on their spatial and temporal distribution is of paramount importance. Despite numerous studies have examined the variation and trends of BC and AOD over India, only very few have focused on their spatial distribution or even correlating the observations with model simulations. In the present study, a three-dimensional aerosol transport-radiation model coupled with a general circulation model. SPRINTARS, simulated atmospheric aerosol distributions including BC and aerosol optical properties, i.e., aerosol optical thickness (AOT, Ångström Exponent (AE, and single scattering albedo (SSA. The simulated results are compared with both BC measurements by aethalometer and aerosol optical properties measured by ground-based skyradiometer and by satellite sensor, MODIS/Terra over Hyderabad, which is a tropical urban area of India, for the year 2008. The simulated AOT and AE in Hyderabad are found to be comparable to ground-based measured ones. The simulated SSA tends to be higher than the ground-based measurements. Both these comparisons of aerosol optical properties between the simulations with different emission inventories and the measurements indicate that, firstly the model uncertainties derived from aerosol emission inventory cannot explain the gaps between the simulations and the measurements and secondly the vertical transport of BC and the treatment of BC-containing particles can be the main issue in the global model to solve the gap.

Diurnal Evolution of Aerosol Optical Properties and Morphology at Pico Tres Padres: A Phenomenological Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzoleni, C.; Chakrabarty, R.; Dubey, M. K.; Moosmuller, H.; Chylek, P.; Onasch, T. B.; Herndon, S.; Zavala, M.; Kolb, C.

2007-05-01

Aerosol optical properties affect planetary radiative balance and therefore climate. The optical properties are related to chemical composition, size distribution, and morphology, which also have implications for human health and environmental degradation. During the MILAGRO field campaign, we measured ensemble aerosol absorption and angle-integrated scattering in Mexico City. These measurements were performed using the Los Alamos aerosol photoacoustic instrument with an integrated nephelometer (LAPA) operating at 781 nm. The LAPA was mounted on-board the Aerodyne Inc. mobile laboratory, which hosted a wide variety of gaseous and aerosol instruments. During the campaign, the Aerodyne mobile laboratory was moved to different sites, capturing the influence of spatial and temporal parameters including location, aging, elevation, and sources on ambient air pollution. The LAPA operated almost continuously between the 3rd and the 28th of March 2006. During the same period we collected ambient aerosols on more than 100 Nuclepore filters for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Filter samples were collected during specific pollution events and different times of the day. Subsequently, SEM images of selected filters were taken to study particle morphology. The elemental composition of a few individual particles was also qualitatively assessed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Between March 7th and 19th the laboratory was sampling air close to the top of the Pico Tres Padres, a ~3000 m high mountain on the north side of the Mexico City. Daily changes of aerosol loading and pollutant concentrations followed the expected diurnal variations of the boundary layer height. Here we report a preliminary analysis of aerosol absorption, scattering, and morphology at Pico Tres Padres for three specific days (9th, 11th and 12th of March 2006). The single scattering albedo (ratio of scattering to total extinction) during these three days showed a characteristic drop in the

Optical properties and aging of light-absorbing secondary organic aerosol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Liu

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The light-absorbing organic aerosol (OA commonly referred to as “brown carbon” (BrC has attracted considerable attention in recent years because of its potential to affect atmospheric radiation balance, especially in the ultraviolet region and thus impact photochemical processes. A growing amount of data has indicated that BrC is prevalent in the atmosphere, which has motivated numerous laboratory and field studies; however, our understanding of the relationship between the chemical composition and optical properties of BrC remains limited. We conducted chamber experiments to investigate the effect of various volatile organic carbon (VOC precursors, NOx concentrations, photolysis time, and relative humidity (RH on the light absorption of selected secondary organic aerosols (SOA. Light absorption of chamber-generated SOA samples, especially aromatic SOA, was found to increase with NOx concentration, at moderate RH, and for the shortest photolysis aging times. The highest mass absorption coefficient (MAC value is observed from toluene SOA products formed under high-NOx conditions at moderate RH, in which nitro-aromatics were previously identified as the major light-absorbing compounds. BrC light absorption is observed to decrease with photolysis time, correlated with a decline of the organic nitrate fraction of SOA. SOA formed from mixtures of aromatics and isoprene absorb less visible (Vis and ultraviolet (UV light than SOA formed from aromatic precursors alone on a mass basis. However, the mixed SOA absorption was underestimated when optical properties were predicted using a two-product SOA formation model, as done in many current climate models. Further investigation, including analysis on detailed mechanisms, are required to explain the discrepancy.

Aerosol optical thickness retrieval over land and water using SCIAMACHY/GOME data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kusmierczyk-Michulec, J.; Leeuw, G. de

2005-01-01

An algorithm for the retrieval of the aerosol optical thickness over land and over water from SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption SpectroMeter for Atmospheric ChartographY) is presented. Because calibrated data are not yet available for the SCIAMACHY channels used by the algorithm, the concepts

Evaluating the impact of above-cloud aerosols on cloud optical depth retrievals from MODIS

Science.gov (United States)

Alfaro, Ricardo

Using two different operational Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud optical depth (COD) retrievals (visible and shortwave infrared), the impacts of above-cloud absorbing aerosols on the standard COD retrievals are evaluated. For fine-mode aerosol particles, aerosol optical depth (AOD) values diminish sharply from the visible to the shortwave infrared channels. Thus, a suppressed above-cloud particle radiance aliasing effect occurs for COD retrievals using shortwave infrared channels. Aerosol Index (AI) from the spatially and temporally collocated Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) are used to identify above-cloud aerosol particle loading over the southern Atlantic Ocean, including both smoke and dust from the African sub-continent. MODIS and OMI Collocated Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) data are used to constrain cloud phase and provide contextual above-cloud AOD values. The frequency of occurrence of above-cloud aerosols is depicted on a global scale for the spring and summer seasons from OMI and CALIOP, thus indicating the significance of the problem. Seasonal frequencies for smoke-over-cloud off the southwestern Africa coastline reach 20--50% in boreal summer. We find a corresponding low COD bias of 10--20% for standard MODIS COD retrievals when averaged OMI AI are larger than 1.0. No such bias is found over the Saharan dust outflow region off northern Africa, since both MODIS visible and shortwave in channels are vulnerable to dust particle aliasing, and thus a COD impact cannot be isolated with this method. A similar result is found for a smaller domain, in the Gulf of Tonkin region, from smoke advection over marine stratocumulus clouds and outflow into the northern South China Sea in spring. This study shows the necessity of accounting for the above-cloud aerosol events for future studies using standard MODIS cloud products in biomass burning outflow regions, through the use of

Aerosol optical properties and precipitable water vapor column in the atmosphere of Norway.

Science.gov (United States)

Muyimbwa, Dennis; Frette, Øyvind; Stamnes, Jakob J; Ssenyonga, Taddeo; Chen, Yi-Chun; Hamre, Børge

2015-02-20

Between February 2012 and April 2014, we measured and analyzed direct solar radiances at a ground-based station in Bergen, Norway. We discovered that the spectral aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and precipitable water vapor column (PWVC) retrieved from these measurements have a seasonal variation with highest values in summer and lowest values in winter. The highest value of the monthly median AOT at 440 nm of about 0.16 was measured in July and the lowest of about 0.04 was measured in December. The highest value of the monthly median PWVC of about 2.0 cm was measured in July and the lowest of about 0.4 cm was measured in December. We derived Ångström exponents that were used to deduce aerosol particle size distributions. We found that coarse-mode aerosol particles dominated most of the time during the measurement period, but fine-mode aerosol particles dominated during the winter seasons. The derived Ångström exponent values suggested that aerosols containing sea salt could have been dominating at this station during the measurement period.

Aerosol optical properties derived from the DRAGON-NE Asia campaign, and implications for a single-channel algorithm to retrieve aerosol optical depth in spring from Meteorological Imager (MI on-board the Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Kim

2016-02-01

Full Text Available An aerosol model optimized for northeast Asia is updated with the inversion data from the Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observation Networks (DRAGON-northeast (NE Asia campaign which was conducted during spring from March to May 2012. This updated aerosol model was then applied to a single visible channel algorithm to retrieve aerosol optical depth (AOD from a Meteorological Imager (MI on-board the geostationary meteorological satellite, Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS. This model plays an important role in retrieving accurate AOD from a single visible channel measurement. For the single-channel retrieval, sensitivity tests showed that perturbations by 4 % (0.926 ± 0.04 in the assumed single scattering albedo (SSA can result in the retrieval error in AOD by over 20 %. Since the measured reflectance at the top of the atmosphere depends on both AOD and SSA, the overestimation of assumed SSA in the aerosol model leads to an underestimation of AOD. Based on the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET inversion data sets obtained over East Asia before 2011, seasonally analyzed aerosol optical properties (AOPs were categorized by SSAs at 675 nm of 0.92 ± 0.035 for spring (March, April, and May. After the DRAGON-NE Asia campaign in 2012, the SSA during spring showed a slight increase to 0.93 ± 0.035. In terms of the volume size distribution, the mode radius of coarse particles was increased from 2.08 ± 0.40 to 2.14 ± 0.40. While the original aerosol model consists of volume size distribution and refractive indices obtained before 2011, the new model is constructed by using a total data set after the DRAGON-NE Asia campaign. The large volume of data in high spatial resolution from this intensive campaign can be used to improve the representative aerosol model for East Asia. Accordingly, the new AOD data sets retrieved from a single-channel algorithm, which uses a precalculated look-up table (LUT with the new aerosol model

Column-integrated aerosol optical properties and direct radiative forcing over the urban-industrial megacity Nanjing in the Yangtze River Delta, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Na; Kumar, K Raghavendra; Yu, Xingna; Yin, Yan

2016-09-01

Aerosol optical properties were measured and analyzed through the ground-based remote sensing Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) over an urban-industrial site, Nanjing (32.21° N, 118.72° E, and 62 m above sea level), in the Yangtze River Delta, China, during September 2007-August 2008. The annual averaged values of aerosol optical depth (AOD500) and the Ångström exponent (AE440-870) were measured to be 0.94 ± 0.52 and 1.10 ± 0.21, respectively. The seasonal averaged values of AOD500 (AE440-870) were noticed to be high in summer (autumn) and low in autumn (spring). The characterization of aerosol types showed the dominance of mixed type followed by the biomass burning and urban-industrial type of aerosol at Nanjing. Subsequently, the curvature (a 2) obtained from the second-order polynomial fit and the second derivative of AE (α') were also analyzed to understand the dominant aerosol type. The single scattering albedo at 440 nm (SSA440) varied from 0.88 to 0.93 with relatively lower (higher) values during the summer (spring), suggesting an increase in black carbon and mineral dust (desert dust) aerosols of absorbing (scattering) nature. The averaged monthly and seasonal evolutions of shortwave (0.3-4.0 μm) direct aerosol radiative forcing (DARF) values were computed from the Santa Barbara DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (SBDART) model both at the top of atmosphere (TOA) and bottom of atmosphere (SUR) during the study period. Further, the aerosol forcing efficiency (AFE) and the corresponding atmospheric heating rates (AHR) were also estimated from the forcing within the atmosphere (ATM). The derived DARF values, therefore, produced a warming effect within the atmosphere due to strong absorption of solar radiation.

On the influence of cloud fraction diurnal cycle and sub-grid cloud optical thickness variability on all-sky direct aerosol radiative forcing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Min, Min; Zhang, Zhibo

2014-01-01

The objective of this study is to understand how cloud fraction diurnal cycle and sub-grid cloud optical thickness variability influence the all-sky direct aerosol radiative forcing (DARF). We focus on the southeast Atlantic region where transported smoke is often observed above low-level water clouds during burning seasons. We use the CALIOP observations to derive the optical properties of aerosols. We developed two diurnal cloud fraction variation models. One is based on sinusoidal fitting of MODIS observations from Terra and Aqua satellites. The other is based on high-temporal frequency diurnal cloud fraction observations from SEVIRI on board of geostationary satellite. Both models indicate a strong cloud fraction diurnal cycle over the southeast Atlantic region. Sensitivity studies indicate that using a constant cloud fraction corresponding to Aqua local equatorial crossing time (1:30 PM) generally leads to an underestimated (less positive) diurnal mean DARF even if solar diurnal variation is considered. Using cloud fraction corresponding to Terra local equatorial crossing time (10:30 AM) generally leads overestimation. The biases are a typically around 10–20%, but up to more than 50%. The influence of sub-grid cloud optical thickness variability on DARF is studied utilizing the cloud optical thickness histogram available in MODIS Level-3 daily data. Similar to previous studies, we found the above-cloud smoke in the southeast Atlantic region has a strong warming effect at the top of the atmosphere. However, because of the plane-parallel albedo bias the warming effect of above-cloud smoke could be significantly overestimated if the grid-mean, instead of the full histogram, of cloud optical thickness is used in the computation. This bias generally increases with increasing above-cloud aerosol optical thickness and sub-grid cloud optical thickness inhomogeneity. Our results suggest that the cloud diurnal cycle and sub-grid cloud variability are important factors

Retrieval and Validation of aerosol optical properties from AHI measurements: impact of surface reflectance assumption

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, H.; Choi, M.; Kim, J.; Go, S.; Chan, P.; Kasai, Y.

2017-12-01

This study attempts to retrieve the aerosol optical properties (AOPs) based on the spectral matching method, with using three visible and one near infrared channels (470, 510, 640, 860nm). This method requires the preparation of look-up table (LUT) approach based on the radiative transfer modeling. Cloud detection is one of the most important processes for guaranteed quality of AOPs. Since the AHI has several infrared channels, which are very advantageous for cloud detection, clouds can be removed by using brightness temperature difference (BTD) and spatial variability test. The Yonsei Aerosol Retrieval (YAER) algorithm is basically utilized on a dark surface, therefore a bright surface (e.g., desert, snow) should be removed first. Then we consider the characteristics of the reflectance of land and ocean surface using three visible channels. The known surface reflectivity problem in high latitude area can be solved in this algorithm by selecting appropriate channels through improving tests. On the other hand, we retrieved the AOPs by obtaining the visible surface reflectance using NIR to normalized difference vegetation index short wave infrared (NDVIswir) relationship. ESR tends to underestimate urban and cropland area, we improved the visible surface reflectance considering urban effect. In this version, ocean surface reflectance is using the new cox and munk method which considers ocean bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). Input of this method has wind speed, chlorophyll, salinity and so on. Based on validation results with the sun-photometer measurement in AErosol Robotic NETwork (AERONET), we confirm that the quality of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) from the YAER algorithm is comparable to the product from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) retrieval algorithm. Our future update includes a consideration of improvement land surface reflectance by hybrid approach, and non-spherical aerosols. This will improve the quality of YAER

Aerosol optical properties at rural background area in Western Saudi Arabia

Science.gov (United States)

Lihavainen, H.; Alghamdi, M. A.; Hyvärinen, A.; Hussein, T.; Neitola, K.; Khoder, M.; Abdelmaksoud, A. S.; Al-Jeelani, H.; Shabbaj, I. I.; Almehmadi, F. M.

2017-11-01

To derive the comprehensive aerosol in situ characteristics at a rural background area in Saudi Arabia, an aerosol measurements station was established to Hada Al Sham, 60 km east from the Red Sea and the city of Jeddah. The present sturdy describes the observational data from February 2013 to February 2015 of scattering and absorption coefficients, Ångström exponents and single scattering albedo over the measurement period. The average scattering and absorption coefficients at wavelength 525 nm were 109 ± 71 Mm- 1 (mean ± SD, at STP conditions) and 15 ± 17 Mm- 1 (at STP conditions), respectively. As expected, the scattering coefficient was dominated by large desert dust particles with low Ångström scattering exponent, 0.49 ± 0.62. Especially from February to June the Ångström scattering exponent was clearly lower (0.23) and scattering coefficients higher (124 Mm- 1) than total averages because of the dust outbreak season. Aerosol optical properties had clear diurnal cycle. The lowest scattering and absorption coefficients and aerosol optical depths were observed around noon. The observed diurnal variation is caused by wind direction and speed, during night time very calm easterly winds are dominating whereas during daytime the stronger westerly winds are dominating (sea breeze). Positive Matrix Factorization mathematical tool was applied to the scattering and absorption coefficients and PM2.5 and coarse mode (PM10-PM2.5) mass concentrations to identify source characteristics. Three different factors with clearly different properties were found; anthropogenic, BC source and desert dust. Mass absorption efficiencies for BC source and desert dust factors were, 6.0 m2 g- 1 and 0.4 m2 g- 1, respectively, and mass scattering efficiencies for anthropogenic (sulphate) and desert dust, 2.5 m2 g- 1 and 0.8 m2 g- 1, respectively.

Estimation of surface-level PM2.5 concentration using aerosol optical thickness through aerosol type analysis method

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Qi-Xiang; Yuan, Yuan; Huang, Xing; Jiang, Yan-Qiu; Tan, He-Ping

2017-06-01

Surface-level particulate matter is closely related to column aerosol optical thickness (AOT). Previous researches have successfully used column AOT and different meteorological parameters to estimate surface-level PM concentration. In this study, the performance of a selected linear model that estimates surface-level PM2.5 concentration was evaluated following the aerosol type analysis method (ATAM) for the first time. We utilized 443 daily average data for Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, collected using Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) during the period October 2013 to April 2016. Several parameters including atmospheric boundary layer height (BLH), relative humidity (RH), and effective radius of the aerosol size distribution (Ref) were used to assess the relationship between the column AOT and PM2.5 concentration. By including the BLH, ambient RH, and effective radius, the correlation (R2) increased from 0.084 to 0.250 at Xuzhou, and with the use of ATAM, the correlation increased further to 0.335. To compare the results, 450 daily average data for Beijing, pertaining to the same period, were utilized. The study found that model correlations improved by varying degrees in different seasons and at different sites following ATAM. The average urban industry (UI) aerosol ratios at Xuzhou and Beijing were 0.792 and 0.451, respectively, demonstrating poorer air conditions at Xuzhou. PM2.5 estimation at Xuzhou showed lower correlation (R2 = 0.335) compared to Beijing (R2 = 0.407), and the increase of R2 at Xuzhou and Beijing site following use of ATAM were 33.8% and 12.4%, respectively.

The impact of atmospheric mineral aerosol deposition on the albedo of snow & sea ice: are snow and sea ice optical properties more important than mineral aerosol optical properties?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. L. Lamare

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Knowledge of the albedo of polar regions is crucial for understanding a range of climatic processes that have an impact on a global scale. Light-absorbing impurities in atmospheric aerosols deposited on snow and sea ice by aeolian transport absorb solar radiation, reducing albedo. Here, the effects of five mineral aerosol deposits reducing the albedo of polar snow and sea ice are considered. Calculations employing a coupled atmospheric and snow/sea ice radiative-transfer model (TUV-snow show that the effects of mineral aerosol deposits are strongly dependent on the snow or sea ice type rather than the differences between the aerosol optical characteristics. The change in albedo between five different mineral aerosol deposits with refractive indices varying by a factor of 2 reaches a maximum of 0.0788, whereas the difference between cold polar snow and melting sea ice is 0.8893 for the same mineral loading. Surprisingly, the thickness of a surface layer of snow or sea ice loaded with the same mass ratio of mineral dust has little effect on albedo. On the contrary, the surface albedo of two snowpacks of equal depth, containing the same mineral aerosol mass ratio, is similar, whether the loading is uniformly distributed or concentrated in multiple layers, regardless of their position or spacing. The impact of mineral aerosol deposits is much larger on melting sea ice than on other types of snow and sea ice. Therefore, the higher input of shortwave radiation during the summer melt cycle associated with melting sea ice accelerates the melt process.

Physical metrology of aerosols; Metrologie physique des aerosols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boulaud, D.; Vendel, J. [CEA Saclay, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France). Inst. de Protection et de Surete Nucleaire

1996-12-31

The various detection and measuring methods for aerosols are presented, and their selection is related to aerosol characteristics (size range, concentration or mass range), thermo-hydraulic conditions (carrier fluid temperature, pressure and flow rate) and to the measuring system conditions (measuring frequency, data collection speed, cost...). Methods based on aerosol dynamic properties (inertial, diffusional and electrical methods) and aerosol optical properties (localized and integral methods) are described and their performances and applications are compared

A campaign for investigating aerosol optical properties during winter hazes over Shijiazhuang, China

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Kai; Wang, Luyao; Wu, Lixin; Xu, Jian; Rao, Lanlan; Letu, Husi; Shi, Tiewei; Wang, Runfeng

2017-12-01

As the capital of the most air-polluted Hebei province in China, Shijiazhuang has been suffering serious haze pollutions especially during wintertime. An integrated campaign for investigating aerosol optical properties under haze conditions over Shijiazhuang were carried out using a sunphotometer, an aethalometer and a lidar in the winter from late 2013 to early 2014. The results indicated that the haze episodes during the measurement period were severer and more frequent over Shijiazhuang than Beijing. Under heavy pollution conditions (PM2.5 > 150 μg/m3) over Shijiazhuang, fine-mode fractions of AOD500nm were larger than 0.80 with more dispersive angstrom exponent due to hygroscopic growth. The mean values of SSA over Shijiazhuang were smaller than those over Beijing both in this study and the severe haze episodes in January 2013, suggesting that there were more fine-mode absorbing particles over Shijiazhuang. More significant spectrally-dependence of imaginary part of refractive index over Shijiazhuang implies larger relative magnitude of brown carbon (BrC) as compared to Beijing. The black carbon (BC) measurement displayed extremely high records with a larger ratio of BC to PM2.5 (12.11% in average) comparing with other cities in China. The high carbonaceous aerosols (BC and BrC) should be attributed to large amounts of coal consumption. During the hazes with high BC concentrations, the daily maximal planetary boundary layer (PBL) heights were consistently lower than 500 m, implying the impacts of BC aerosols on the PBL development and hence enhance the surface haze pollution.

Production of Highly Charged Pharmaceutical Aerosols Using a New Aerosol Induction Charger.

Science.gov (United States)

Golshahi, Laleh; Longest, P Worth; Holbrook, Landon; Snead, Jessica; Hindle, Michael

2015-09-01

Properly charged particles can be used for effective lung targeting of pharmaceutical aerosols. The objective of this study was to characterize the performance of a new induction charger that operates with a mesh nebulizer for the production of highly charged submicrometer aerosols to bypass the mouth-throat and deliver clinically relevant doses of medications to the lungs. Variables of interest included combinations of model drug (albuterol sulfate) and charging excipient (NaCl) as well as strength of the charging field (1-5 kV/cm). Aerosol charge and size were measured using a modified electrical low pressure impactor system combined with high performance liquid chromatography. At the approximate mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of the aerosol (~0.4 μm), the induction charge on the particles was an order of magnitude above the field and diffusion charge limit. The nebulization rate was 439.3 ± 42.9 μl/min, which with a 0.1% w/v solution delivered 419.5 ± 34.2 μg of medication per minute. A new correlation was developed to predict particle charge produced by the induction charger. The combination of the aerosol induction charger and predictive correlations will allow for the practical generation and control of charged submicrometer aerosols for targeting deposition within the lungs.

Intercomparison between CMIP5 model and MODIS satellite-retrieved data of aerosol optical depth, cloud fraction, and cloud-aerosol interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Sockol, Alyssa; Small Griswold, Jennifer D.

2017-08-01

Aerosols are a critical component of the Earth's atmosphere and can affect the climate of the Earth through their interactions with solar radiation and clouds. Cloud fraction (CF) and aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 550 nm from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are used with analogous cloud and aerosol properties from Historical Phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) model runs that explicitly include anthropogenic aerosols and parameterized cloud-aerosol interactions. The models underestimate AOD by approximately 15% and underestimate CF by approximately 10% overall on a global scale. A regional analysis is then used to evaluate model performance in two regions with known biomass burning activity and absorbing aerosol (South America (SAM) and South Africa (SAF)). In SAM, the models overestimate AOD by 4.8% and underestimate CF by 14%. In SAF, the models underestimate AOD by 35% and overestimate CF by 13.4%. Average annual cycles show that the monthly timing of AOD peaks closely match satellite data in both SAM and SAF for all except the Community Atmosphere Model 5 and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) models. Monthly timing of CF peaks closely match for all models (except GFDL) for SAM and SAF. Sorting monthly averaged 2° × 2.5° model or MODIS CF as a function of AOD does not result in the previously observed "boomerang"-shaped CF versus AOD relationship characteristic of regions with absorbing aerosols from biomass burning. Cloud-aerosol interactions, as observed using daily (or higher) temporal resolution data, are not reproducible at the spatial or temporal resolution provided by the CMIP5 models.

Aerosol optical properties and direct radiative forcing based on measurements from the China Aerosol Remote Sensing Network (CARSNET) in eastern China

Science.gov (United States)

Che, Huizheng; Qi, Bing; Zhao, Hujia; Xia, Xiangao; Eck, Thomas F.; Goloub, Philippe; Dubovik, Oleg; Estelles, Victor; Cuevas-Agulló, Emilio; Blarel, Luc; Wu, Yunfei; Zhu, Jun; Du, Rongguang; Wang, Yaqiang; Wang, Hong; Gui, Ke; Yu, Jie; Zheng, Yu; Sun, Tianze; Chen, Quanliang; Shi, Guangyu; Zhang, Xiaoye

2018-01-01

Aerosol pollution in eastern China is an unfortunate consequence of the region's rapid economic and industrial growth. Here, sun photometer measurements from seven sites in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2011 to 2015 were used to characterize the climatology of aerosol microphysical and optical properties, calculate direct aerosol radiative forcing (DARF) and classify the aerosols based on size and absorption. Bimodal size distributions were found throughout the year, but larger volumes and effective radii of fine-mode particles occurred in June and September due to hygroscopic growth and/or cloud processing. Increases in the fine-mode particles in June and September caused AOD440 nm > 1.00 at most sites, and annual mean AOD440 nm values of 0.71-0.76 were found at the urban sites and 0.68 at the rural site. Unlike northern China, the AOD440 nm was lower in July and August (˜ 0.40-0.60) than in January and February (0.71-0.89) due to particle dispersion associated with subtropical anticyclones in summer. Low volumes and large bandwidths of both fine-mode and coarse-mode aerosol size distributions occurred in July and August because of biomass burning. Single-scattering albedos at 440 nm (SSA440 nm) from 0.91 to 0.94 indicated particles with relatively strong to moderate absorption. Strongly absorbing particles from biomass burning with a significant SSA wavelength dependence were found in July and August at most sites, while coarse particles in March to May were mineral dust. Absorbing aerosols were distributed more or less homogeneously throughout the region with absorption aerosol optical depths at 440 nm ˜ 0.04-0.06, but inter-site differences in the absorption Angström exponent indicate a degree of spatial heterogeneity in particle composition. The annual mean DARF was -93 ± 44 to -79 ± 39 W m-2 at the Earth's surface and ˜ -40 W m-2 at the top of the atmosphere (for the solar zenith angle range of 50 to 80°) under cloud-free conditions. The fine mode

Climatology and trends of aerosol optical depth over the Mediterranean basin during the last 12years (2002-2014) based on Collection 006 MODIS-Aqua data.

Science.gov (United States)

Floutsi, A A; Korras-Carraca, M B; Matsoukas, C; Hatzianastassiou, N; Biskos, G

2016-05-01

The Mediterranean basin is a region of particular interest for studying atmospheric aerosols due to the large variety of air masses it receives, and its sensitivity to climate change. In this study we use the newest collection (C006) of aerosol optical depth from MODIS-Aqua, from which we also derived the fine-mode fraction and Ångström exponent over the last 12years (i.e., from 2002 to 2014), providing the longest analyzed dataset for this region. The long-term regional optical depth average is 0.20±0.05, with the indicated uncertainty reflecting the inter-annual variability. Overall, the aerosol optical depth exhibits a south-to-north decreasing gradient and an average decreasing trend of 0.0030 per year (19% total decrease over the study period). The correlation between the reported AOD observations with measurements from the ground AERONET stations is high (R=0.76-0.80 depending on the wavelength), with the MODIS-Aqua data being slightly overestimated. Both fine-fraction and Ångström exponent data highlight the dominance of anthropogenic aerosols over the northern, and of desert aerosols over the southern part of the region. Clear intrusions of desert dust over the Eastern Mediterranean are observed principally in spring, and in some cases in winter. Dust intrusions dominate the Western Mediterranean in the summer (and sometimes in autumn), whereas anthropogenic aerosols dominate the sub-region of the Black Sea in all seasons but especially during summer. Fine-mode optical depth is found to decrease over almost all areas of the study region during the 12-year period, marking the decreasing contribution of anthropogenic particulate matter emissions over the study area. Coarse-mode aerosol load also exhibits an overall decreasing trend. However, its decrease is smaller than that of fine aerosols and not as uniformly distributed, underlining that the overall decrease in the region arises mainly from reduced anthropogenic emissions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier

On the impact of non-sphericity and small-scale surface roughness on the optical properties of hematite aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahnert, Michael; Nousiainen, Timo; Mauno, Paeivi

2011-01-01

We perform a comparative modelling study to investigate how different morphological features influence the optical properties of hematite aerosols. We consider high-order Chebyshev particles as a proxy for aerosol with a small-scale surface roughness, and spheroids as a model for nonspherical aerosols with a smooth boundary surface. The modelling results are compared to those obtained for homogeneous spherical particles. It is found that for hematite particles with an absorption efficiency of order unity the difference in optical properties between spheres and spheroids disappears. For optically softer particles, such as ice particles at far-infrared wavelengths, this effect can be observed for absorption efficiencies lower than unity. The convergence of the optical properties of spheres and spheroids is caused by absorption and quenching of internal resonances inside the particles, which depend both on the imaginary part of the refractive index and on the size parameter, and to some extent on the real part of the refractive index. By contrast, small-scale surface roughness becomes the dominant morphological feature for large particles. This effect is likely to depend on the amplitude of the surface roughness, the relative significance of internal resonances, and possibly on the real part of the refractive index. The extinction cross section is rather insensitive to surface roughness, while the single-scattering albedo, asymmetry parameter, and the Mueller matrix are strongly influenced. Small-scale surface roughness reduces the backscattering cross section by up to a factor of 2-3 as compared to size-equivalent particles with a smooth boundary surface. This can have important implications for the interpretation of lidar backscattering observations.

Validation of MODIS aerosol optical depth over the Mediterranean Coast

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz-Martínez, J. Vicente; Segura, Sara; Estellés, Víctor; Utrillas, M. Pilar; Martínez-Lozano, J. Antonio

2013-04-01

Atmospheric aerosols, due to their high spatial and temporal variability, are considered one of the largest sources of uncertainty in different processes affecting visibility, air quality, human health, and climate. Among their effects on climate, they play an important role in the energy balance of the Earth. On one hand they have a direct effect by scattering and absorbing solar radiation; on the other, they also have an impact in precipitation, modifying clouds, or affecting air quality. The application of remote sensing techniques to investigate aerosol effects on climate has advanced significatively over last years. In this work, the products employed have been obtained from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). MODIS is a sensor located onboard both Earth Observing Systems (EOS) Terra and Aqua satellites, which provide almost complete global coverage every day. These satellites have been acquiring data since early 2000 (Terra) and mid 2002 (Aqua) and offer different products for land, ocean and atmosphere. Atmospheric aerosol products are presented as level 2 products with a pixel size of 10 x 10 km2 in nadir. MODIS aerosol optical depth (AOD) is retrieved by different algorithms depending on the pixel surface, distinguishing between land and ocean. For its validation, ground based sunphotometer data from AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) has been employed. AERONET is an international operative network of Cimel CE318 sky-sunphotometers that provides the most extensive aerosol data base globally available of ground-based measurements. The ground sunphotometric technique is considered the most accurate for the retrieval of radiative properties of aerosols in the atmospheric column. In this study we present a validation of MODIS C051 AOD employing AERONET measurements over different Mediterranean coastal sites centered over an area of 50 x 50 km2, which includes both pixels over land and ocean. The validation is done comparing spatial

Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) Global Aerosol Optical Depth Validation Based on 2 Years of Coincident Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Kahn, Ralph A.; Gaitley, Barbara J.; Martonchik, John V.; Diner, David J.; Crean, Kathleen A.; Holben, Brent

2005-01-01

Performance of the Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) early postlaunch aerosol optical thickness (AOT) retrieval algorithm is assessed quantitatively over land and ocean by comparison with a 2-year measurement record of globally distributed AERONET Sun photometers. There are sufficient coincident observations to stratify the data set by season and expected aerosol type. In addition to reporting uncertainty envelopes, we identify trends and outliers, and investigate their likely causes, with the aim of refining algorithm performance. Overall, about 2/3 of the MISR-retrieved AOT values fall within [0.05 or 20% x AOT] of Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). More than a third are within [0.03 or 10% x AOT]. Correlation coefficients are highest for maritime stations (approx.0.9), and lowest for dusty sites (more than approx.0.7). Retrieved spectral slopes closely match Sun photometer values for Biomass burning and continental aerosol types. Detailed comparisons suggest that adding to the algorithm climatology more absorbing spherical particles, more realistic dust analogs, and a richer selection of multimodal aerosol mixtures would reduce the remaining discrepancies for MISR retrievals over land; in addition, refining instrument low-light-level calibration could reduce or eliminate a small but systematic offset in maritime AOT values. On the basis of cases for which current particle models are representative, a second-generation MISR aerosol retrieval algorithm incorporating these improvements could provide AOT accuracy unprecedented for a spaceborne technique.

The European aerosol budget in 2006

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. M. J. Aan de Brugh

2011-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the aerosol budget over Europe in 2006 calculated with the global transport model TM5 coupled to the size-resolved aerosol module M7. Comparison with ground observations indicates that the model reproduces the observed concentrations quite well with an expected slight underestimation of PM₁₀ due to missing emissions (e.g. resuspension. We model that a little less than half of the anthropogenic aerosols emitted in Europe are exported and the rest is removed by deposition. The anthropogenic aerosols are removed mostly by rain (95% and only 5% is removed by dry deposition. For the larger natural aerosols, especially sea salt, a larger fraction is removed by dry processes (sea salt: 70%, mineral dust: 35%. We model transport of aerosols in the jet stream in the higher atmosphere and an import of Sahara dust from the south at high altitudes. Comparison with optical measurements shows that the model reproduces the Ångström parameter very well, which indicates a correct simulation of the aerosol size distribution. However, we underestimate the aerosol optical depth. Because the surface concentrations are close to the observations, the shortage of aerosol in the model is probably at higher altitudes. We show that the discrepancies are mainly caused by an overestimation of wet-removal rates. To match the observations, the wet-removal rates have to be scaled down by a factor of about 5. In that case the modelled ground-level concentrations of sulphate and sea salt increase by 50% (which deteriorates the match, while other components stay roughly the same. Finally, it is shown that in particular events, improved fire emission estimates may significantly improve the ability of the model to simulate the aerosol optical depth. We stress that discrepancies in aerosol models can be adequately analysed if all models would provide (regional aerosol budgets, as presented in the current study.

Aerosol effects on UV radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koepke, P.; Reuder, J.; Schwander, H.

2000-01-01

The reduction of erythemally weighted UV-irradiance (given as UV index, UVI) due to aerosols is analyzed by variation of the tropospheric particles in a wide, but realistic range. Varied are amount and composition of the particles and relative humidity and thickness of the mixing layer. The reduction of UVI increases with aerosol optical depth and the UV change is around 10% for a change aerosol optical depth from 0.25 to 0.1 and 0.4 respectively. Since both aerosol absorption and scattering are of relevance, the aerosol effect depends besides total aerosol amount on relative amount of soot and on relative humidity

Lidar-measurement of the atmospheric aerosols' extinction based on the field study SAMUM-1; Lidar-Messung der Extinktion des atmosphaerischen Aerosols am Beispiel der Feldstudie SAMUM-1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esselborn, Michael

2008-07-01

In the frame of this thesis a high-resolution spectral LIDAR (HSRL) was used for the field study SAMUM during May/June 2006 and January/February 2008 on board of the research aircraft Falcon. The intensity of the LIDAR signals are mainly influences by backscattering and extinction of atmospheric particles (aerosols). Using a narrow-band optical filter the HSRL allows the measurement of the molecular backscattering besides the total atmospheric backscattering. During SAMUM-1 the optical properties of the Sahara dust aerosols were measured for the first time, esp. its extinction, the ratio extinction/backscattering and the depolarization close to the source region. The results of the optical density of the aerosols were compared with satellite-based data. South of the Atlas-mountains optical aerosol densities in the range of 0.50 to 0.60 were measured.

Large-scale connection between aerosol optical depth and summer monsoon circulation, and precipitation over northeast Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sang-Woo; Yoon, Soon-Chang; Choi, Suk-Jin; Choi, In-Jin

2010-05-01

We investigated the large-scale connection between columnar aerosol loads and summer monsoon circulation, and also the precipitation over northeast Asia using aerosol optical depth (AOD) data obtained from the 8-year MODIS, AERONET Sun/sky radiometer, and precipitation data acquired under the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP). These high-quality data revealed the large-scale link between AOD and summer monsoon circulation, precipitation in July over northeast Asian countries, and their distinct spatial and annual variabilities. Compared to the mean AOD for the entire period of 2001-2008, the increase of almost 40-50% in the AOD value in July 2005 and July 2007 was found over the downwind regions of China (Yellow Sea, Korean peninsula, and East Sea), with negative precipitation anomalies. This can be attributable to the strong westerly confluent flows, between cyclone flows by continental thermal low centered over the northern China and anti-cyclonic flows by the western North Pacific High, which transport anthropogenic pollution aerosols emitted from east China to aforementioned downwind high AOD regions along the rim of the Pacific marine airmass. In July 2002, however, the easterly flows transported anthropogenic aerosols from east China to the southwestern part of China in July 2002. As a result, the AOD off the coast of China was dramatically reduced in spite of decreasing rainfall. From the calculation of the cross-correlation coefficient between MODIS-derived AOD anomalies and GPCP precipitation anomalies over the period 2001-2008, we found negative correlations over the areas encompassed by 105-115E and 30-35N and by 120-140E and 35-40N (Yellow Sea, Korean peninsula, and East Sea). This suggests that aerosol loads over these regions are easily influenced by the Asian monsoon flow system and associated precipitation.

Aerosol retrieval algorithm for the characterization of local aerosol using MODIS L1B data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wahab, A M; Sarker, M L R

2014-01-01

Atmospheric aerosol plays an important role in radiation budget, climate change, hydrology and visibility. However, it has immense effect on the air quality, especially in densely populated areas where high concentration of aerosol is associated with premature death and the decrease of life expectancy. Therefore, an accurate estimation of aerosol with spatial distribution is essential, and satellite data has increasingly been used to estimate aerosol optical depth (AOD). Aerosol product (AOD) from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data is available at global scale but problems arise due to low spatial resolution, time-lag availability of AOD product as well as the use of generalized aerosol models in retrieval algorithm instead of local aerosol models. This study focuses on the aerosol retrieval algorithm for the characterization of local aerosol in Hong Kong for a long period of time (2006-2011) using high spatial resolution MODIS level 1B data (500 m resolution) and taking into account the local aerosol models. Two methods (dark dense vegetation and MODIS land surface reflectance product) were used for the estimation of the surface reflectance over land and Santa Barbara DISORT Radiative Transfer (SBDART) code was used to construct LUTs for calculating the aerosol reflectance as a function of AOD. Results indicate that AOD can be estimated at the local scale from high resolution MODIS data, and the obtained accuracy (ca. 87%) is very much comparable with the accuracy obtained from other studies (80%-95%) for AOD estimation

Influence of observed diurnal cycles of aerosol optical depth on aerosol direct radiative effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Arola

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The diurnal variability of aerosol optical depth (AOD can be significant, depending on location and dominant aerosol type. However, these diurnal cycles have rarely been taken into account in measurement-based estimates of aerosol direct radiative forcing (ADRF or aerosol direct radiative effect (ADRE. The objective of our study was to estimate the influence of diurnal aerosol variability at the top of the atmosphere ADRE estimates. By including all the possible AERONET sites, we wanted to assess the influence on global ADRE estimates. While focusing also in more detail on some selected sites of strongest impact, our goal was to also see the possible impact regionally. We calculated ADRE with different assumptions about the daily AOD variability: taking the observed daily AOD cycle into account and assuming diurnally constant AOD. Moreover, we estimated the corresponding differences in ADREs, if the single AOD value for the daily mean was taken from the the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS Terra or Aqua overpass times, instead of accounting for the true observed daily variability. The mean impact of diurnal AOD variability on 24 h ADRE estimates, averaged over all AERONET sites, was rather small and it was relatively small even for the cases when AOD was chosen to correspond to the Terra or Aqua overpass time. This was true on average over all AERONET sites, while clearly there can be much stronger impact in individual sites. Examples of some selected sites demonstrated that the strongest observed AOD variability (the strongest morning afternoon contrast does not typically result in a significant impact on 24 h ADRE. In those cases, the morning and afternoon AOD patterns are opposite and thus the impact on 24 h ADRE, when integrated over all solar zenith angles, is reduced. The most significant effect on daily ADRE was induced by AOD cycles with either maximum or minimum AOD close to local noon. In these cases, the impact on

The spatial-temporal evolution of aerosol optical depth and the analysis of influence factors in Bohai Rim

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou, Chunliang; Jiang, Hong; Wang, Xiaoyan; Pei, Huan

2014-01-01

Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is an important parameter of aerosol optical properties and it is an important physical parameter quantity to understanding the atmospheric environment. Bohai Rim is one of the three major urban agglomeration regions with rapidly developing economy in China. The study of AOD over this region is important to understand the environment and climate in Bohai Rim. Firstly, aerosol product data from 2000 to 2010, published by NASA, were used to analyze the temporal-spatial evolution of AOD in Bohai Rim with precision evaluation. The results showed that the spatial distribution of AOD had an obvious regional characteristic. The spatial distribution characterized that a much high value existed at urban areas and plain areas. On the contrary, the low value data existed in some mountainous regions which had higher percentages of forest coverage. The AOD values fluctuated somewhat each year in the region, from the minimum annual mean in 2003 to the maximum in 2009. Generally, the highest AOD value was in summer, followed by spring, autumn and winter. In terms of monthly variation, the value of AOD reached its peak in June and the lowest value was in December. This study analyzed the relation between AOD and some influence factors such as land use types, elevation, and distribution of urban agglomeration and so on. These results provide an important basic dataset for climate and environmental research

Comprehensive Measurement of Atmospheric Aerosols with a Wide Range Aerosol Spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keck, L; Pesch, M; Grimm, H

2011-01-01

A wide range aerosol spectrometer (WRAS) was used for comprehensive long term measurements of aerosol size distributions. The system combines the results of an optical aerosol spectrometer with the results of a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) to record essentially the full size range (5 nm - 32 μm) of atmospheric particles in 72 channels. Measurements were carried out over one year (2009) at the Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW)-Station Hohenpeissenberg, Bavaria. Total particle number concentrations obtained from the aerosol size distributions were compared to the total number concentrations measured by a Condensation Particle Counter (CPC). The comparison showed an excellent agreement of the data. The high time resolution of 5 minutes allows the combination of the measured size distributions with meteorological data and correlations to gaseous pollutants (CO, NOx and SO2). A good correlation of particle number and CO concentrations was found for long distance transported small particles, which were probably mainly soot particles. Correlations to NOx were observed for aerosols from local sources such as traffic emissions. The formation of secondary aerosols from gaseous precursors was also observed. Episodes of relatively high concentration of particles in the range of 2-3 μm were probably caused by pollen.

Chemical, microphysical and optical properties of the aerosols during foggy and nonfoggy day over a typical location in Indo-Gangetic Plain

Science.gov (United States)

Kaul, D. S.; Tripathi, S. N.; Gupta, T.

2012-04-01

accumulation of freshly emitted, previously aged particles in the atmosphere. The increase in both the number concentration and size of the aerosols as fog evaporated was caused by secondary aerosol formation. The fogwater organic and inorganic species and correlation among them indicate that organic and inorganic carbon is highly correlated with almost all the inorganic species. The higher correlation of sulfate and nitrate with organic carbon of fogwater droplets indicates presence of organo-sulfate and organo-nitrate compounds. The study average absorption and scattering coefficient of foggy day aerosols were higher. The formation of secondary organic aerosol during fog evaporation caused increase in scattering coefficient. Details of the finding on chemical, microphysical and optical properties will be presented. Reference: Kaul, D. S., Gupta, T., Tripathi, S. N., Tare, V., and Collett Jr., J. L.: Secondary Organic Aerosol: A comparison between foggy and non-foggy days, Environmental Science & Technology, 45, 7307-7313, 2011

An algorithm for estimating aerosol optical depth from HIMAWARI-8 data over Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kwon Ho

2016-04-01

The paper presents currently developing algorithm for aerosol detection and retrieval over ocean for the next generation geostationary satellite, HIMAWARI-8. Enhanced geostationary remote sensing observations are now enables for aerosol retrieval of dust, smoke, and ash, which began a new era of geostationary aerosol observations. Sixteen channels of the Advanced HIMAWARI Imager (AHI) onboard HIMAWARI-8 offer capabilities for aerosol remote sensing similar to those currently provided by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Aerosols were estimated in detection processing from visible and infrared channel radiances, and in retrieval processing using the inversion-optimization of satellite-observed radiances with those calculated from radiative transfer model. The retrievals are performed operationally every ten minutes for pixel sizes of ~8 km. The algorithm currently under development uses a multichannel approach to estimate the effective radius, aerosol optical depth (AOD) simultaneously. The instantaneous retrieved AOD is evaluated by the MODIS level 2 operational aerosol products (C006), and the daily retrieved AOD was compared with ground-based measurements from the AERONET databases. The results show that the detection of aerosol and estimated AOD are in good agreement with the MODIS data and ground measurements with a correlation coefficient of ˜0.90 and a bias of 4%. These results suggest that the proposed method applied to the HIMAWARI-8 satellite data can accurately estimate continuous AOD. Acknowledgments This work was supported by "Development of Geostationary Meteorological Satellite Ground Segment(NMSC-2014-01)" program funded by National Meteorological Satellite Centre(NMSC) of Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA).

Total Lightning Flash Activity Response to Aerosol over China Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pengguo Zhao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Twelve years of measurements of aerosol optical depth (AOD, cloud fraction, cloud top height, ice cloud optical thickness and lightning flash density from 2001 to 2012 have been analyzed to investigate the effect of aerosols on electrical activity over an area of China. The results show that increasing aerosol loading inspires the convective intensity, and then increases the lightning flash density. The spatial distribution of the correlation between aerosol loading and electrical activity shows a remarkable regional difference over China. The high-correlation regions embody the positive aerosol microphysical effect on the intensity of the electrical activity, while the large-scale processes may play the main role in convection development and producing lightning in low-correlation regions.

South African EUCAARI measurements: Seasonal variation of trace gases and aerosol optical properties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Laakso, L.; Vakkari, V.; Virkkula, A.; Laakso, H.; Backman, J.; Kulmala, M.; Beukes, J.P.; Zyl, P.G. van; Tiitta, P.; Josipovic, M.; Pienaar, J.J.; Chiloane, K.; Gilardoni, S.; Vignati, E.; Wiedensohler, A.; Tuch, T.; Birmili, W.; Piketh, S.; Collett, K.; Fourie, G.D.; Komppula, M.; Lihavainen, H.; Leeuw, G. de; Kerminen, V.-M.

2012-01-01

In this paper we introduce new in situ observations of atmospheric aerosols, especially chemical composition, physical and optical properties, on the eastern brink of the heavily polluted Highveld area in South Africa. During the observation period between 11 February 2009 and 31 January 2011, the

Retrieval of spectral aerosol optical thickness over land using ocean color sensors MERIS and SeaWiFS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. von Hoyningen-Huene

2011-02-01

Full Text Available For the determination of aerosol optical thickness (AOT Bremen AErosol Retrieval (BAER has been developed. Method and main features on the aerosol retrieval are described together with validation and results. The retrieval separates the spectral aerosol reflectance from surface and Rayleigh path reflectance for the shortwave range of the measured spectrum of top-of-atmosphere reflectance for wavelength less than 0.670 μm. The advantage of MERIS (Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer on the Environmental Satellite – ENVISAT – of the European Space Agency – ESA and SeaWiFS (Sea viewing Wide Field Sensor on OrbView-2 spacecraft observations is the availability of several spectral channels in the blue and visible range enabling the spectral determination of AOT in 7 (or 6 channels (0.412–0.670 μm and additionally channels in the NIR, which can be used to characterize the surface properties. A dynamical spectral surface reflectance model for different surface types is used to obtain the spectral surface reflectance for this separation. The normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI, taken from the satellite observations, is the model input. Further surface bi-directional reflectance distribution function (BRDF is considered by the Raman-Pinty-Verstraete (RPV model. Spectral AOT is obtained from aerosol reflectance using look-up-tables, obtained from radiative transfer calculations with given aerosol phase functions and single scattering albedos either from aerosol models, given by model package "optical properties of aerosol components" (OPAC or from experimental campaigns. Validations of the obtained AOT retrieval results with data of Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET over Europe gave a preference for experimental phase functions derived from almucantar measurements. Finally long-term observations of SeaWiFS have been investigated for 11 year trends in AOT. Western European regions have negative trends with decreasing AOT with time

Measurements of Extensive Aerosol Optical Properties During TexAQS II: Implications for PM Compliance and Planning

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, M. E.; Atkinson, D. B.; Luke, W. T.

2007-12-01

In 2000, the Houston-Galveston Area (HGA) was designated as a non-attainment area for several criteria air pollutants by the US EPA. In order to meet the requirements of the federal Clean Air Act, the Second Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS II) was designed to update the State Implementation Plan (SIP) by providing scientific air quality data over 18 months from June 2005 to October 2006. The data presented here was collected as part of the Texas Radical and Aerosol Measurement Program (TRAMP), a substudy of TexAQS II. Bulk aerosol optical properties were measured for six weeks atop the 60 m high Southwest Moody Tower on the University of Houston campus. The measurements were collected using a cavity ring-down transmissometer/nephelometer (CRDT/N) and consisted of the extensive aerosol coefficients: extinction (bext) at 532 and 1064 nm and scattering (bscat) at 530nm. In addition to daily and whole study averages and calculated mass values, positive correlations between the 1064 nm extinction and 532 nm absorption (babs = bext - bscat) values are displayed for this study period for the first time. Correlation between the particle scattering coefficient and the sum of AMS measured (UNH - PI: R. Griffin) sulfate and organic particle mass concentrations as well as covariance between optical properties and O3, CO and NOx values (ARL/NOAA - PI: W. Luke) are also examined. No correlation is expected between coarse particles (PM10), which are typically primary biogenic suspended soil minerals or windblown dust, and high ozone concentrations. Ozone levels are highest during periods of low wind when coarse particulate is likely to be at a minimum. On the other hand, secondary particles and O3 should be correlated on short time scales because both species tend to have the same precursors, NOx and VOC's, and formation of particles is favored during stagnant conditions. Fine particles (PM2.5) should also correlate with CO since both species have a common emission source. Wind

Cavity Ring-Down Measurement of Aerosol Optical Properties During the Asian Dust Above Monterey Experiment and DOE Aerosol Intensive Operating Period

Science.gov (United States)

Ricci, K.; Strawa, A. W.; Provencal, R.; Castaneda, R.; Bucholtz, A.; Schmid, B.

2004-01-01

Large uncertainties in the effects of aerosols on climate require improved in-situ measurements of extinction coefficient and single-scattering albedo. This paper describes preliminary results from Cadenza, a new continuous wave cavity ring-down (CW-CRD) instrument designed to address these uncertainties. Cadenza measures the aerosol extinction coefficient for 675 nm and 1550 nm light, and simultaneously measures the scattering coefficient at 675 nm. In the past year Cadenza was deployed in the Asian Dust Above Monterey (ADAM) and DOE Aerosol Intensive Operating Period (IOP) field projects. During these flights Cadenza produced measurements of aerosol extinction in the range from 0.2 to 300/Mm with an estimated precision of 0.1/Mm for 1550 nm light and 0.2/Mm for 675 nm light. Cadenza data from the ADAM and Aerosol IOP missions compared favorably with data from the other instruments aboard the CIRPAS Twin Otter aircraft and participating in those projects. We present comparisons between the Cadenza measurements and those from a TSI nephelometer, Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP), and the AATS 14 sun-photometer. Measurements of the optical properties of smoke and dust plumes sampled during these campaigns are presented and estimates of heating rates due to these plumes are made.

Lidar-measurement of the atmospheric aerosols' extinction based on the field study SAMUM-1; Lidar-Messung der Extinktion des atmosphaerischen Aerosols am Beispiel der Feldstudie SAMUM-1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esselborn, Michael

2008-07-01

In the frame of this thesis a high-resolution spectral LIDAR (HSRL) was used for the field study SAMUM during May/June 2006 and January/February 2008 on board of the research aircraft Falcon. The intensity of the LIDAR signals are mainly influences by backscattering and extinction of atmospheric particles (aerosols). Using a narrow-band optical filter the HSRL allows the measurement of the molecular backscattering besides the total atmospheric backscattering. During SAMUM-1 the optical properties of the Sahara dust aerosols were measured for the first time, esp. its extinction, the ratio extinction/backscattering and the depolarization close to the source region. The results of the optical density of the aerosols were compared with satellite-based data. South of the Atlas-mountains optical aerosol densities in the range of 0.50 to 0.60 were measured.

Simultaneous determination of aerosol optical thickness and water-leaving radiance from multispectral measurements in coastal waters

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Chong; Nakajima, Teruyuki

2018-03-01

Retrieval of aerosol optical properties and water-leaving radiance over ocean is challenging since the latter mostly accounts for ˜ 10 % of the satellite-observed signal and can be easily influenced by the atmospheric scattering. Such an effort would be more difficult in turbid coastal waters due to the existence of optically complex oceanic substances or high aerosol loading. In an effort to solve such problems, we present an optimization approach for the simultaneous determination of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and normalized water-leaving radiance (nLw) from multispectral satellite measurements. In this algorithm, a coupled atmosphere-ocean radiative transfer model combined with a comprehensive bio-optical oceanic module is used to jointly simulate the satellite-observed reflectance at the top of atmosphere and water-leaving radiance just above the ocean surface. Then, an optimal estimation method is adopted to retrieve AOT and nLw iteratively. The algorithm is validated using Aerosol Robotic Network - Ocean Color (AERONET-OC) products selected from eight OC sites distributed over different waters, consisting of observations that covered glint and non-glint conditions from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. Results show a good consistency between retrieved and in situ measurements at each site. It is demonstrated that more accurate AOTs are determined based on the simultaneous retrieval method, particularly in shorter wavelengths and sunglint conditions, where the averaged percentage difference (APD) of retrieved AOT is generally reduced by approximate 10 % in visible bands compared with those derived from the standard atmospheric correction (AC) scheme, since all the spectral measurements can be used jointly to increase the information content in the inversion of AOT, and the wind speed is also simultaneously retrieved to compensate the specular reflectance error estimated from the rough ocean surface model. For the

Determination of the columnar aerosol size distribution by inversion of spectral aerosol optical depth measurements at different areas in Egypt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

EI-Metwally, M.; Madkour, M.A.

2006-01-01

Aerosols have a great effects on nuclear safety calculations and atmospheric environment. The aerosol optical depth measurements are carried out at four areas in Egypt: Cairo and Helwan as urban/industrial areas, Aswan as an arid area and Mansoura as an agricultural area covering the period from Jun 1992 to May 1993. These measurements were recorded by ground-based pyrheliometers with large band-pass filters. Monthly average values of aerosol optical depth (AOD) showed a pronounced temporal trend, with a maximum AOD during summer and the transition seasons (spring and autumn) at all sites. Levels of AODs are higher at both urban and industrial areas than at other areas. Variation of Angstrom exponent a with the AOD was clear at most sites and the a value depends on the spectral range used in its determination. The mean contribution of anthropogenic sources to AOD over Cairo was at the range of 25.1-54.3%, whereas those values in Helwan were at the range of 34.5-59.8%. Finally, columnar aerosol size distributions have been inferred by inverting particularly AOD measurements as a function of wavelength. The Junge (type I) and bimodal (type III) distributions are dominant at urban and arid areas (Cairo and Aswan), whereas mono dispersion distribution (type II) are dominant in industrial and agricultural areas (Helwan and Mansoura). In Cairo and Aswan, the peak of columnar size distribution for the fine mode at radius r is around 0.1 and 0.2 μm respectively, while it is around 1.0 and 2.0 μm for the coarse mode. .Also, the peak of size distribution for the mono dispersion mode was marked at radius around 0.2 μm at both Helwan and Mansoura. A comprehensive comparison of our results with literature size distributions is very sparse, nevertheless, our size distributions in general agree with them

Aerosol chemical and optical properties over the Paris area within ESQUIF project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Hodzic

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Aerosol chemical and optical properties are extensively investigated for the first time over the Paris Basin in July 2000 within the ESQUIF project. The measurement campaign offers an exceptional framework to evaluate the performances of the chemistry-transport model CHIMERE in simulating concentrations of gaseous and aerosol pollutants, as well as the aerosol-size distribution and composition in polluted urban environments against ground-based and airborne measurements. A detailed comparison of measured and simulated variables during the second half of July with particular focus on 19 and 31 pollution episodes reveals an overall good agreement for gas-species and aerosol components both at the ground level and along flight trajectories, and the absence of systematic biases in simulated meteorological variables such as wind speed, relative humidity and boundary layer height as computed by the MM5 model. A good consistency in ozone and NO concentrations demonstrates the ability of the model to reproduce the plume structure and location fairly well both on 19 and 31 July, despite an underestimation of the amplitude of ozone concentrations on 31 July. The spatial and vertical aerosol distributions are also examined by comparing simulated and observed lidar vertical profiles along flight trajectories on 31 July and confirm the model capacity to simulate the plume characteristics. The comparison of observed and modeled aerosol components in the southwest suburb of Paris during the second half of July indicates that the aerosol composition is rather correctly reproduced, although the total aerosol mass is underestimated by about 20%. The simulated Parisian aerosol is dominated by primary particulate matter that accounts for anthropogenic and biogenic primary particles (40%, and inorganic aerosol fraction (40% including nitrate (8%, sulfate (22% and ammonium (10%. The secondary organic aerosols (SOA represent 12% of the total aerosol mass, while the

Optical, physical and chemical properties of aerosols transported to a coastal site in the western Mediterranean: a focus on primary marine aerosols

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Claeys

2017-06-01

Full Text Available As part of the ChArMEx-ADRIMED campaign (summer 2013, ground-based in situ observations were conducted at the Ersa site (northern tip of Corsica; 533 m a.s.l. to characterise the optical, physical and chemical properties of aerosols. During the observation period, a major influence of primary marine aerosols was detected (22–26 June, with a mass concentration reaching up to 6.5 µg m−3 and representing more than 40 % of the total PM10 mass concentration. Its relatively low ratio of chloride to sodium (average of 0.57 indicates a fairly aged sea salt aerosol at Ersa. In this work, an original data set, obtained from online real-time instruments (ATOFMS, PILS-IC has been used to characterise the ageing of primary marine aerosols (PMAs. During this PMA period, the mixing of fresh and aged PMAs was found to originate from both local and regional (Gulf of Lion emissions, according to local wind measurements and FLEXPART back trajectories. Two different aerosol regimes have been identified: a dust outbreak (dust originating from Algeria/Tunisia, and a pollution period with aerosols originating from eastern Europe, which includes anthropogenic and biomass burning sources (BBP. The optical, physical and chemical properties of the observed aerosols, as well as their local shortwave (SW direct radiative effect (DRE in clear-sky conditions, are compared for these three periods in order to assess the importance of the direct radiative impact of PMAs compared to other sources above the western Mediterranean Basin. As expected, AERONET retrievals indicate a relatively low local SW DRF during the PMA period with mean values of −11 ± 4 at the surface and −8 ± 3 W m−2 at the top of the atmosphere (TOA. In comparison, our results indicate that the dust outbreak observed at our site during the campaign, although of moderate intensity (AOD of 0.3–0.4 at 440 nm and column-integrated SSA of 0.90–0.95, induced a local

Reducing Multisensor Satellite Monthly Mean Aerosol Optical Depth Uncertainty: 1. Objective Assessment of Current AERONET Locations

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing; Li, Xichen; Carlson, Barbara E.; Kahn, Ralph A.; Lacis, Andrew A.; Dubovik, Oleg; Nakajima, Teruyuki

2016-01-01

Various space-based sensors have been designed and corresponding algorithms developed to retrieve aerosol optical depth (AOD), the very basic aerosol optical property, yet considerable disagreement still exists across these different satellite data sets. Surface-based observations aim to provide ground truth for validating satellite data; hence, their deployment locations should preferably contain as much spatial information as possible, i.e., high spatial representativeness. Using a novel Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF)- based approach, we objectively evaluate the spatial representativeness of current Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites. Multisensor monthly mean AOD data sets from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer, Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor, Ozone Monitoring Instrument, and Polarization and Anisotropy of Reflectances for Atmospheric Sciences coupled with Observations from a Lidar are combined into a 605-member ensemble, and AERONET data are considered as the observations to be assimilated into this ensemble using the EnKF. The assessment is made by comparing the analysis error variance (that has been constrained by ground-based measurements), with the background error variance (based on satellite data alone). Results show that the total uncertainty is reduced by approximately 27% on average and could reach above 50% over certain places. The uncertainty reduction pattern also has distinct seasonal patterns, corresponding to the spatial distribution of seasonally varying aerosol types, such as dust in the spring for Northern Hemisphere and biomass burning in the fall for Southern Hemisphere. Dust and biomass burning sites have the highest spatial representativeness, rural and oceanic sites can also represent moderate spatial information, whereas the representativeness of urban sites is relatively localized. A spatial score ranging from 1 to 3 is assigned to each AERONET site based on the uncertainty

Aerosol optical properties and direct radiative forcing based on measurements from the China Aerosol Remote Sensing Network (CARSNET in eastern China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Che

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Aerosol pollution in eastern China is an unfortunate consequence of the region's rapid economic and industrial growth. Here, sun photometer measurements from seven sites in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD from 2011 to 2015 were used to characterize the climatology of aerosol microphysical and optical properties, calculate direct aerosol radiative forcing (DARF and classify the aerosols based on size and absorption. Bimodal size distributions were found throughout the year, but larger volumes and effective radii of fine-mode particles occurred in June and September due to hygroscopic growth and/or cloud processing. Increases in the fine-mode particles in June and September caused AOD440 nm  >  1.00 at most sites, and annual mean AOD440 nm values of 0.71–0.76 were found at the urban sites and 0.68 at the rural site. Unlike northern China, the AOD440 nm was lower in July and August (∼ 0.40–0.60 than in January and February (0.71–0.89 due to particle dispersion associated with subtropical anticyclones in summer. Low volumes and large bandwidths of both fine-mode and coarse-mode aerosol size distributions occurred in July and August because of biomass burning. Single-scattering albedos at 440 nm (SSA440 nm from 0.91 to 0.94 indicated particles with relatively strong to moderate absorption. Strongly absorbing particles from biomass burning with a significant SSA wavelength dependence were found in July and August at most sites, while coarse particles in March to May were mineral dust. Absorbing aerosols were distributed more or less homogeneously throughout the region with absorption aerosol optical depths at 440 nm  ∼  0.04–0.06, but inter-site differences in the absorption Angström exponent indicate a degree of spatial heterogeneity in particle composition. The annual mean DARF was −93 ± 44 to −79 ± 39 W m−2 at the Earth's surface and ∼ −40 W m−2 at the top of the atmosphere (for

ACTRIS Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure

OpenAIRE

Pappalardo Gelsomina

2018-01-01

The Aerosols, Clouds and Trace gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS) is a distributed infrastructure dedicated to high-quality observation of aerosols, clouds, trace gases and exploration of their interactions. It will deliver precision data, services and procedures regarding the 4D variability of clouds, short-lived atmospheric species and the physical, optical and chemical properties of aerosols to improve the current capacity to analyse, understand and predict past, current and future evo...

Gradient Correlation Method for the Stabilization of Inversion Results of Aerosol Microphysical Properties Retrieved from Profiles of Optical Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kolgotin Alexei

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Correlation relationships between aerosol microphysical parameters and optical data are investigated. The results show that surface-area concentrations and extinction coefficients are linearly correlated with a correlation coefficient above 0.99 for arbitrary particle size distribution. The correlation relationships that we obtained can be used as constraints in our inversion of optical lidar data. Simulation studies demonstrate a significant stabilization of aerosol microphysical data products if we apply the gradient correlation method in our traditional regularization technique.

An analysis of high fine aerosol loading episodes in north-central Spain in the summer 2013 - Impact of Canadian biomass burning episode and local emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Burgos, M. A.; Mateos, D.; Cachorro, V. E.; Toledano, C.; de Frutos, A. M.; Calle, A.; Herguedas, A.; Marcos, J. L.

2018-07-01

This work presents an evaluation of a surprising and unusual high turbidity summer period in 2013 recorded in the north-central Iberian Peninsula (IP). The study is made up of three main pollution episodes characterized by very high aerosol optical depth (AOD) values with the presence of fine aerosol particles: the strongest long-range transport Canadian Biomass Burning (BB) event recorded, one of the longest-lasting European Anthropogenic (A) episodes and an extremely strong regional BB. The Canadian BB episode was unusually strong with maximum values of AOD(440 nm) ∼ 0.8, giving rise to the highest value recorded by photometer data in the IP with a clearly established Canadian origin. The anthropogenic pollution episode originated in Europe is mainly a consequence of the strong impact of Canadian BB events over north-central Europe. As regards the local episode, a forest fire in the nature reserve near the Duero River (north-central IP) impacted on the population over 200 km away from its source. These three episodes exhibited fingerprints in different aerosol columnar properties retrieved by sun-photometers of the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) as well as in particle mass surface concentrations, PMx, measured by the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP). Main statistics, time series and scatterplots relate aerosol loads (aerosol optical depth, AOD and particulate matter, PM) with aerosol size quantities (Ångström Exponent and PM ratio). More detailed microphysical/optical properties retrieved by AERONET inversion products are analysed in depth to describe these events: contribution of fine and coarse particles to AOD and its ratio (the fine mode fraction), volume particle size distribution, fine volume fraction, effective radius, sphericity fraction, single scattering albedo and absorption optical depth. Due to its relevance in climate studies, the aerosol radiative effect has been quantified for the top and bottom of the atmosphere

High Resolution Trajectory-Based Smoke Forecasts Using VIIRS Aerosol Optical Depth and NUCAPS Carbon Monoxide Retrievals

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, R. B.; Smith, N.; Barnet, C.; Barnet, C. D.; Kondragunta, S.; Davies, J. E.; Strabala, K.

2016-12-01

We use Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and combined Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) NOAA-Unique CrIS-ATMS Processing System (NUCAPS) carbon monoxide (CO) retrievals to initialize trajectory-based, high spatial resolution North American smoke dispersion forecasts during the May 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire in northern Alberta and the July 2016 Soberanes Fire in Northern California. These two case studies illustrate how long range transport of wild fire smoke can adversely impact surface air quality thousands of kilometers downwind and how local topographic flow can lead to complex transport patterns near the wildfire source region. The NUCAPS CO retrievals are shown to complement the high resolution VIIRS AOD retrievals by providing retrievals in partially cloudy scenes and also providing information on the vertical distribution of the wildfire smoke. This work addresses the need for low latency, web-based, high resolution forecasts of smoke dispersion for use by NWS Incident Meteorologists (IMET) to support on-site decision support services for fire incident management teams. The primary user community for the IDEA-I smoke forecasts is the Western regions of the NWS and US EPA due to the significant impacts of wildfires in these regions. Secondary users include Alaskan NWS offices and Western State and Local air quality management agencies such as the Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP).

How do A-train Sensors Inter-Compare in the Retrieval of Above-Cloud Aerosol Optical Depth? A Case Study based Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Jethva, H. T.; Torres, O.; Waquet, F.; Chand, D.

2013-12-01

Atmospheric aerosols are known to produce a net cooling effect in the cloud-free conditions. However, when present over the reflective cloud decks, absorbing aerosols such as biomass burning generated smoke and wind-blown dust can potentially exert a large positive forcing through enhanced atmospheric heating resulting from cloud-aerosol radiative interactions. The interest on this aspect of aerosol science has grown significantly in the recent years. Particularly, development of the satellite-based retrieval techniques and unprecedented knowledge on the above-cloud aerosol optical depth (ACAOD) is of great relevance. A direct validation of satellite ACAOD is a difficult task primarily due to lack of ample in situ and/or remote sensing measurements of aerosols above cloud. In these circumstances, a comparative analysis on the inter-satellite ACAOD retrievals can be performed for the sack of consistency check. Here, we inter-compare the ACAOD of biomass burning plumes observed from different A-train sensors, i.e., MODIS [Jethva et al., 2013], CALIOP [Chand et al., 2008], POLDER [Waquet et al., 2009], and OMI [Torres et al., 2012]. These sensors have been shown to acquire sensitivity and independent capabilities to detect and retrieve aerosol loading above marine stratocumulus clouds--a kind of situation often found over the southeastern Atlantic Ocean during dry burning season. A systematic one-to-one comparison reveals that, in general, all passive sensors and CALIOP-based research methods retrieve comparable ACAOD over homogeneous cloud fields. The high-resolution sensors (MODIS and CALIOP) are able to retrieve aerosols over thin clouds but with larger discrepancies. Given the different types of sensor measurements processed with different algorithms, a reasonable agreement between them is encouraging. A direct validation of satellite-based ACAOD remains an open challenge for which dedicated field measurements over the region of frequent aerosol/cloud overlap are

Light extinction by aerosols during summer air pollution

Science.gov (United States)

Kaufman, Y. J.; Fraser, R. S.

1983-01-01

In order to utilize satellite measurements of optical thickness over land for estimating aerosol properties during air pollution episodes, the optical thickness was measured from the surface and investigated. Aerosol optical thicknesses have been derived from solar transmission measurements in eight spectral bands within the band lambda 440-870 nm during the summers of 1980 and 1981 near Washington, DC. The optical thicknesses for the eight bands are strongly correlated. It was found that first eigenvalue of the covariance matrix of all observations accounts for 99 percent of the trace of the matrix. Since the measured aerosol optical thickness was closely proportional to the wavelength raised to a power, the aerosol size distribution derived from it is proportional to the diameter (d) raised to a power for the range of diameters between 0.1 to 1.0 micron. This power is insensitive to the total optical thickness. Changes in the aerosol optical thickness depend on several aerosol parameters, but it is difficult to identify the dominant one. The effects of relative humidity and accumulation mode concentration on the optical thickness are analyzed theoretically, and compared with the measurements.

Latitudinal variations of aerosol optical parameters over South Africa based on MISR satellite data

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Tesfaye M

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The latitudunal variation of the relative weight size distribution and optical properties of aerosols over South Africa is presented here. The study uses 10-years of Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) satellite data, collected over South...

Can MODIS detect trends in aerosol optical depth over land?

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Xuehua; Xia, Xiang'ao; Chen, Hongbin

2018-02-01

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor onboard NASA's Aqua satellite has been collecting valuable data about the Earth system for more than 14 years, and one of the benefits of this is that it has made it possible to detect the long-term variation in aerosol loading across the globe. However, the long-term aerosol optical depth (AOD) trends derived from MODIS need careful validation and assessment, especially over land. Using AOD products with at least 70 months' worth of measurements collected during 2002-15 at 53 Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites over land, Mann-Kendall (MK) trends in AOD were derived and taken as the ground truth data for evaluating the corresponding results from MODIS onboard Aqua. The results showed that the AERONET AOD trends over all sites in Europe and North America, as well as most sites in Africa and Asia, can be reproduced by MODIS/Aqua. However, disagreement in AOD trends between MODIS and AERONET was found at a few sites in Australia and South America. The AOD trends calculated from AERONET instantaneous data at the MODIS overpass times were consistent with those from AERONET daily data, which suggests that the AOD trends derived from satellite measurements of 1-2 overpasses may be representative of those from daily measurements.

The Measurement of Aerosol Optical Properties Using Continuous Wave Cavity Ring-Down Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Strawa, A. W.; Owano, T.; Castaneda, R.; Baer, D. S.; Paldus, B. A.; Gore, Warren J. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Large uncertainties in the effects that aerosols have on climate require improved in-situ measurements of extinction coefficient and single-scattering albedo. This abstract describes the use of continuous wave cavity ring-down (CW-CRD) technology to address this problem. The innovations in this instrument are the use of CW-CRD to measure aerosol extinction coefficient, the simultaneous measurement of scattering coefficient, and small size suitable for a wide range of aircraft applications. Our prototype instrument measures extinction and scattering coefficient at 690 nm and extinction coefficient at 1550 nm. The instrument itself is small (60 x 48 x 15 cm) and relatively insensitive to vibrations. The prototype instrument has been tested in our lab and used in the field. While improvements in performance are needed, the prototype has been shown to make accurate and sensitive measurements of extinction and scattering coefficients. Combining these two parameters, one can obtain the single-scattering albedo and absorption coefficient, both important aerosol properties. The use of two wavelengths also allows us to obtain a quantitative idea of the size of the aerosol through the Angstrom exponent. Minimum sensitivity of the prototype instrument is 1.5 x 10(exp -6)/m (1.5/Mm). Validation of the measurement of extinction coefficient has been accomplished by comparing the measurement of calibration spheres with Mie calculations. This instrument and its successors have potential to help reduce uncertainty currently associated with aerosol optical properties and their spatial and temporal variation. Possible applications include studies of visibility, climate forcing by aerosol, and the validation of aerosol retrieval schemes from satellite data.

Assimilation of Polder aerosol optical thickness into LMD2-Inca model in order to study aerosol-climate interactions; Etude des interactions entre aerosols et climat: assimilation des observations spatiales de Polder dans LMDz-Inca

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Generoso, S.

2004-12-15

Aerosols influence the Earth radiative budget both through their direct (scattering and absorption of solar radiation) and indirect (impacts on cloud microphysics) effects. The anthropogenic perturbation due to aerosol emissions is of the same order of magnitude than the one due to greenhouse gases, but less well known. To improve our knowledge, we need to better know aerosol spatial and temporal distributions. Indeed, aerosol modeling still suffers from large uncertainties in sources and transport, while satellite observations are incomplete (no detection in the presence of clouds, no information on the vertical distribution or on the chemical nature). Moreover, field campaigns are localized in space and time. This study aims to reduce uncertainties in aerosol distributions, developing assimilation of satellite data into a chemical transport model. The basic idea is to combine information obtained from spatial observation (optical thickness) and modeling studies (aerosol types, vertical distribution). In this study, we assimilate data from the POLDER space-borne instrument into the LMDz-INCA model. The results show the advantage of merging information from different sources. In many regions, the method reduces uncertainties on aerosol distribution (reduction of RMS error). An application of the method to the study of aerosol impact on cloud microphysics is shown. (author)

ACTRIS Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure

Science.gov (United States)

Pappalardo, Gelsomina

2018-04-01

The Aerosols, Clouds and Trace gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS) is a distributed infrastructure dedicated to high-quality observation of aerosols, clouds, trace gases and exploration of their interactions. It will deliver precision data, services and procedures regarding the 4D variability of clouds, short-lived atmospheric species and the physical, optical and chemical properties of aerosols to improve the current capacity to analyse, understand and predict past, current and future evolution of the atmospheric environment.

UV-Vis-IR spectral complex refractive indices and optical properties of brown carbon aerosol from biomass burning

Science.gov (United States)

Sumlin, Benjamin J.; Heinson, Yuli W.; Shetty, Nishit; Pandey, Apoorva; Pattison, Robert S.; Baker, Stephen; Hao, Wei Min; Chakrabarty, Rajan K.

2018-02-01

Constraining the complex refractive indices, optical properties and size of brown carbon (BrC) aerosols is a vital endeavor for improving climate models and satellite retrieval algorithms. Smoldering wildfires are the largest source of primary BrC, and fuel parameters such as moisture content, source depth, geographic origin, and fuel packing density could influence the properties of the emitted aerosol. We measured in situ spectral (375-1047 nm) optical properties of BrC aerosols emitted from smoldering combustion of Boreal and Indonesian peatlands across a range of these fuel parameters. Inverse Lorenz-Mie algorithms used these optical measurements along with simultaneously measured particle size distributions to retrieve the aerosol complex refractive indices (m = n + iκ). Our results show that the real part n is constrained between 1.5 and 1.7 with no obvious functionality in wavelength (λ), moisture content, source depth, or geographic origin. With increasing λ from 375 to 532 nm, κ decreased from 0.014 to 0.003, with corresponding increase in single scattering albedo (SSA) from 0.93 to 0.99. The spectral variability of κ follows the Kramers-Kronig dispersion relation for a damped harmonic oscillator. For λ ≥ 532 nm, both κ and SSA showed no spectral dependency. We discuss differences between this study and previous work. The imaginary part κ was sensitive to changes in FPD, and we hypothesize mechanisms that might help explain this observation.

Global Annual Average PM2.5 Grids from MODIS and MISR Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD)

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Global Annual PM2.5 Grids from MODIS and MISR Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) data set represents a series of annual average grids (2001-2010) of fine particulate matter...

Global Annual Average PM2.5 Grids from MODIS and MISR Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD)

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Global Annual PM2.5 Grids from MODIS and MISR Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) data sets represent a series of annual average grids (2001-2010) of fine particulate matter...

Detection of a gas flaring signature in the AERONET optical properties of aerosols at a tropical station in West Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Fawole, Olusegun G.; Cai, Xiaoming; Levine, James G.; Pinker, Rachel T.; MacKenzie, A. R.

2016-12-01

The West African region, with its peculiar climate and atmospheric dynamics, is a prominent source of aerosols. Reliable and long-term in situ measurements of aerosol properties are not readily available across the region. In this study, Version 2 Level 1.5 Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) data were used to study the absorption and size distribution properties of aerosols from dominant sources identified by trajectory analysis. The trajectory analysis was used to define four sources of aerosols over a 10 year period. Sorting the AERONET aerosol retrievals by these putative sources, the hypothesis that there exists an optically distinct gas flaring signal was tested. Dominance of each source cluster varies with season: desert-dust (DD) and biomass burning (BB) aerosols are dominant in months prior to the West African Monsoon (WAM); urban (UB) and gas flaring (GF) aerosol are dominant during the WAM months. BB aerosol, with single scattering albedo (SSA) at 675 nm value of 0.86 ± 0.03 and GF aerosol with SSA (675 nm) value of 0.9 ± 0.07, is the most absorbing of the aerosol categories. The range of Absorption Angstr&öm Exponent (AAE) for DD, BB, UB and GF classes are 1.99 ± 0.35, 1.45 ± 0.26, 1.21 ± 0.38 and 0.98 ± 0.25, respectively, indicating different aerosol composition for each source. The AAE (440-870 nm) and Angstr&öm Exponent (AE) (440-870 nm) relationships further show the spread and overlap of the variation of these optical and microphysical properties, presumably due in part to similarity in the sources of aerosols and in part, due to mixing of air parcels from different sources en route to the measurement site.

Effective aerosol optical depth from pyranometer measurements of surface solar radiation (global radiation) at Thessaloniki, Greece

OpenAIRE

Lindfors, A. V.; Kouremeti, N.; Arola, A.; Kazadzis, S.; Bais, A. F.; Laaksonen, A.

2013-01-01

Pyranometer measurements of the solar surface radiation (SSR) are available at many locations worldwide, often as long time series covering several decades into the past. These data constitute a potential source of information on the atmospheric aerosol load. Here, we present a method for estimating the aerosol optical depth (AOD) using pyranometer measurements of the SSR together with total water vapor column information. The method, which is based on radiative transfer simulations, w...

Assessment of nocturnal aerosol optical depth from lunar photometry at the Izaña high mountain observatory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Á. Barreto

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This work is a first approach to correct the systematic errors observed in the aerosol optical depth (AOD retrieved at nighttime using lunar photometry and calibration techniques dependent on the lunar irradiance model. To this end, nocturnal AOD measurements were performed in 2014 using the CE318-T master Sun–sky–lunar photometer (lunar Langley calibrated at the Izaña high mountain observatory. This information has been restricted to 59 nights characterized as clean and stable according to lidar vertical profiles. A phase angle dependence as well as an asymmetry within the Moon's cycle of the Robotic Lunar Observatory (ROLO model could be deduced from the comparison in this 59-night period of the CE318-T calibration performed by means of the lunar Langley calibration and the calibration performed every single night by means of the common Langley technique. Nocturnal AOD has also been compared in the same period with a reference AOD based on daylight AOD extracted from the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET at the same station. Considering stable conditions, the difference ΔAODfit, between AOD from lunar observations and the linearly interpolated AOD (the reference from daylight data, has been calculated. The results show that ΔAODfit values are strongly affected by the Moon phase and zenith angles. This dependency has been parameterized using an empirical model with two independent variables (Moon phase and zenith angles in order to correct the AOD for these residual dependencies. The correction of this parameterized dependency has been checked at four stations with quite different environmental conditions (Izaña, Lille, Carpentras and Dakar showing a significant reduction of the AOD dependence on phase and zenith angles and an improved agreement with daylight reference data. After the correction, absolute AOD differences for day–night–day clean and stable transitions remain below 0.01 for all wavelengths.

Aerosol optical depth trend over the Middle East

KAUST Repository

Klingmüller, Klaus

2016-04-22

We use the combined Dark Target/Deep Blue aerosol optical depth (AOD) satellite product of the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) collection 6 to study trends over the Middle East between 2000 and 2015. Our analysis corroborates a previously identified positive AOD trend over large parts of the Middle East during the period 2001 to 2012. We relate the annual AOD to precipitation, soil moisture and surface winds to identify regions where these attributes are directly related to the AOD over Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran. Regarding precipitation and soil moisture, a relatively small area in and surrounding Iraq turns out to be of prime importance for the AOD over these countries. Regarding surface wind speed, the African Red Sea coastal area is relevant for the Saudi Arabian AOD. Using multiple linear regression we show that AOD trends and interannual variability can be attributed to soil moisture, precipitation and surface winds, being the main factors controlling the dust cycle. Our results confirm the dust driven AOD trends and variability, supported by a decreasing MODIS-derived Ångström exponent and a decreasing AERONET-derived fine mode fraction that accompany the AOD increase over Saudi Arabia. The positive AOD trend relates to a negative soil moisture trend. As a lower soil moisture translates into enhanced dust emissions, it is not needed to assume growing anthropogenic aerosol and aerosol precursor emissions to explain the observations. Instead, our results suggest that increasing temperature and decreasing relative humidity in the last decade have promoted soil drying, leading to increased dust emissions and AOD; consequently an AOD increase is expected due to climate change.

Vertical profiles of aerosol optical properties and the solar heating rate estimated by combining sky radiometer and lidar measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Kudo, Rei; Nishizawa, Tomoaki; Aoyagi, Toshinori

2016-07-01

The SKYLIDAR algorithm was developed to estimate vertical profiles of aerosol optical properties from sky radiometer (SKYNET) and lidar (AD-Net) measurements. The solar heating rate was also estimated from the SKYLIDAR retrievals. The algorithm consists of two retrieval steps: (1) columnar properties are retrieved from the sky radiometer measurements and the vertically mean depolarization ratio obtained from the lidar measurements and (2) vertical profiles are retrieved from the lidar measurements and the results of the first step. The derived parameters are the vertical profiles of the size distribution, refractive index (real and imaginary parts), extinction coefficient, single-scattering albedo, and asymmetry factor. Sensitivity tests were conducted by applying the SKYLIDAR algorithm to the simulated sky radiometer and lidar data for vertical profiles of three different aerosols, continental average, transported dust, and pollution aerosols. The vertical profiles of the size distribution, extinction coefficient, and asymmetry factor were well estimated in all cases. The vertical profiles of the refractive index and single-scattering albedo of transported dust, but not those of transported pollution aerosol, were well estimated. To demonstrate the performance and validity of the SKYLIDAR algorithm, we applied the SKYLIDAR algorithm to the actual measurements at Tsukuba, Japan. The detailed vertical structures of the aerosol optical properties and solar heating rate of transported dust and smoke were investigated. Examination of the relationship between the solar heating rate and the aerosol optical properties showed that the vertical profile of the asymmetry factor played an important role in creating vertical variation in the solar heating rate. We then compared the columnar optical properties retrieved with the SKYLIDAR algorithm to those produced with the more established scheme SKYRAD.PACK, and the surface solar irradiance calculated from the SKYLIDAR

Dust aerosol and optical properties over North Africa simulated with the ALADIN numerical prediction model from 2006 to 2010

Science.gov (United States)

Mokhtari, M.; Tulet, P.; Fischer, C.; Bouteloup, Y.; Bouyssel, F.; Brachemi, O.

2015-02-01

The seasonal cycle and optical properties of mineral dust aerosols in North Africa were simulated for the period from 2006 to 2010 using the numerical atmospheric model ALADIN coupled to the surface scheme SURFEX. The particularity of the simulations is that the major physical processes responsible for dust emission and transport, as well as radiative effects, are taken into account at short timescales and mesoscale resolution. The aim of these simulations is to quantify the dust emission and deposition, locate the major areas of dust emission and establish a climatology of aerosol optical properties in North Africa. The mean monthly Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) simulated by ALADIN is compared with the AOTs derived from the standard Dark Target (DT) and Deep Blue (DB) algorithms of the Aqua-MODIS (MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) products over North Africa, and with a set of sun photometer measurements located at Banizoumbou, Cinzana, Soroa, Mbour and Capo Verde. The vertical distribution of dust aerosol represented by extinction profiles is also analysed using CALIOP (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization) observations. The annual dust emission simulated by ALADIN over North Africa is 878 Tg year-1. The Bodélé depression appears to be the main area of dust emission in North Africa, with an average estimate of about 21.6 Tg year-1. The simulated AOTs are in good agreement with satellite and sun photometer observations. The positions of the maxima of the modelled AOTs over North Africa match the observed positions, and the ALADIN simulations satisfactorily reproduce the various dust events over the 2006-2010 period. The AOT climatology proposed in this paper provides a solid database of optical properties and consolidates the existing climatology over this region derived from satellites, the AERONET network and Regional Climate Models. Moreover, the three-dimensional distribution of the simulated AOTs also provides information about the

Assessment of the aerosol optics component of the coupled WRF-CMAQ model using CARES field campaign data and a single column model

Science.gov (United States)

Gan, Chuen Meei; Binkowski, Francis; Pleim, Jonathan; Xing, Jia; Wong, David; Mathur, Rohit; Gilliam, Robert

2015-08-01

The Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study (CARES), a field campaign held in central California in June 2010, provides a unique opportunity to assess the aerosol optics modeling component of the two-way coupled Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) - Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. This campaign included comprehensive measurements of aerosol composition and optical properties at two ground sites and aloft from instrumentation on-board two aircraft. A single column model (SCM) was developed to evaluate the accuracy and consistency of the coupled model using both observation and model information. Two cases (June 14 and 24, 2010) are examined in this study. The results show that though the coupled WRF-CMAQ estimates of aerosol extinction were underestimated relative to these measurements, when measured concentrations and characteristics of ambient aerosols were used as input to constrain the SCM calculations, the estimated extinction profiles agreed well with aircraft observations. One of the possible causes of the WRF-CMAQ extinction errors is that the simulated sea-salt (SS) in the accumulation mode in WRF-CMAQ is very low in both cases while the observations indicate a considerable amount of SS. Also, a significant amount of organic carbon (OC) is present in the measurement. However, in the current WRF-CMAQ model all OC is considered to be insoluble whereas most secondary organic aerosol is water soluble. In addition, the model does not consider external mixing and hygroscopic effects of water soluble OC which can impact the extinction calculations. In conclusion, the constrained SCM results indicate that the scattering portion of the aerosol optics calculations is working well, although the absorption calculation could not be effectively evaluated. However, a few factors such as greatly underestimated accumulation mode SS, misrepresentation of water soluble OC, and incomplete mixing state representation in the full coupled model

Aerosol data assimilation in the chemical transport model MOCAGE during the TRAQA/ChArMEx campaign: aerosol optical depth

Science.gov (United States)

Sič, Bojan; El Amraoui, Laaziz; Piacentini, Andrea; Marécal, Virginie; Emili, Emanuele; Cariolle, Daniel; Prather, Michael; Attié, Jean-Luc

2016-11-01

In this study, we describe the development of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) assimilation module in the chemistry transport model (CTM) MOCAGE (Modèle de Chimie Atmosphérique à Grande Echelle). Our goal is to assimilate the spatially averaged 2-D column AOD data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, and to estimate improvements in a 3-D CTM assimilation run compared to a direct model run. Our assimilation system uses 3-D-FGAT (first guess at appropriate time) as an assimilation method and the total 3-D aerosol concentration as a control variable. In order to have an extensive validation dataset, we carried out our experiment in the northern summer of 2012 when the pre-ChArMEx (CHemistry and AeRosol MEditerranean EXperiment) field campaign TRAQA (TRAnsport à longue distance et Qualité de l'Air dans le bassin méditerranéen) took place in the western Mediterranean basin. The assimilated model run is evaluated independently against a range of aerosol properties (2-D and 3-D) measured by in situ instruments (the TRAQA size-resolved balloon and aircraft measurements), the satellite Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI) instrument and ground-based instruments from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) network. The evaluation demonstrates that the AOD assimilation greatly improves aerosol representation in the model. For example, the comparison of the direct and the assimilated model run with AERONET data shows that the assimilation increased the correlation (from 0.74 to 0.88), and reduced the bias (from 0.050 to 0.006) and the root mean square error in the AOD (from 0.12 to 0.07). When compared to the 3-D concentration data obtained by the in situ aircraft and balloon measurements, the assimilation consistently improves the model output. The best results as expected occur when the shape of the vertical profile is correctly simulated by the direct model. We

ACTRIS Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pappalardo Gelsomina

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The Aerosols, Clouds and Trace gases Research Infrastructure (ACTRIS is a distributed infrastructure dedicated to high-quality observation of aerosols, clouds, trace gases and exploration of their interactions. It will deliver precision data, services and procedures regarding the 4D variability of clouds, short-lived atmospheric species and the physical, optical and chemical properties of aerosols to improve the current capacity to analyse, understand and predict past, current and future evolution of the atmospheric environment.

The tropospheric aerosol at mid-latitudes - microphysics, optics, and climate forcing illustrated by the LACE 98 field study; Das troposphaerische Aerosol in mittleren Breiten - Mikrophysik, Optik und Klimaantrieb am Beispiel der Feldstudie LACE 98

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fiebig, M.

2001-07-01

This study investigates the column closure of optical aerosol parameters as part of the Lindenberg Aerosol Characterisation Experiment (LACE 98). The optical aerosol parameters were calculated from microphysical aerosol parameters which were measured height resolved from tropopause to boundary layer and compared with the direct measurement of the respective property (closure). The closure allows the validation of the measured aerosol properties and the inversion of aerosol properties which are not measurable directly. The radiative forcings of the measured aerosol columns are estimated. The measured, quality assured microphysical aerosol properties are parameterized and tabulated as input data for models. The successful closure of the aerosol column's optical depth validates the measured particle size distributions, whereas the successful closure of the backscatter coefficient validates the assumptions made on the aerosol chemical composition and serves to deduce its state of mixture, the latter point exemplified using a 7 day old forest fire aerosol. The local, instantaneous radiative forcing of the measured continental particle columns are estimated to lie between -33 W/m{sup 2} for continental and -6 W/m{sup 2} for marine air masses for a solar zenith angle of 56 . (orig.) [German] Als Teil des Lindenberger Aerosol Charakterisierungsexperimentes (LACE 98) behandelt diese Arbeit die Saeulenschliessung optischer Aerosolparameter. Diese wurden aus den von Tropopause bis Grenzschicht hoehenaufgeloest gemessenen mikrophysikalischen Aerosoleigenschaften berechnet, um sie mit den am gleichen Ort direkt gemessenen optischen Aerosolparametern zu vergleichen (Schliessung). Es wird gezeigt, dass die Schliessung die Qualitaetssicherung der gemessenen Aerosoleigenschaften und die Invertierung direkt nicht messbarer Aerosoleigenschaften ermoeglicht. Die Strahlungsantriebe der vermessenen Aerosolsaeulen werden abgeschaetzt. Die qualitaetsgesicherten gemessenen

Optical Modeling of Sea Salt Aerosols: The Effects of Nonsphericity and Inhomogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Bi, Lei; Lin, Wushao; Wang, Zheng; Tang, Xiaoyun; Zhang, Xiaoyu; Yi, Bingqi

2018-01-01

The nonsphericity and inhomogeneity of marine aerosols (sea salts) have not been addressed in pertinent radiative transfer calculations and remote sensing studies. This study investigates the optical properties of nonspherical and inhomogeneous sea salts using invariant imbedding T-matrix simulations. Dry sea salt aerosols are modeled based on superellipsoidal geometries with a prescribed aspect ratio and roundness parameter. Wet sea salt particles are modeled as coated superellipsoids, as spherical particles with a superellipsoidal core, and as homogeneous spheres depending on the level of relative humidity. Aspect ratio and roundness parameters are found to be critical to interpreting the linear depolarization ratios (LDRs) of NaCl crystals from laboratory measurements. The optimal morphology parameters of NaCl necessary to reproduce the measurements are found to be consistent with data gleaned from an electron micrograph. The LDRs of wet sea salts are computed based on inhomogeneous models and compared with the measured data from ground-based LiDAR. The dependence of the LDR on relative humidity is explicitly considered. The increase in the LDR with relative humidity at the initial phase of deliquescence is attributed to both the size increase and the inhomogeneity effect. For large humidity values, the LDR substantially decreases because the overall particle shape becomes more spherical and the inhomogeneity effect in a particle on the LDR is suppressed for submicron sea salts. However, the effect of inhomogeneity on optical properties is pronounced for coarse-mode sea salts. These findings have important implications for atmospheric radiative transfer and remote sensing involving sea salt aerosols.

Using Airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar Data to Evaluate Combined Active Plus Passive Retrievals of Aerosol Extinction Profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, S. P.; Ferrare, R. A.; Hostetler, C. A.; Hair, J. W.; Kittaka, C.; Vaughn, M. A.; Remer, L. A.

2010-01-01

We derive aerosol extinction profiles from airborne and space-based lidar backscatter signals by constraining the retrieval with column aerosol optical thickness (AOT), with no need to rely on assumptions about aerosol type or lidar ratio. The backscatter data were acquired by the NASA Langley Research Center airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) and by the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument on the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite. The HSRL also simultaneously measures aerosol extinction coefficients independently using the high spectral resolution lidar technique, thereby providing an ideal data set for evaluating the retrieval. We retrieve aerosol extinction profiles from both HSRL and CALIOP attenuated backscatter data constrained with HSRL, Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer column AOT. The resulting profiles are compared with the aerosol extinction measured by HSRL. Retrievals are limited to cases where the column aerosol thickness is greater than 0.2 over land and 0.15 over water. In the case of large AOT, the results using the Aqua MODIS constraint over water are poorer than Aqua MODIS over land or Terra MODIS. The poorer results relate to an apparent bias in Aqua MODIS AOT over water observed in August 2007. This apparent bias is still under investigation. Finally, aerosol extinction coefficients are derived from CALIPSO backscatter data using AOT from Aqua MODIS for 28 profiles over land and 9 over water. They agree with coincident measurements by the airborne HSRL to within +/-0.016/km +/- 20% for at least two-thirds of land points and within +/-0.028/km +/- 20% for at least two-thirds of ocean points.

Extending CO2 cryogenic aerosol cleaning for advanced optical and EUV mask cleaning

Science.gov (United States)

Varghese, Ivin; Bowers, Charles W.; Balooch, Mehdi

2011-11-01

Cryogenic CO2 aerosol cleaning being a dry, chemically-inert and residue-free process is used in the production of optical lithography masks. It is an attractive cleaning option for the mask industry to achieve the requirement for removal of all printable soft defects and repair debris down to the 50nm printability specification. In the technique, CO2 clusters are formed by sudden expansion of liquid from high to almost atmospheric pressure through an optimally designed nozzle orifice. They are then directed on to the soft defects or debris for momentum transfer and subsequent damage free removal from the mask substrate. Unlike aggressive acid based wet cleaning, there is no degradation of the mask after processing with CO2, i.e., no critical dimension (CD) change, no transmission/phase losses, or chemical residue that leads to haze formation. Therefore no restriction on number of cleaning cycles is required to be imposed, unlike other cleaning methods. CO2 aerosol cleaning has been implemented for several years as full mask final clean in production environments at several state of the art mask shops. Over the last two years our group reported successful removal of all soft defects without damage to the fragile SRAF features, zero adders (from the cleaning and handling mechanisms) down to a 50nm printability specification. In addition, CO2 aerosol cleaning is being utilized to remove debris from Post-RAVE repair of hard defects in order to achieve the goal of no printable defects. It is expected that CO2 aerosol cleaning can be extended to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) masks. In this paper, we report advances being made in nozzle design qualification for optimum snow properties (size, velocity and flux) using Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) technique. In addition the two new areas of focus for CO2 aerosol cleaning i.e. pellicle glue residue removal on optical masks, and ruthenium (Ru) film on EUV masks are presented. Usually, the residue left over after the pellicle

Validation of MODIS derived aerosol optical depth and an investigation on aerosol transport over the South East Arabian Sea during ARMEX-II

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Aloysius

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The influence of wind and humidity on aerosol optical depth (AOD over the Arabian sea is being investigated using MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Level 3 (Collection-5 and NCEP (National Centres for Environmental Prediction reanalysis data for the second phase of the Arabian Sea Monsoon Experiment (ARMEX-II over the South East Arabian Sea (SEAS in the pre-monsoon period (14 March–10 April 2003. In order to qualify MODIS data for this study, MODIS aerosol parameters were first compared with ship borne Microtops measurements. This showed correlations 0.96–0.97 in the case of spectral AODs and a correlation 0.72 for the angstrom exponents. The daily AOD data from MODIS and winds from NCEP reveal that the ship observed episodic enhancement and decay of AOD at the TSL (Time Series Location during 23 March–6 April 2003 was caused by the southward drift of an aerosol pocket driven by an intensification and reduction of surface pressure in the North Western Arabian Sea with a low altitude convergence prevailing over SEAS. The AOD increase coincided with a decrease in the Angstrom exponent and the fine mode fraction suggesting the pocket being dominated by coarse mode particles. A partial correlation analysis reveals that the lower altitude wind convergence is the most influential atmospheric variable in modulating AOD over the ARMEX-II domain during the TSL period. However, surface winds at a distant zone in the north/north west upwind direction also had a moderate influence, though with a lag of two days. But this effect was minor since the winds were not strong enough to produce marine aerosols matching with the high AODs over the ARMEX-II domain. These findings and the similarity between MODIS column mass concentration and the ship borne QCM (Quartz Crystal Microbalance measured coarse mode mass concentration, suggest that the aerosol pocket was mostly composed of coarse mode mineral dust in the lower atmospheric altitudes

Optical transmission through aerosol deposits on diffusely reflective filters: a method for measuring the absorbing component of aerosol particles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, H.; Novakov, T.

1983-01-01

It is unclear why the backscattered radiation from nonabsorbing particles should not make a significant contribution to the optical attenuation measurement. This is especially true where the absorbing component represents only a very small fraction of the aerosol mass. In this Letter we present a simple theoretical model which accounts for all these observations and points out the critical role of the filter substrate as an almost perfect diffuse reflector in the technique

Optical and radiative properties of aerosols during a severe haze episode over the North China Plain in December 2016

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yu; Che, Huizheng; Yang, Leiku; Chen, Jing; Wang, Yaqiang; Xia, Xiangao; Zhao, Hujia; Wang, Hong; Wang, Deying; Gui, Ke; An, Linchang; Sun, Tianze; Yu, Jie; Kuang, Xiang; Li, Xin; Sun, Enwei; Zhao, Dapeng; Yang, Dongsen; Guo, Zengyuan; Zhao, Tianliang; Zhang, Xiaoye

2017-12-01

The optical and radiative properties of aerosols during a severe haze episode from 15 to 22 December 2016 over Beijing, Shijiazhuang, and Jiaozuo in the North China Plain were analyzed based on the ground-based and satellite data, meteorological observations, and atmospheric environmental monitoring data. The aerosol optical depth at 500 nm was 1.4 as the haze pollution developed. The Ångström exponent was > 0.80 for most of the study period. The daily single-scattering albedo was > 0.85 over all of the North China Plain on the most polluted days and was > 0.97 on some particular days. The volumes of fine and coarse mode particles during the haze event were approximately 0.05-0.21 and 0.01-0.43 μm3, respectively—that is, larger than those in the time without haze. The daily absorption aerosol optical depth was about 0.01-0.11 in Beijing, 0.01-0.13 in Shijiazhuang, and 0.01-0.04 in Jiaozuo, and the average absorption Ångström exponent varied between 0.6 and 2.0. The aerosol radiative forcing at the bottom of the atmosphere varied from -23 to -227,-34 to -199, and -29 to -191 W m-2 for the whole haze period, while the aerosol radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere varied from -4 to -98, -10 to -51, and -21 to -143 W m-2 in Beijing, Shijiazhuang, and Jiaozuo, respectively. Satellite observations showed that smoke, polluted dust, and polluted continental components of aerosols may aggravate air pollution during haze episodes. The analysis of the potential source contribution function and concentration-weighted trajectory showed that the contribution from local emissions and pollutants transport from upstream areas were 190-450 and 100-410 μg m-3, respectively.

Aerosol optical characteristics and their vertical distributions under enhanced haze pollution events: effect of the regional transport of different aerosol types over eastern China

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Tianze; Che, Huizheng; Qi, Bing; Wang, Yaqiang; Dong, Yunsheng; Xia, Xiangao; Wang, Hong; Gui, Ke; Zheng, Yu; Zhao, Hujia; Ma, Qianli; Du, Rongguang; Zhang, Xiaoye

2018-03-01

The climatological variation of aerosol properties and the planetary boundary layer (PBL) during 2013-2015 over the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region were investigated by employing ground-based Micro Pulse Lidar (MPL) and CE-318 sun-photometer observations. Combining Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite products, enhanced haze pollution events affected by different types of aerosol over the YRD region were analyzed through vertical structures, spatial distributions, backward trajectories, and the potential source contribution function (PSCF) model. The results show that aerosols in the YRD are dominated by fine-mode particles, except in March. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) in June and September is higher due to high single scattering albedo (SSA) from hygroscopic growth, but it is lower in July and August due to wet deposition from precipitation. The PBL height (PBLH) is greater (means ranging from 1.23 to 1.84 km) and more variable in the warmer months of March to August, due to the stronger diurnal cycle and exchange of heat. Northern fine-mode pollutants are brought to the YRD at a height of 1.5 km. The SSA increases, blocking the radiation to the surface, and cooling the surface, thereby weakening turbulence, lowering the PBL, and in turn accelerating the accumulation of pollutants, creating a feedback to the cooling effect. Originated from the deserts in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, long-range transported dust masses are seen at heights of about 2 km over the YRD region with an SSA440 nm below 0.84, which heat air and raise the PBL, accelerating the diffusion of dust particles. Regional transport from biomass-burning spots to the south of the YRD region bring mixed aerosol particles at a height below 1.5 km, resulting in an SSA440 nm below 0.89. During the winter, the accumulation of the local emission layer is facilitated by stable weather conditions

Optical trapping of gold aerosols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmitt, Regina K.; Pedersen, Liselotte Jauffred; Taheri, S. M.

2015-01-01

Aerosol trapping has proven challenging and was only recently demonstrated.1 This was accomplished by utilizing an air chamber designed to have a minimum of turbulence and a laser beam with a minimum of aberration. Individual gold nano-particles with diameters between 80 nm and 200 nm were trapped...... in air using a 1064 nm laser. The positions visited by the trapped gold nano-particle were quantified using a quadrant photo diode placed in the back focal plane. The time traces were analyzed and the trapping stiffness characterizing gold aerosol trapping determined and compared to aerosol trapping...... of nanometer sized silica and polystyrene particles. Based on our analysis, we concluded that gold nano-particles trap more strongly in air than similarly sized polystyrene and silica particles. We found that, in a certain power range, the trapping strength of polystyrene particles is linearly decreasing...

The Two-Column Aerosol Project (TCAP) Science Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berkowitz, CM; Berg, LK; Cziczo, DJ; Flynn, CJ; Kassianov, EI; Fast, JD; Rasch, PJ; Shilling, JE; Zaveri, RA; Zelenyuk, A; Ferrare, RA; Hostetler, CA; Cairns, B; Russell, PB; Ervens, B

2011-07-27

The Two-Column Aerosol Project (TCAP) field campaign will provide a detailed set of observations with which to (1) perform radiative and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) closure studies, (2) evaluate a new retrieval algorithm for aerosol optical depth (AOD) in the presence of clouds using passive remote sensing, (3) extend a previously developed technique to investigate aerosol indirect effects, and (4) evaluate the performance of a detailed regional-scale model and a more parameterized global-scale model in simulating particle activation and AOD associated with the aging of anthropogenic aerosols. To meet these science objectives, the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility will deploy the ARM Mobile Facility (AMF) and the Mobile Aerosol Observing System (MAOS) on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for a 12-month period starting in the summer of 2012 in order to quantify aerosol properties, radiation, and cloud characteristics at a location subject to both clear and cloudy conditions, and clean and polluted conditions. These observations will be supplemented by two aircraft intensive observation periods (IOPs), one in the summer and a second in the winter. Each IOP will deploy one, and possibly two, aircraft depending on available resources. The first aircraft will be equipped with a suite of in situ instrumentation to provide measurements of aerosol optical properties, particle composition and direct-beam irradiance. The second aircraft will fly directly over the first and use a multi-wavelength high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) and scanning polarimeter to provide continuous optical and cloud properties in the column below.

Aerosol vertical distribution characteristics over the Tibetan Plateau

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Z Q; Han, Y X; Zhao, Q; Li, J

2014-01-01

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) aerosol products are widely used in climatic characteristic studies and stratospheric aerosol pattern research. Some SAGE II products, e.g., temperature, aerosol surface area density, 1020 nm aerosol extinction coefficient and dust storm frequency, from ground-based observations were analysed from 1984 to 2005. This analysis explored the time and spatial variations of tropospheric and stratospheric aerosols on the Tibet Plateau. The stratospheric aerosol extinction coefficient increased more than two orders of magnitude because of a large volcanic eruption. However, the tropospheric aerosol extinction coefficient decreased over the same period. Removing the volcanic eruption effect, the correlation coefficient for stratospheric AOD (Aerosol Optical Depth) and tropospheric AOD was 0.197. Moreover, the correlation coefficient for stratospheric AOD and dust storm frequency was 0.315. The maximum stratospheric AOD was attained in January, the same month as the tropospheric AOD, when the Qaidam Basin was the centre of low tropospheric AOD and the large mountains coincided with high stratospheric AOD. The vertical structure generated by westerly jet adjustment and the high altitude of the underlying surface of the Tibetan Plateau were important factors affecting winter stratospheric aerosols

High resolution humidity, temperature and aerosol profiling with MeteoSwiss Raman lidar

Science.gov (United States)

Dinoev, Todor; Arshinov, Yuri; Bobrovnikov, Sergei; Serikov, Ilya; Calpini, Bertrand; van den Bergh, Hubert; Parlange, Marc B.; Simeonov, Valentin

2010-05-01

Meteorological services rely, in part, on numerical weather prediction (NWP). Twice a day radiosonde observations of water vapor provide the required data for assimilation but this time resolution is insufficient to resolve certain meteorological phenomena. High time resolution temperature profiles from microwave radiometers are available as well but have rather low vertical resolution. The Raman LIDARs are able to provide temperature and humidity profiles with high time and range resolution, suitable for NWP model assimilation and validation. They are as well indispensible tools for continuous aerosol profiling for high resolution atmospheric boundary layer studies. To improve the database available for direct meteorological applications the Swiss meteo-service (MeteoSwiss), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) initiated a project to design and build an automated Raman lidar for day and night vertical profiling of tropospheric water vapor with the possibility to further upgrade it with an aerosol and temperature channels. The project was initiated in 2004 and RALMO (Raman Lidar for meteorological observations) was inaugurated in August 2008 at MeteoSwiss aerological station at Payerne. RALMO is currently operational and continuously profiles water vapor mixing ratio, aerosol backscatter ratio and aerosol extinction. The instrument is a fully automated, self-contained, eye-safe Raman lidar operated at 355 nm. Narrow field-of-view multi-telescope receiver and narrow band detection allow day and night-time vertical profiling of the atmospheric humidity. The rotational-vibrational Raman lidar responses from water vapor and nitrogen are spectrally separated by a high-throughput fiber coupled diffraction grating polychromator. The elastic backscatter and pure-rotational Raman lidar responses (PRR) from oxygen and nitrogen are spectrally isolated by a double grating polychromator and are used to

LIDAR Measurements of the Vertical Distribution of Aerosol Optical and Physical Properties over Central Asia

Science.gov (United States)

The vertical structure of aerosol optical and physical properties was measured by Lidar in Eastern Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, from June 2008 to May 2009. Lidar measurements were supplemented with surface-based measurements of PM2.5 and PM10 mass and chemical ...

Chemical and optical properties of atmospheric aerosols in Phimai, Thailand by intensive surface measurements and satellite data analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuruta, H.; Thana, B.; Takamura, T.; Hashimoto, M.; Yabuki, M.; Oikawa, E.; Nakajima, T.

2013-12-01

Atmospheric aerosols were measured at the Observatory of Atmospheric Research, in Phimai, Thailand, a key station of SKYNET, during 2006-2008. In the surface measurement, mass concentrations and major chemical components in fine and coarse aerosols were analyzed, and the optical properties such as AOT and SSA were measured by skyradiometer. Analysis of MODIS and CALIPSO satellite data was made for wild fire activities and aerosol distribution, respectively. In this paper, the following topics are summarized. The surface wind pattern in dry season was divided into the three periods as follows; D1 (Oct.-Nov.) with northeasterly monsoon, D3 (middle March-April) with southerly wind, and D2 (Dec.-early March) with a transit stage between D1 and D3. Wet season in southwesterly monsoon was from May to September. The concentration ratio of BC/nss-SO4 showed that the dominant PM2.5 aerosols in D1 were due to long-range transport of air pollutants emitted from urban/industrial area of east Asia. In contrast, most of aerosols in D3 were derived from biomass burning in Indochina, because the activity of biomass burning was highest in the latter D2 and early D3 period, by the analysis of the fire database in MODIS and of BC/nss-SO4. The mass concentration in PM2.5 showed a clear seasonal variation with the maximum in D2. On the contrary, AOT showed the maximum in D3, and which could be attributed to an increase in the vertical thickness of high aerosol concentration in the boundary layer by the CALIOP data analysis. Dust particles in D1 were directly transported from east Asia, and re-suspension of soil dusts was dominant in D2 because the surface soil became dry. In D3, soil dusts were re-suspended with the thermal plume caused by biomass burning. In contrast, high dust particles measured in the wet season was due to long range transport of dust aerosols from western desert area by the CALIOP data analysis.

Separating Real and Apparent Effects of Cloud, Humidity, and Dynamics on Aerosol Optical Thickness near Cloud Edges

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Myeong-Jae; Li, Zhanqing

2010-01-01

Aerosol optical thickness (AOT) is one of aerosol parameters that can be measured on a routine basis with reasonable accuracy from Sun-photometric observations at the surface. However, AOT-derived near clouds is fraught with various real effects and artifacts, posing a big challenge for studying aerosol and cloud interactions. Recently, several studies have reported correlations between AOT and cloud cover, pointing to potential cloud contamination and the aerosol humidification effect; however, not many quantitative assessments have been made. In this study, various potential causes of apparent correlations are investigated in order to separate the real effects from the artifacts, using well-maintained observations from the Aerosol Robotic Network, Total Sky Imager, airborne nephelometer, etc., over the Southern Great Plains site operated by the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program. It was found that aerosol humidification effects can explain about one fourth of the correlation between the cloud cover and AOT. New particle genesis, cloud-processed particles, atmospheric dynamics, and aerosol indirect effects are likely to be contributing to as much as the remaining three fourth of the relationship between cloud cover and AOT.

Retrieval of Aerosol Optical Depth in the Arid or Semiarid Region of Northern Xinjiang, China

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Xinpeng Tian

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Satellite remote sensing has been widely used to retrieve aerosol optical depth (AOD, which is an indicator of air quality as well as radiative forcing. The dark target (DT algorithm is applied to low reflectance areas, such as dense vegetation, and the deep blue (DB algorithm is adopted for bright-reflecting regions. However, both DT and DB algorithms ignore the effect of surface bidirectional reflectance. This paper provides a method for AOD retrieval in arid or semiarid areas, in which the key points are the accurate estimation of surface reflectance and reasonable assumptions of the aerosol model. To reduce the uncertainty in surface reflectance, a minimum land surface reflectance database at the spatial resolution of 500 m for each month was constructed based on the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS surface reflectance product. Furthermore, a bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF correction model was adopted to compensate for the effect of surface reflectance anisotropy. The aerosol parameters, including AOD, single scattering albedo, asymmetric factor, Ångström exponent and complex refractive index, are determined based on the observation of two sunphotometers installed in northern Xinjiang from July to August 2014. The AOD retrieved from the MODIS images was validated with ground-based measurements and the Terra-MODIS aerosol product (MOD04. The 500 m AOD retrieved from the MODIS showed high consistency with ground-based AOD measurements, with an average correlation coefficient of ~0.928, root mean square error (RMSE of ~0.042, mean absolute error (MAE of ~0.032, and the percentage falling within the expected error (EE of the collocations is higher than that for the MOD04 DB product. The results demonstrate that the new AOD algorithm is more suitable to represent aerosol conditions over Xinjiang than the DB standard product.

SAGE II measurements of early Pinatubo aerosols

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Mccormick, M. P.; Veiga, R. E.

1992-01-01

SAGE II satellite measurements of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption cloud in the stratosphere during June, July, and early August 1991 show that aerosols in the tropics reached as high as 29 km altitude with most of the cloud between 20 and 25 km. The most optically thick portions of the cloud covered latitudes from 10 deg S to 30 deg N during the early part of this period. By late July, high stratospheric optical depths were observed to at least 70 deg N, with the high values north of about 30 deg N from layers below 20 km. High pressure systems in both hemispheres were observed to be correlated with the movement of volcanic material at 21 km into the westerly jet stream at high southern latitudes and similarly to high northern latitudes at 16 km. By August, the entire Southern Hemisphere had experienced a 10-fold increase in optical depth relative to early July due to layers above 20 km. Initial mass calculations using SAGE II data place the aerosol produced from this eruption at 20 to 30 megatons, well above the 12 megatons produced by El Chichon.

MODIS Retrieval of Aerosol Optical Depth over Turbid Coastal Water

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Yi Wang

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We present a new approach to retrieve Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS over the turbid coastal water. This approach supplements the operational Dark Target (DT aerosol retrieval algorithm that currently does not conduct AOD retrieval in shallow waters that have visible sediments or sea-floor (i.e., Class 2 waters. Over the global coastal water regions in cloud-free conditions, coastal screening leads to ~20% unavailability of AOD retrievals. Here, we refine the MODIS DT algorithm by considering that water-leaving radiance at 2.1 μm to be negligible regardless of water turbidity, and therefore the 2.1 μm reflectance at the top of the atmosphere is sensitive to both change of fine-mode and coarse-mode AODs. By assuming that the aerosol single scattering properties over coastal turbid water are similar to those over the adjacent open-ocean pixels, the new algorithm can derive AOD over these shallow waters. The test algorithm yields ~18% more MODIS-AERONET collocated pairs for six AERONET stations in the coastal water regions. Furthermore, comparison of the new retrieval with these AERONET observations show that the new AOD retrievals have equivalent or better accuracy than those retrieved by the MODIS operational algorithm’s over coastal land and non-turbid coastal water product. Combining the new retrievals with the existing MODIS operational retrievals yields an overall improvement of AOD over those coastal water regions. Most importantly, this refinement extends the spatial and temporal coverage of MODIS AOD retrievals over the coastal regions where 60% of human population resides. This expanded coverage is crucial for better understanding of impact of anthropogenic aerosol particles on coastal air quality and climate.

Lithium vapor/aerosol studies. Interim summary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitlow, G.A.; Bauerle, J.E.; Down, M.G.; Wilson, W.L.

1979-04-01

The temperature/cover gas pressure regime, in which detectable lithium aerosol is formed in a static system has been mapped for argon and helium cover gases using a portable He--Ne laser device. At 538 0 C (1000 0 F), lithium aerosol particles were observed over the range 0.5 to 20 torr and 2 to 10 torr for argon and helium respectively. The experimental conditions in this study were more conducive to aerosol formation than in a fusion reactor. In the real reactor system, very high intensity mechanical and thermal disturbances will be made to the liquid lithium. These disturbances, particularly transient increases in lithium vapor pressure appear to be capable of producing high concentrations of optically-dense aerosol. A more detailed study is, therefore, proposed using the basic information generated in these preliminary experiments, as a starting point. Areas recommended include the kinetics of aerosol formation and the occurrence of supersaturated vapor during rapid vapor pressure transients, and also the effect of lithium agitation (falls, jets, splashing, etc.) on aerosol formation

Estimating marine aerosol particle volume and number from Maritime Aerosol Network data

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A. M. Sayer

2012-09-01

Full Text Available As well as spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD, aerosol composition and concentration (number, volume, or mass are of interest for a variety of applications. However, remote sensing of these quantities is more difficult than for AOD, as it is more sensitive to assumptions relating to aerosol composition. This study uses spectral AOD measured on Maritime Aerosol Network (MAN cruises, with the additional constraint of a microphysical model for unpolluted maritime aerosol based on analysis of Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET inversions, to estimate these quantities over open ocean. When the MAN data are subset to those likely to be comprised of maritime aerosol, number and volume concentrations obtained are physically reasonable. Attempts to estimate surface concentration from columnar abundance, however, are shown to be limited by uncertainties in vertical distribution. Columnar AOD at 550 nm and aerosol number for unpolluted maritime cases are also compared with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS data, for both the present Collection 5.1 and forthcoming Collection 6. MODIS provides a best-fitting retrieval solution, as well as the average for several different solutions, with different aerosol microphysical models. The "average solution" MODIS dataset agrees more closely with MAN than the "best solution" dataset. Terra tends to retrieve lower aerosol number than MAN, and Aqua higher, linked with differences in the aerosol models commonly chosen. Collection 6 AOD is likely to agree more closely with MAN over open ocean than Collection 5.1. In situations where spectral AOD is measured accurately, and aerosol microphysical properties are reasonably well-constrained, estimates of aerosol number and volume using MAN or similar data would provide for a greater variety of potential comparisons with aerosol properties derived from satellite or chemistry transport model data. However, without accurate AOD data and prior knowledge of

Optical, physical and chemical characteristics of Australian continental aerosols: results from a field experiment

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M. Radhi

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Mineral dust is one of the major components of the world's aerosol mix, having a number of impacts within the Earth system. However, the climate forcing impact of mineral dust is currently poorly constrained, with even its sign uncertain. As Australian deserts are more reddish than those in the Northern Hemisphere, it is important to better understand the physical, chemical and optical properties of this important aerosol. We have investigated the properties of Australian desert dust at a site in SW Queensland, which is strongly influenced by both dust and biomass burning aerosol.

Three years of ground-based monitoring of spectral optical thickness has provided a statistical picture of gross aerosol properties. The aerosol optical depth data showed a clear though moderate seasonal cycle with an annual mean of 0.06 ± 0.03. The Angstrom coefficient showed a stronger cycle, indicating the influence of the winter-spring burning season in Australia's north. AERONET size distributions showed a generally bimodal character, with the coarse mode assumed to be mineral dust, and the fine mode a mixture of fine dust, biomass burning and marine biogenic material.

In November 2006 we undertook a field campaign which collected 4 sets of size-resolved aerosol samples for laboratory analysis – ion beam analysis and ion chromatography. Ion beam analysis was used to determine the elemental composition of all filter samples, although elemental ratios were considered the most reliable output. Scatter plots showed that Fe, Al and Ti were well correlated with Si, and Co reasonably well correlated with Si, with the Fe/Al ratio somewhat higher than values reported from Northern Hemisphere sites (as expected. Scatter plots for Ca, Mn and K against Si showed clear evidence of a second population, which in some cases could be identified with a particular sample day or size fraction. These data may be used to attempt to build a signature of soil in this

Study of the optical properties of aerosols in the Sao Paulo State by LIDAR Raman technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, Renata Facundes da

2010-01-01

The investigation reported in this dissertation has been divided in two parts. The first part was made to carry out an independent calibration of a Raman LIDAR system for water vapor in the CLA installed using a methodology that was developed at Howard University, based on a careful analysis of the efficiency of the optical system components aimed at determining the efficiency and displaying the spectral response of the system. After this study, which led to a better understanding of the eld of instrumental system, the second part, presents a preliminary study of the optical properties of aerosols in the troposphere by evaluating parameters such as, for example, the vertical profiles of aerosol extinction, SR and LR, using a mobile Raman LIDAR system developed by Raymetrics LIDAR Systems, during campaigns conducted in some research institutes in the State of Sao Paulo. (author)

Cloud Scavenging Effects on Aerosol Radiative and Cloud-nucleating Properties - Final Technical Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogren, John A.; Sheridan, Patrick S.; Andrews, Elisabeth

2009-03-05

The optical properties of aerosol particles are the controlling factors in determining direct aerosol radiative forcing. These optical properties depend on the chemical composition and size distribution of the aerosol particles, which can change due to various processes during the particles’ lifetime in the atmosphere. Over the course of this project we have studied how cloud processing of atmospheric aerosol changes the aerosol optical properties. A counterflow virtual impactor was used to separate cloud drops from interstitial aerosol and parallel aerosol systems were used to measure the optical properties of the interstitial and cloud-scavenged aerosol. Specifically, aerosol light scattering, back-scattering and absorption were measured and used to derive radiatively significant parameters such as aerosol single scattering albedo and backscatter fraction for cloud-scavenged and interstitial aerosol. This data allows us to demonstrate that the radiative properties of cloud-processed aerosol can be quite different than pre-cloud aerosol. These differences can be used to improve the parameterization of aerosol forcing in climate models.

Cluster analysis of the impact of air back-trajectories on aerosol optical properties at Hornsund, Spitsbergen

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A. Rozwadowska

2010-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, spectra of aerosol optical thickness from the AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork station at Hornsund in the southern part of Spitsbergen were employed to study the impact of air mass history on aerosol optical thickness for wavelength λ=500 nm – AOT(500 – and the Ångström exponent. Backward trajectories computed, using the NOAA HYSPLIT model, were used to trace air history. It was found that in spring, the changes in AOT values over the Hornsund station were strongly influenced by air mass trajectories 8 days or longer in duration, arriving both in the free troposphere and at an altitude of 1 km above sea level. Nevertheless, free tropospheric advection was dominant. AOT variability in summer was best explained by the local direction and speed of advection (1-day trajectories and was dominated by the effectiveness of cleansing processes. During the ASTAR 2007 campaign, the aerosols near Hornsund displayed low AOT values ranging from 0.06 to 0.09, which is lower than the mean AOT(500 for spring seasons from 2005 to 2007 (0.110±0.007; mean ± standard deviation of mean. 9 April 2007 with AOT(500=0.147 was exceptional. The back-trajectories belonged to clusters with low and average cluster mean AOT. Apart from the maximum AOT of 9 April 2007, the observed AOT values were close to or lower than the means for the clusters to which they belonged.

New Aerosol Models for the Retrieval of Aerosol Optical Thickness and Normalized Water-Leaving Radiances from the SeaWiFS and MODIS Sensors Over Coastal Regions and Open Oceans

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Ziauddin; Franz, Bryan A.; McClain, Charles R.; Kwiatkowska, Ewa J.; Werdell, Jeremy; Shettle, Eric P.; Holben, Brent N.

2010-01-01

We describe the development of a new suite of aerosol models for the retrieval of atmospheric and oceanic optical properties from the SeaWiFs and MODIS sensors, including aerosol optical thickness (tau), angstrom coefficient (alpha), and water-leaving radiance (L(sub w)). The new aerosol models are derived from Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) observations and have bimodal lognormal distributions that are narrower than previous models used by the Ocean Biology Processing Group. We analyzed AERONET data over open ocean and coastal regions and found that the seasonal variability in the modal radii, particularly in the coastal region, was related to the relative humidity, These findings were incorporated into the models by making the modal radii, as well as the refractive indices, explicitly dependent on relative humidity, From those findings, we constructed a new suite of aerosol models. We considered eight relative humidity values (30%, 50%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%. and 95%) and, for each relative humidity value, we constructed ten distributions by varying the fine-mode fraction from zero to 1. In all. 80 distributions (8Rh x 10 fine-mode fractions) were created to process the satellite data. We. also assumed that the coarse-mode particles were nonabsorbing (sea salt) and that all observed absorptions were entirely due to fine-mode particles. The composition of fine mode was varied to ensure that the new models exhibited the same spectral dependence of single scattering albedo as observed in the AERONET data,

Characterizing the Vertical Distribution of Aerosols using Ground-based Multiwavelength Lidar Data

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrare, R. A.; Thorsen, T. J.; Clayton, M.; Mueller, D.; Chemyakin, E.; Burton, S. P.; Goldsmith, J.; Holz, R.; Kuehn, R.; Eloranta, E. W.; Marais, W.; Newsom, R. K.; Liu, X.; Sawamura, P.; Holben, B. N.; Hostetler, C. A.

2016-12-01

Observations of aerosol optical and microphysical properties are critical for developing and evaluating aerosol transport model parameterizations and assessing global aerosol-radiation impacts on climate. During the Combined HSRL And Raman lidar Measurement Study (CHARMS), we investigated the synergistic use of ground-based Raman lidar and High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) measurements to retrieve aerosol properties aloft. Continuous (24/7) operation of these co-located lidars during the ten-week CHARMS mission (mid-July through September 2015) allowed the acquisition of a unique, multiwavelength ground-based lidar dataset for studying aerosol properties above the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site. The ARM Raman lidar measured profiles of aerosol backscatter, extinction and depolarization at 355 nm as well as profiles of water vapor mixing ratio and temperature. The University of Wisconsin HSRL simultaneously measured profiles of aerosol backscatter, extinction and depolarization at 532 nm and aerosol backscatter at 1064 nm. Recent advances in both lidar retrieval theory and algorithm development demonstrate that vertically-resolved retrievals using such multiwavelength lidar measurements of aerosol backscatter and extinction can help constrain both the aerosol optical (e.g. complex refractive index, scattering, etc.) and microphysical properties (e.g. effective radius, concentrations) as well as provide qualitative aerosol classification. Based on this work, the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) HSRL group developed automated algorithms for classifying and retrieving aerosol optical and microphysical properties, demonstrated these retrievals using data from the unique NASA/LaRC airborne multiwavelength HSRL-2 system, and validated the results using coincident airborne in situ data. We apply these algorithms to the CHARMS multiwavelength (Raman+HSRL) lidar dataset to retrieve aerosol properties above the SGP site. We present some profiles of aerosol effective

Temporal variation of aerosol optical depth and associated shortwave radiative forcing over a coastal site along the west coast of India.

Science.gov (United States)

Menon, Harilal B; Shirodkar, Shilpa; Kedia, Sumita; S, Ramachandran; Babu, Suresh; Moorthy, K Krishna

2014-01-15

Optical characterization of aerosol was performed by assessing the columnar aerosol optical depth (AOD) and angstrom wavelength exponent (α) using data from the Microtops II Sunphotometer. The data were collected on cloud free days over Goa, a coastal site along the west coast of India, from January to December 2008. Along with the composite aerosol, the black carbon (BC) mass concentration from the Aethalometer was also analyzed. The AOD0.500 μm and angstrom wavelength exponent (α) were in the range of 0.26 to 0.7 and 0.52 to 1.33, respectively, indicative of a significant seasonal shift in aerosol characteristics during the study period. The monthly mean AOD0.500 μm exhibited a bi-modal distribution, with a primary peak in April (0.7) and a secondary peak in October (0.54), whereas the minimum of 0.26 was observed in May. The monthly mean BC mass concentration varied between 0.31 μg/m(3) and 4.5 μg/m(3), and the single scattering albedo (SSA), estimated using the OPAC model, ranged from 0.87 to 0.97. Modeled aerosol optical properties were used to estimate the direct aerosol shortwave radiative forcing (DASRF) in the wavelength range 0.25 μm4.0 μm. The monthly mean forcing at the surface, at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and in the atmosphere varied between -14.1 Wm(-2) and -35.6 Wm(-2), -6.7 Wm(-2) and -13.4 Wm(-2) and 5.5 Wm(-2) to 22.5 Wm(-2), respectively. These results indicate that the annual SSA cycle in the atmosphere is regulated by BC (absorbing aerosol), resulting in a positive forcing; however, the surface forcing was governed by the natural aerosol scattering, which yielded a negative forcing. These two conditions neutralized, resulting in a negative forcing at the TOA that remains nearly constant throughout the year. © 2013.

Assessment of the Aerosol Optics Component of the Coupled WRF-CMAQ Model usingCARES Field Campaign data and a Single Column Model

Science.gov (United States)

The Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study (CARES), a field campaign held in central California in June 2010, provides a unique opportunity to assess the aerosol optics modeling component of the two-way coupled Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) – Community Multisc...

Analysis of aerosol optical depth evaluation in polar regions and associated uncertainties

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P. Ortiz de Galisteo

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Some available processing algorithms used to calculate the aerosol optical depth from radiometric measurements were tested. The aim was to evaluate the associated uncertainties in polar regions due to the data processing, in order to adjust the methodology of the calculation and illustrate the importance of these error sources. The measurements were obtained during a sun photometer campaign in Ny-Ålesund within the framework of the POLAR-AOD project.

Note: Real time optical sensing of alpha-radiation emitting radioactive aerosols based on solid state nuclear track detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulkarni, A.; Bak, M. S.; Ha, S.; Joshirao, P.; Manchanda, V.; Kim, T.

2015-01-01

A sensitive radioactive aerosols sensor has been designed and developed. Its design guidance is based on the need for a low operational cost and reliable measurements to provide daily aerosol monitoring. The exposure of diethylene-glycol bis (allylcarbonate) to radiation causes modification of its physico-chemical properties like surface roughness and reflectance. In the present study, optical sensor based on the reflectance measurement has been developed with an aim to monitor real time presence of alpha radioactive aerosols emitted from thorium nitrate hydrate. The results shows that the fabricated sensor can detect 0.0157 kBq to 0.1572 kBq of radio activity by radioactive aerosols generated from (Th(NO 3 ) 4 ⋅ 5H 2 O) at 0.1 ml/min flow rate. The proposed instrument will be helpful to monitor radioactive aerosols in/around a nuclear facility, building construction sites, mines, and granite polishing factories

Note: Real time optical sensing of alpha-radiation emitting radioactive aerosols based on solid state nuclear track detector

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkarni, A.; Ha, S.; Joshirao, P.; Manchanda, V.; Bak, M. S.; Kim, T.

2015-06-01

A sensitive radioactive aerosols sensor has been designed and developed. Its design guidance is based on the need for a low operational cost and reliable measurements to provide daily aerosol monitoring. The exposure of diethylene-glycol bis (allylcarbonate) to radiation causes modification of its physico-chemical properties like surface roughness and reflectance. In the present study, optical sensor based on the reflectance measurement has been developed with an aim to monitor real time presence of alpha radioactive aerosols emitted from thorium nitrate hydrate. The results shows that the fabricated sensor can detect 0.0157 kBq to 0.1572 kBq of radio activity by radioactive aerosols generated from (Th(NO3)4 ṡ 5H2O) at 0.1 ml/min flow rate. The proposed instrument will be helpful to monitor radioactive aerosols in/around a nuclear facility, building construction sites, mines, and granite polishing factories.

Note: Real time optical sensing of alpha-radiation emitting radioactive aerosols based on solid state nuclear track detector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kulkarni, A.; Bak, M. S., E-mail: tkim@skku.edu, E-mail: moonsoo@skku.edu [School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Ha, S. [SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano Technology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Joshirao, P.; Manchanda, V. [Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, T., E-mail: tkim@skku.edu, E-mail: moonsoo@skku.edu [School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano Technology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-15

A sensitive radioactive aerosols sensor has been designed and developed. Its design guidance is based on the need for a low operational cost and reliable measurements to provide daily aerosol monitoring. The exposure of diethylene-glycol bis (allylcarbonate) to radiation causes modification of its physico-chemical properties like surface roughness and reflectance. In the present study, optical sensor based on the reflectance measurement has been developed with an aim to monitor real time presence of alpha radioactive aerosols emitted from thorium nitrate hydrate. The results shows that the fabricated sensor can detect 0.0157 kBq to 0.1572 kBq of radio activity by radioactive aerosols generated from (Th(NO{sub 3}){sub 4} ⋅ 5H{sub 2}O) at 0.1 ml/min flow rate. The proposed instrument will be helpful to monitor radioactive aerosols in/around a nuclear facility, building construction sites, mines, and granite polishing factories.

Aerosol single-scattering albedo and asymmetry parameter from MFRSR observations during the ARM Aerosol IOP 2003

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. I. Kassianov

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Multi-filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometers (MFRSRs provide routine measurements of the aerosol optical depth (τ at six wavelengths (0.415, 0.5, 0.615, 0.673, 0.870 and 0.94 μm. The single-scattering albedo (π₀ is typically estimated from the MFRSR measurements by assuming the asymmetry parameter (g. In most instances, however, it is not easy to set an appropriate value of g due to its strong temporal and spatial variability. Here, we introduce and validate an updated version of our retrieval technique that allows one to estimate simultaneously π₀ and g for different types of aerosol. We use the aerosol and radiative properties obtained during the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM Program's Aerosol Intensive Operational Period (IOP to validate our retrieval in two ways. First, the MFRSR-retrieved optical properties are compared with those obtained from independent surface, Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET, and aircraft measurements. The MFRSR-retrieved optical properties are in reasonable agreement with these independent measurements. Second, we perform radiative closure experiments using the MFRSR-retrieved optical properties. The calculated broadband values of the direct and diffuse fluxes are comparable (~5 W/m² to those obtained from measurements.

A new method to determine the mixing state of light absorbing carbonaceous using the measured aerosol optical properties and number size distributions

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N. Ma

2012-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the mixing state of light absorbing carbonaceous (LAC was investigated with a two-parameter aerosol optical model and in situ aerosol measurements at a regional site in the North China Plain (NCP. A closure study between the hemispheric backscattering fraction (HBF measured by an integrating nephelometer and that calculated with a modified Mie model was conducted. A new method was proposed to retrieve the ratio of the externally mixed LAC mass to the total mass of LAC (r_ext-LAC based on the assumption that the ambient aerosol particles were externally mixed and consisted of a pure LAC material and a core-shell morphology in which the core is LAC and the shell is a less absorbing material. A Monte Carlo simulation was applied to estimate the overall influences of input parameters of the algorithm to the retrieved r_ext-LAC. The diurnal variation of r_ext-LAC was analyzed and the PartMC-MOSAIC model was used to simulate the variation of the aerosol mixing state. Results show that, for internally mixed particles, the assumption of core-shell mixture is more appropriate than that of homogenous mixture which has been widely used in aerosol optical calculations. A significant diurnal pattern of the retrieved r_ext-LAC was found, with high values during the daytime and low values at night. The consistency between the retrieved r_ext-LAC and the model results indicates that the diurnal variation of LAC mixing state is mainly caused by the diurnal evolution of the mixing layer.

Effect of Diwali Firecrackers on Air Quality and Aerosol Optical Properties over Mega City (Delhi) in India

Science.gov (United States)

Sateesh, M.; Soni, V. K.; Raju, P. V. S.

2018-06-01

In this paper, the variations of aerosol properties due to crackers burning during Diwali event (11th-18th 2012) over mega city Delhi were investigated. The sky radiometer POM-2 aerosol optical property data from Skynet-India along with ambient air pollution data were critically analyzed. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 nm was 1.60 on 13th November, the Diwali day, and its value a maximum of 1.84 on 16th November. Due to stable atmosphere over Delhi during post Diwali, aerosols accumulate and remain in the atmosphere for longer time, which leads to higher AOD on 16th November. A lower value of single-scattering albedo (SSA) was observed at a longer wavelength (1020 nm) during the entire period that clearly indicates the dominance of absorbing-type black carbon aerosol. SSA showed a steep decrease after 16th November. Asymmetry parameter decreased to a maximum of 0.79 for the shorter wavelength at 340 nm and 0.632 is reported at the higher wavelength 1020 nm. Asymmetry parameter showed a decrease in value just after Diwali on 14th November, this suggesting the dominance of fine-mode aerosol from anthropogenic activities. The lowest value of the refractive index (1.4527) on 14th and 15th November indicates the higher loading of absorbing-type aerosol which may be associated with firecracker burning of Diwali festival. The significant correlation with the value of r = 0.9 was observed between sky radiometer and MODIS AOD with a standard deviation of 0.31 and an RMSE of 0.17 during the event. Radiative forcing and heating rate were estimated using SBDART. The maximum average concentrations 2641 and 1876 μg/m3 of PM10 and PM2.5, respectively, were observed on the Diwali night. A highest of 109 ppb surface ozone was reported in the night at 23:00 IST, which can be attributed to burning of the firecrackers.

Remote sensing of aerosols over the oceans using MSG/SEVIRI imagery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Thieuleux

2005-12-01

Full Text Available The SEVIRI instrument on board Meteosat Second Generation (MSG offers new capabilities to monitor aerosol transport over the Atlantic and the Mediterranean at high temporal and spatial resolutions, in particular, Saharan dust from North Africa, biomass-burning aerosols from subtropical Africa and pollution from Europe. An inversion technique was developed to estimate both aerosol optical thickness and Angström coefficients from SEVIRI measurements at 0.63 and 0.81 µm. This method relies on an optimized set of aerosol models to ensure a fast processing of full-resolution MSG images and to allow the processing of long time series. SEVIRI images for slots 45, 49 and 53 (11:15, 12:15, 13:15 UT were processed for June 2003. The retrieved optical thicknesses and Angström coefficients are in good agreement with AERONET in-situ measurements in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean. Monthly mean maps of both parameters are compared to that obtained with the polar orbiting sensor POLDER for June 2003. There is a good consistency between the two monthly means in terms of optical thickness, but the Angström coefficients show significant differences in the Atlantic zone which is affected by dust transport. These differences may be explained by the lack of specific non-spherical dust models within the inversion. The preliminary results presented in this paper demonstrate, nevertheless, the potential of MSG/SEVIRI for the monitoring of aerosol optical properties at high frequencies over the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

Extension and statistical analysis of the GACP aerosol optical thickness record

Science.gov (United States)

Geogdzhayev, Igor V.; Mishchenko, Michael I.; Li, Jing; Rossow, William B.; Liu, Li; Cairns, Brian

2015-10-01

The primary product of the Global Aerosol Climatology Project (GACP) is a continuous record of the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) over the oceans. It is based on channel-1 and -2 radiance data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instruments flown on successive National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) platforms. We extend the previous GACP dataset by four years through the end of 2009 using NOAA-17 and -18 AVHRR radiances recalibrated against MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) radiance data, thereby making the GACP record almost three decades long. The temporal overlap of over three years of the new NOAA-17 and the previous NOAA-16 record reveals an excellent agreement of the corresponding global monthly mean AOT values, thereby confirming the robustness of the vicarious radiance calibration used in the original GACP product. The temporal overlap of the NOAA-17 and -18 instruments is used to introduce a small additive adjustment to the channel-2 calibration of the latter resulting in a consistent record with increased data density. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the newly extended GACP record shows that most of the volcanic AOT variability can be isolated into one mode responsible for ~ 12% of the total variance. This conclusion is confirmed by a combined PCA analysis of the GACP, MODIS, and Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) AOTs during the volcano-free period from February 2000 to December 2009. We show that the modes responsible for the tropospheric AOT variability in the three datasets agree well in terms of correlation and spatial patterns. A previously identified negative AOT trend which started in the late 1980s and continued into the early 2000s is confirmed. Its magnitude and duration indicate that it was caused by changes in tropospheric aerosols. The latest multi-satellite segment of the GACP record shows that this trend tapered off, with no noticeable AOT change after 2002. This

Aerosol optical thickness retrieval over land and water using Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kusmierczyk-Michulec, J.; Leeuw, G. de

2005-01-01

An algorithm for the retrieval of the aerosol optical thickness over land and over water from Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) data is presented. The cloud fraction in the GOME pixels is determined using the Fast Retrieval Scheme for Clouds From the Oxygen A Band (FRESCO) algorithm. Surface

Empirical Relationship between particulate matter and Aerosol Optical Depth over Northern Tien-Shan, Central Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Measurements were obtained at two sites in northern Tien-Shan in Central Asia during a 1-year period beginning July 2008 to examine the statistical relationship between aerosol optical depth (AOD) and of fine [PM2.5, particles less than 2.5 μm aerodynamic diameter (AD)] and coars...

Occurrence of weak, sub-micron, tropospheric aerosol events at high Arctic latitudes

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neill, N. T.; Pancrati, O.; Baibakov, K.; Eloranta, E.; Batchelor, R. L.; Freemantle, J.; McArthur, L. J. B.; Strong, K.; Lindenmaier, R.

2008-07-01

Numerous fine mode (sub-micron) aerosol optical events were observed during the summer of 2007 at the High Arctic atmospheric observatory (PEARL) located at Eureka, Nunavut, Canada. Half of these events could be traced to forest fires in southern and eastern Russia and the Northwest Territories of Canada. The most notable findings were that (a) a combination of ground-based measurements (passive sunphotometry, high spectral resolution lidar) could be employed to determine that weak (near sub-visual) fine mode events had occurred, and (b) this data combined with remote sensing imagery products (MODIS, OMI-AI, FLAMBE fire sources), Fourier transform spectroscopy and back trajectories could be employed to identify the smoke events.

Constraining Aerosol Optical Models Using Ground-Based, Collocated Particle Size and Mass Measurements in Variable Air Mass Regimes During the 7-SEAS/Dongsha Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Shaun W.; Hansell, Richard A.; Chow, Judith C.; Tsay, Si-Chee; Wang, Sheng-Hsiang; Ji, Qiang; Li, Can; Watson, John G.; Khlystov, Andrey

2012-01-01

During the spring of 2010, NASA Goddard's COMMIT ground-based mobile laboratory was stationed on Dongsha Island off the southwest coast of Taiwan, in preparation for the upcoming 2012 7-SEAS field campaign. The measurement period offered a unique opportunity for conducting detailed investigations of the optical properties of aerosols associated with different air mass regimes including background maritime and those contaminated by anthropogenic air pollution and mineral dust. What appears to be the first time for this region, a shortwave optical closure experiment for both scattering and absorption was attempted over a 12-day period during which aerosols exhibited the most change. Constraints to the optical model included combined SMPS and APS number concentration data for a continuum of fine and coarse-mode particle sizes up to PM2.5. We also take advantage of an IMPROVE chemical sampler to help constrain aerosol composition and mass partitioning of key elemental species including sea-salt, particulate organic matter, soil, non sea-salt sulphate, nitrate, and elemental carbon. Our results demonstrate that the observed aerosol scattering and absorption for these diverse air masses are reasonably captured by the model, where peak aerosol events and transitions between key aerosols types are evident. Signatures of heavy polluted aerosol composed mostly of ammonium and non sea-salt sulphate mixed with some dust with transitions to background sea-salt conditions are apparent in the absorption data, which is particularly reassuring owing to the large variability in the imaginary component of the refractive indices. Extinctive features at significantly smaller time scales than the one-day sample period of IMPROVE are more difficult to reproduce, as this requires further knowledge concerning the source apportionment of major chemical components in the model. Consistency between the measured and modeled optical parameters serves as an important link for advancing remote

Ground truth methods for optical cross-section modeling of biological aerosols

Science.gov (United States)

Kalter, J.; Thrush, E.; Santarpia, J.; Chaudhry, Z.; Gilberry, J.; Brown, D. M.; Brown, A.; Carter, C. C.

2011-05-01

Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems have demonstrated some capability to meet the needs of a fastresponse standoff biological detection method for simulants in open air conditions. These systems are designed to exploit various cloud signatures, such as differential elastic backscatter, fluorescence, and depolarization in order to detect biological warfare agents (BWAs). However, because the release of BWAs in open air is forbidden, methods must be developed to predict candidate system performance against real agents. In support of such efforts, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (JHU/APL) has developed a modeling approach to predict the optical properties of agent materials from relatively simple, Biosafety Level 3-compatible bench top measurements. JHU/APL has fielded new ground truth instruments (in addition to standard particle sizers, such as the Aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) or GRIMM aerosol monitor (GRIMM)) to more thoroughly characterize the simulant aerosols released in recent field tests at Dugway Proving Ground (DPG). These instruments include the Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS), the Ultraviolet Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (UVAPS), and the Aspect Aerosol Size and Shape Analyser (Aspect). The SMPS was employed as a means of measuring smallparticle concentrations for more accurate Mie scattering simulations; the UVAPS, which measures size-resolved fluorescence intensity, was employed as a path toward fluorescence cross section modeling; and the Aspect, which measures particle shape, was employed as a path towards depolarization modeling.

Evaluating MODIS Collection 6 Dark Target Over Water Aerosol Products for Multi-sensor Data Fusion

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Y.; Zhang, J.; Reid, J. S.; Hyer, E. J.; McHardy, T. M.; Lee, L.

2014-12-01

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol products have been widely used in aerosol related climate, visibility, and air quality studies for more than a decade. Recently, the MODIS collection 6 (c6) aerosol products from MODIS-Aqua have been released. The reported changes between Collection 5 and Collection 6 include updates in the retrieving algorithms and a new cloud filtering process for the over-ocean products. Thus it is necessary to fully evaluate the collection 6 products for applications that require high quality MODIS aerosol optical depth data, such as operational aerosol data assimilation. The uncertainties in the MODIS c6 DT over ocean products are studied through both inter-comparing with the Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) aerosol products and by evaluation against ground truth. Special attention is given to the low bias in MODIS DT products due to the misclassifications of heavy aerosol plumes as clouds. Finally, a quality assured data assimilation grade aerosol optical product is constructed for aerosol data assimilation related applications.

Characteristics of columnar aerosol optical and microphysical properties retrieved from the sun photometer and its impact on radiative forcing over Skukuza (South Africa) during 1999-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Adesina, Ayodele Joseph; Piketh, Stuart; Kanike, Raghavendra Kumar; Venkataraman, Sivakumar

2017-07-01

The detailed analysis of columnar optical and microphysical properties of aerosols obtained from the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) Cimel sun photometer operated at Skukuza (24.98° S, 31.60° E, 150 m above sea level), South Africa was carried out using the level 2.0 direct sun and inversion products measured during 1999-2010. The observed aerosol optical depth (AOD) was generally low over the region, with high values noted in late winter (August) and mid-spring (September and October) seasons. The major aerosol types found during the study period were made of 3.74, 69.63, 9.34, 8.83, and 8.41% for polluted dust (PD), polluted continental (PC), non-absorbing (NA), slightly absorbing (SA), and moderately absorbing (MA) aerosols, respectively. Much attention was given to the aerosol fine- and coarse-modes deduced from the particle volume concentration, effective radius, and fine-mode volume fraction. The aerosol volume size distribution pattern was found to be bimodal with the fine-mode showing predominance relative to coarse-mode during the winter and spring seasons, owing to the onset of the biomass burning season. The mean values of total, fine-, and coarse-mode volume particle concentrations were 0.07 ± 0.04, 0.03 ± 0.03, and 0.04 ± 0.02 μm 3  μm -2 , respectively, whereas the mean respective effective radii observed at Skukuza for the abovementioned modes were 0.35 ± 0.17, 0.14 ± 0.02, and 2.08 ± 0.02 μm. The averaged shortwave direct aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) observed within the atmosphere was found to be positive (absorption or heating effect), whereas the negative forcing in the surface and TOA depicted significant cooling effect due to more scattering type particles.

Aerosol Climate Time Series Evaluation In ESA Aerosol_cci

Science.gov (United States)

Popp, T.; de Leeuw, G.; Pinnock, S.

2015-12-01

Within the ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI) Aerosol_cci (2010 - 2017) conducts intensive work to improve algorithms for the retrieval of aerosol information from European sensors. By the end of 2015 full mission time series of 2 GCOS-required aerosol parameters are completely validated and released: Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) from dual view ATSR-2 / AATSR radiometers (3 algorithms, 1995 - 2012), and stratospheric extinction profiles from star occultation GOMOS spectrometer (2002 - 2012). Additionally, a 35-year multi-sensor time series of the qualitative Absorbing Aerosol Index (AAI) together with sensitivity information and an AAI model simulator is available. Complementary aerosol properties requested by GCOS are in a "round robin" phase, where various algorithms are inter-compared: fine mode AOD, mineral dust AOD (from the thermal IASI spectrometer), absorption information and aerosol layer height. As a quasi-reference for validation in few selected regions with sparse ground-based observations the multi-pixel GRASP algorithm for the POLDER instrument is used. Validation of first dataset versions (vs. AERONET, MAN) and inter-comparison to other satellite datasets (MODIS, MISR, SeaWIFS) proved the high quality of the available datasets comparable to other satellite retrievals and revealed needs for algorithm improvement (for example for higher AOD values) which were taken into account for a reprocessing. The datasets contain pixel level uncertainty estimates which are also validated. The paper will summarize and discuss the results of major reprocessing and validation conducted in 2015. The focus will be on the ATSR, GOMOS and IASI datasets. Pixel level uncertainties validation will be summarized and discussed including unknown components and their potential usefulness and limitations. Opportunities for time series extension with successor instruments of the Sentinel family will be described and the complementarity of the different satellite aerosol products

Aerosol optical characteristics and their vertical distributions under enhanced haze pollution events: effect of the regional transport of different aerosol types over eastern China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Sun

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The climatological variation of aerosol properties and the planetary boundary layer (PBL during 2013–2015 over the Yangtze River Delta (YRD region were investigated by employing ground-based Micro Pulse Lidar (MPL and CE-318 sun-photometer observations. Combining Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO satellite products, enhanced haze pollution events affected by different types of aerosol over the YRD region were analyzed through vertical structures, spatial distributions, backward trajectories, and the potential source contribution function (PSCF model. The results show that aerosols in the YRD are dominated by fine-mode particles, except in March. The aerosol optical depth (AOD in June and September is higher due to high single scattering albedo (SSA from hygroscopic growth, but it is lower in July and August due to wet deposition from precipitation. The PBL height (PBLH is greater (means ranging from 1.23 to 1.84 km and more variable in the warmer months of March to August, due to the stronger diurnal cycle and exchange of heat. Northern fine-mode pollutants are brought to the YRD at a height of 1.5 km. The SSA increases, blocking the radiation to the surface, and cooling the surface, thereby weakening turbulence, lowering the PBL, and in turn accelerating the accumulation of pollutants, creating a feedback to the cooling effect. Originated from the deserts in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, long-range transported dust masses are seen at heights of about 2 km over the YRD region with an SSA440 nm below 0.84, which heat air and raise the PBL, accelerating the diffusion of dust particles. Regional transport from biomass-burning spots to the south of the YRD region bring mixed aerosol particles at a height below 1.5 km, resulting in an SSA440 nm below 0.89. During the winter, the accumulation of the local emission layer is facilitated by

Atmospheric effects of nuclar war aerosols in general circulation model simulations: Influence of smoke optical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, S.L.; Ramaswamy, V.; Covey, C.

1987-01-01

A global atmospheric general circulation model (GCM) is modified to include radiative transfer parameterizations for the absorption and scattering of solar radiation and the absorption of thermal infrared (IR) radiation by smoke aerosols. The solar scattering modifications include a parameterization for diagnosing smoke optical properties as a function of the time- and space-dependent smoke particle radii. The aerosol IR modifications allow for both the ''grey'' absorber approximation and a broadband approximation that resolves the aerosol absorption in four spectral intervals. We examine the sensitivity of some GCM-simulated atmospheric and climatic effects to the optical properties and radiative transfer parameterizations used in studies of massive injections of smoke. Specifically, we test the model response to solar scattering versus nonscattering smoke, variations in prescribed smoke single scattering albedo and IR specific absorption, and interactive versus fixed smoke optical properties. Hypothetical nuclear war created smoke scenarios assume the July injection of 60 or 180 Tg of smoke over portions of the mid-latitude land areas of the northern hemisphere. Atmospheric transport and scavenging of the smoke are included. Nonscattering smoke cases produce roughly 40 Wm/sup -2/ more Earth-atmosphere solar irradiance absorption over the northern hemisphere, when compared to scattering smoke cases having equivalent specific absorption efficiencies. Varying the elemental carbon content of smoke over a plausible range produces a 4 0 --6 0 C change in average mid-latitude land surface temperature, and a variation of about 0.1 in zonally averaged planetary albedo in the northern hemisphere

Aerosol optical properties at SORPES in Nanjing, east China

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yicheng; Virkkula, Aki; Ding, Aijun; Wang, Jiaping; Chi, Xuguang; Nie, Wei; Qi, Ximeng; Huang, Xin; Liu, Qiang; Zheng, Longfei; Xu, Zheng; Petäjä, Tuukka; Aalto, Pasi P.; Fu, Congbin; Kulmala, Markku

2018-04-01

Aerosol optical properties (AOPs) and supporting parameters - particle number size distributions, PM2.5 mass concentrations, and the concentrations of trace gases (NOx and NOy) - were measured at SORPES, a regional background station in Nanjing, China from June 2013 to May 2015. The aerosol was highly scattering: the average scattering coefficient was σsp = 403 ± 314 Mm-1, the absorption coefficient σap = 26 ± 19 Mm-1, and the single-scattering albedo SSA = 0.93 ± 0.03 for green light. The SSA in Nanjing appears to be slightly higher than published values from several other sites in China and elsewhere. The average Ångström exponent of absorption (AAE) for the wavelength range 370-950 nm was 1.04 and the AAE range was 0.7-1.4. These AAE values can be explained with different amounts of non-absorbing coating on pure black carbon (BC) cores and different core sizes rather than contribution by brown carbon. The AOPs had typical seasonal cycles with high σsp and σap in winter and low ones in summer: the averages were σsp = 544 ± 422 and σap = 36 ± 24 Mm-1 in winter and σsp = 342 ± 281 and σap = 20 ± 13 Mm-1 in summer. The intensive AOPs had no clear seasonal cycles, the variations in them were rather related to the evolution of pollution episodes. The diurnal cycles of the intensive AOPs were clear and in agreement with the cycle of the particle number size distribution. The diurnal cycle of SSA was similar to that of the air photochemical age, suggesting that the darkest aerosol originated from fresh traffic emissions. A Lagrangian retroplume analysis showed that the potential source areas of high σsp and σap are mainly in eastern China. Synoptic weather phenomena dominated the cycle of AOPs on a temporal scale of 3-7 days. During pollution episodes, modeled boundary layer height decreased, whereas PM2.5 concentrations and σsp and σap typically increased gradually and remained high during several days but decreased faster, sometimes by even more

Long-term Aerosol Lidar Measurements At CNR-IMAA

Science.gov (United States)

Mona, L.; Amodeo, A.; D'Amico, G.; Pandolfi, M.; Pappalardo, G.

2006-12-01

Actual estimations of the aerosol effect on the radiation budget are affected by a large uncertainties mainly due to the high inhomogeneity and variability of atmospheric aerosol, in terms of concentration, shape, size distribution, refractive index and vertical distribution. Long-term measurements of vertical profiles of aerosol optical properties are needed to reduce these uncertainties. At CNR-IMAA (40° 36'N, 15° 44' E, 760 m above sea level), a lidar system for aerosol study is operative since May 2000 in the framework of EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network). Until August 2005, it provided independent measurements of aerosol extinction and backscatter at 355 nm and aerosol backscatter profiles at 532 nm. After an upgrade of the system, it provides independent measurements of aerosol extinction and backscatter profiles at 355 and 532 nm, and of aerosol backscatter profiles at 1064 nm and depolarization ratio at 532 nm. For these measurements, lidar ratio at 355 and 532 nm and Angstrom exponent profiles at 355/532 nm are also obtained. Starting on May 2000, systematic measurements are performed three times per week according to the EARLINET schedule and further measurements are performed in order to investigate particular events, like dust intrusions, volcanic eruptions and forest fires. A climatological study has been carried out in terms of the seasonal behavior of the PBL height and of the aerosol optical properties calculated inside the PBL itself. In the free troposphere, an high occurrences of Saharan dust intrusions (about 1 day of Saharan dust intrusion every 10 days) has been observed at CNR-IMAA because of the short distance from the Sahara region. During 6 years of observations, very peculiar cases of volcanic aerosol emitted by Etna volcano and aerosol released by large forest fires burning occurred in Alaska and Canada have been observed in the free troposphere at our site. Particular attention is devoted to lidar ratio both for the

Retrieval of Surface Lambert Albedos and Aerosols Optical Depths Using OMEGA Near-IR EPF Observations of Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Vincendon, M.; Langevin, Y.; Poulet, F.; Bibring, J.-P.; Gondet, B.

2007-03-01

We have analyzed five EPF sequences acquired by OMEGA/Mars Express in the near-IR over ice-free and ice-covered surfaces to retrieve simultaneously the Lambert albedo of the surface and the optical depth of aerosols.

Distinct high molecular weight organic compound (HMW-OC) types in aerosol particles collected at a coastal urban site

Science.gov (United States)

Dall'Osto, M.; Healy, R. M.; Wenger, J. C.; O'Dowd, C.; Ovadnevaite, J.; Ceburnis, D.; Harrison, Roy M.; Beddows, D. C. S.

2017-12-01

Organic oligomers were discovered in laboratory-generated atmospheric aerosol over a decade ago. However, evidence for the presence of oligomers in ambient aerosols is scarce and mechanisms for their formation have yet to be fully elucidated. In this work, three unique aerosol particle types internally mixed with High molecular weight organic compounds (HMW-OC) species - likely oligomers - were detected in ambient air using single particle Aerosol Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (ATOFMS) in Cork (Ireland) during winter 2009. These particle types can be described as follows: (1) HMW-OCs rich in organic nitrogen - possibly containing nitrocatechols and nitroguaiacols - originating from primary emissions of biomass burning particles during evening times; (2) HMW-OCs internally mixed with nitric acid, occurring in stagnant conditions during night time; and (3) HMW-OCs internally mixed with sea salt, likely formed via photochemical reactions during day time. The study exemplifies the power of methodologies capable of monitoring the simultaneous formation of organic and inorganic particle-phase reaction products. Primary emissions and atmospheric aging of different types of HMW-OC contributes to aerosol with a range of acidity, hygroscopic and optical properties, which can have different impacts on climate and health.

Aerosol Optical Properties at the Lulin Atmospheric Background Station in Taiwan and the Influences of Long-Range Transport of Air Pollutants

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, Ta-Chih; Chen, Wei-Nai; Ye, Wei-Cheng; Lin, Neng-Huei; Tsay, Si-Chee; Lin, Tang-Huang; Lee, Chung-Te; Chuang, Ming-Tung; Pantina, Peter; Wang, Sheng-Hsiang

2016-01-01

The Lulin Atmospheric Background Station (LABS, 23.47 deg. N 120.87 deg. E, 2862 m ASL) in Central Taiwan was constructed in 2006 and is the only high-altitude background station in the western Pacific region for studying the influence of continental outflow. In this study, extensive optical properties of aerosols, including the aerosol light scattering coefficient [Sigma(sub s)] and light absorption coefficient [Sigma(sub a)], were collected from 2013 to 2014. The intensive optical properties, including mass scattering efficiency [Sigma(sub s)], mass absorption efficiency [Sigma(sub a)] single scattering albedo (Omega), scattering Angstrom exponent (A), and backscattering fraction (b), were determined and investigated, and the distinct seasonal cycle was observed. The value of [Alpha(sub a)] began to increase in January and reached a maximum in April; the mean in spring was 5.89 m(exp. 2) g(exp. -1) with a standard deviation (SD) of 4.54 m(exp. 2) g(exp. -1) and a 4.48 m(exp. 2) g(exp. -1) interquartile range (IQR: 2.95-7.43 m(exp. 2) g(exp. -1). The trend was similar in [Sigma(sub a)], with a maximum in March and a monthly mean of 0.84 m(exp. 2) g(exp. -1). The peak values of Omega (Mean = 0.92, SD = 0.03, IQR: 0.90 - 0.93) and A (Mean = 2.22, SD = 0.61, IQR: 2.12 = 2.47) occurred in autumn. These annual patterns of optical properties were associated with different long-range transport patterns of air pollutants such as biomass burning (BB) aerosol in spring and potential anthropogenic emissions in autumn. The optical measurements performed at LABS during spring in 2013 were compared with those simultaneously performed at the Doi Ang Kang Meteorology Station, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand (DAK, 19.93 deg. N, 99.05 deg. E, 1536 m a.s.l.), which is located in the Southeast Asia BB source region. Furthermore, the relationships among [Sigma(sub s)], [Sigma(sub a)], and (b) were used to characterize the potential aerosol types transported to LABS during different

Aerosol optical properties at the Lulin Atmospheric Background Station in Taiwan and the influences of long-range transport of air pollutants

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, Ta-Chih; Chen, Wei-Nai; Ye, Wei-Cheng; Lin, Neng-Huei; Tsay, Si-Chee; Lin, Tang-Huang; Lee, Chung-Te; Chuang, Ming-Tung; Pantina, Peter; Wang, Sheng-Hsiang

2017-02-01

The Lulin Atmospheric Background Station (LABS, 23.47°N 120.87°E, 2862 m ASL) in Central Taiwan was constructed in 2006 and is the only high-altitude background station in the western Pacific region for studying the influence of continental outflow. In this study, extensive optical properties of aerosols, including the aerosol light scattering coefficient (σs) and light absorption coefficient (σa), were collected from 2013 to 2014. The intensive optical properties, including mass scattering efficiency (αs), mass absorption efficiency (αa), single scattering albedo (ω), scattering Ångstrӧm exponent (Å), and backscattering fraction (b), were determined and investigated, and the distinct seasonal cycle was observed. The value of αs began to increase in January and reached a maximum in April; the mean in spring was 5.89 m2 g-1 with a standard deviation (SD) of 4.54 m2 g-1 and a 4.48 m2 g-1 interquartile range (IQR: 2.95-7.43 m2 g-1). The trend was similar in αa, with a maximum in March and a monthly mean of 0.84 m2 g-1. The peak values of ω (Mean = 0.92, SD = 0.03, IQR: 0.90-0.93) and Å (Mean = 2.22, SD = 0.61, IQR: 2.12-2.47) occurred in autumn. These annual patterns of optical properties were associated with different long-range transport patterns of air pollutants such as biomass burning (BB) aerosol in spring and potential anthropogenic emissions in autumn. The optical measurements performed at LABS during spring in 2013 were compared with those simultaneously performed at the Doi Ang Kang Meteorology Station, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand (DAK, 19.93°N, 99.05°E, 1536 m a.s.l.), which is located in the Southeast Asia BB source region. Furthermore, the relationships among αs, αa, and b were used to characterize the potential aerosol types transported to LABS during different seasons, and the data were inspected according to the HYSPLIT 5-day backward trajectories, which differentiate between different regions of air mass origin.

Recent increase in aerosol loading over the Australian arid zone

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, R. M.; Campbell, S. K.; Qin, Y.

2009-10-01

Collocated sun photometer and nephelometer measurements at Tinga Tingana in the Australian Outback over the decade 1997-2007 show a significant increase in aerosol loading following the onset of severe drought conditions in 2002. The mean mid-visible scattering coefficient obtained from nephelometer measurements over the period 2003-2007 is approximately double that recorded over the preceding 5 yr, with consistent trends in the column aerosol optical depth derived from the sun photometer. This increase is confined to the season of dust activity, particularly September to March. In contrast, background aerosol levels during May, June and July remained stable. The enhanced aerosol loadings during the latter 5 yr of the study period can be understood as a combination of dune destabilisation through loss of ephemeral vegetation and surface crust, and the changing supply of fluvial sediments to ephemeral lakes and floodplains within the Lake Eyre Basin. Major dust outbreaks are generally highly localised, although significant dust activity was observed at Tinga Tingana on 50% of days when a major event occurred elsewhere in the Lake Eyre Basin, suggesting frequent basin-wide dust mobilisation. Combined analysis of aerosol optical depth and scattering coefficient shows weak correlation between the surface and column aerosol (R2=0.24). The aerosol scale height is broadly distributed with a mode typically between 2-3 km, with clearly defined seasonal variation. Climatological analysis reveals bimodal structure in the annual cycle of aerosol optical depth, with a summer peak related to maximal dust activity, and a spring peak related to lofted fine-mode aerosol. There is evidence for an increase in near-surface aerosol during the period 2003-2007 relative to 1997-2002, consistent with an increase in dust activity. This accords with an independent finding of increasing aerosol loading over the Australian region as a whole, suggesting that rising dust activity over the Lake

High Resolution Aerosol Data from MODIS Satellite for Urban Air Quality Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Chudnovsky, A.; Lyapustin, A.; Wang, Y.; Tang, C.; Schwartz, J.; Koutrakis, P.

2013-01-01

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides daily global coverage, but the 10 km resolution of its aerosol optical depth (AOD) product is not suitable for studying spatial variability of aerosols in urban areas. Recently, a new Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm was developed for MODIS which provides AOD at 1 km resolution. Using MAIAC data, the relationship between MAIAC AOD and PM(sub 2.5) as measured by the 27 EPA ground monitoring stations was investigated. These results were also compared to conventional MODIS 10 km AOD retrievals (MOD04) for the same days and locations. The coefficients of determination for MOD04 and for MAIAC are R(exp 2) =0.45 and 0.50 respectively, suggested that AOD is a reasonably good proxy for PM(sub 2.5) ground concentrations. Finally, we studied the relationship between PM(sub 2.5) and AOD at the intra-urban scale (10 km) in Boston. The fine resolution results indicated spatial variability in particle concentration at a sub-10 kilometer scale. A local analysis for the Boston area showed that the AOD-PM(sub 2.5) relationship does not depend on relative humidity and air temperatures below approximately 7 C. The correlation improves for temperatures above 7 - 16 C. We found no dependence on the boundary layer height except when the former was in the range 250-500 m. Finally, we apply a mixed effects model approach to MAIAC aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrievals from MODIS to predict PM(sub 2.5) concentrations within the greater Boston area. With this approach we can control for the inherent day-to-day variability in the AOD-PM(sub 2.5) relationship, which depends on time-varying parameters such as particle optical properties, vertical and diurnal concentration profiles and ground surface reflectance. Our results show that the model-predicted PM(sub 2.5) mass concentrations are highly correlated with the actual observations (out-of-sample R(exp 2) of 0.86). Therefore, adjustment

Potential climatic effects of anthropogenic aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pueschel, R.F.

1993-01-01

Aerosols act as part of the climate system through their influence on solar and terrestrial radiation. The effect of anthropogenic aerosols on the reduction of visibility is explored in this chapter. Elemental carbon has been identified as the most effective visibility-reducing species. Most of the visibility reduction is due to particles with diameter smaller than 2.5 μm. Studies indicate that sulfate is also a very important aerosol species that results in low visibility and high turbidity. Radiative properties such as aerosol single-scattering albedo values and absorption-to-backscatter ratios purported to produce warming or cooling effects of aerosols are discussed. It is concluded that aerosol clouds have a tendency to cool when they are over a low-albedo surface and have a tendency to warm when they are over high-albedo surfaces such as snow. Anthropogenic aerosols have a tendency to warm the earth's atmospheric system, based on calculations and assumed aerosol optical properties. However, this effect is somewhat offset by the absorption and re-emission into space of infrared terrestrial radiation. The net effect depends on the ratio of the absorption coefficients in the visible and infrared and also on the surface albedo. The effects on infrared radiation are documented for two anthropogenic aerosol sources in the United States, the Denver metropolitan area and power plant plumes in New Mexico, through calculations and measurements. Measured cooling rates within an aerosol plume are not sufficient to offset the warming rate due to absorption of short-wave radiation. Research indicates that anthropogenic aerosols can possibly cause local-scale warming of the atmosphere, but global-scale climatic effects remain an open question

Wave like signatures in aerosol optical depth and associated radiative impacts over the central Himalayan region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shukla, K. K.; Phanikumar, D. V.; Kumar, K.  Niranjan; Reddy, Kishore; Kotamarthi, V. R.; Newsom, Rob K.; Ouarda, Taha B. M. J.

2015-10-01

Doppler Lidar and Multi-Filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer (MFRSR) observations are utilized to show wave like signatures in aerosol optical depth (AOD) during daytime boundary layer evolution over the Himalayan region. Fourier analysis depicted 60–80 min periods dominant during afternoon hours, implying that observed modulations could be plausible reason for the AOD forenoon–afternoon asymmetry which was previously reported. Inclusion of wave amplitude in diurnal variation of aerosol radiative forcing estimates showed ~40% additional warming in the atmosphere relative to mean AOD. The present observations emphasize the importance of wave induced variations in AOD and radiation budget over the site.

Spectral Discrimination of Fine and Coarse Mode Aerosol Optical Depth from AERONET Direct Sun Data of Singapore and South-East Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Salinas Cortijo, S.; Chew, B.; Liew, S.

2009-12-01

Aerosol optical depth combined with the Angstrom exponent and its derivative, are often used as a qualitative indicator of aerosol particle size, with Angstrom exp. values greater than 2 indicating small (fine mode) particles associated with urban pollution and bio-mass burning. Around this region, forest fires are a regular occurrence during the dry season, specially near the large land masses of Sumatra and Borneo. The practice of clearing land by burning the primary and sometimes secondary forest, results in a smog-like haze covering large areas of regional cities such as cities Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and sometimes the south of Thailand, often reducing visibility and increasing health problems for the local population. In Singapore, the sources of aerosols are mostly from fossil fuel burning (energy stations, incinerators, urban transport etc.) and from the industrial and urban areas. The proximity to the sea adds a possible oceanic source. However, as stated above and depending on the time of the year, there can be a strong bio-mass component coming from forest fires from various regions of the neighboring countries. Bio-mass related aerosol particles are typically characterized by showing a large optical depth and small, sub-micron particle size distributions. In this work, we analyze three years of direct Sun measurements performed with a multi-channel Cimel Sun-Photometer (part of the AERONET network) located at our site. In order to identify bio-mass burning events in this region, we perform a spectral discrimination between coarse and fine mode optical depth; subsequently, the fine mode parameters such as optical depth, optical ratio and fine mode Angstrom exponents (and its derivative) are used to identify possible bio-mass related events within the data set.

Effective aerosol optical depth from pyranometer measurements of surface solar radiation (global radiation at Thessaloniki, Greece

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Lindfors

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Pyranometer measurements of the solar surface radiation (SSR are available at many locations worldwide, often as long time series covering several decades into the past. These data constitute a potential source of information on the atmospheric aerosol load. Here, we present a method for estimating the aerosol optical depth (AOD using pyranometer measurements of the SSR together with total water vapor column information. The method, which is based on radiative transfer simulations, was developed and tested using recent data from Thessaloniki, Greece. The effective AOD calculated using this method was found to agree well with co-located AERONET measurements, exhibiting a correlation coefficient of 0.9 with 2/3 of the data found within ±20% or ±0.05 of the AERONET AOD. This is similar to the performance of current satellite aerosol methods. Differences in the AOD as compared to AERONET can be explained by variations in the aerosol properties of the atmosphere that are not accounted for in the idealized settings used in the radiative transfer simulations, such as variations in the single scattering albedo and Ångström exponent. Furthermore, the method is sensitive to calibration offsets between the radiative transfer simulations and the pyranometer SSR. The method provides an opportunity of extending our knowledge of the atmospheric aerosol load to locations and times not covered by dedicated aerosol measurements.

Proceedings of the 1998 Scientific Conference on Obscuration and Aerosol Research

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Coverstone, Amy

1999-01-01

...: Aerosol Particle Generation and Dynamics, Aerosol Characterization Methods-Aerosol Samplers and Collectors, Preparing, Aerosolizing and Characterizing Erwinia Herbicola, and Optical Properties of Aerosols...

Extremely large anthropogenic-aerosol contribution to total aerosol load over the Bay of Bengal during winter season

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. G. Kaskaoutis

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Ship-borne observations of spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD have been carried out over the entire Bay of Bengal (BoB as part of the W-ICARB cruise campaign during the period 27 December 2008–30 January 2009. The results reveal a pronounced temporal and spatial variability in the optical characteristics of aerosols mainly due to anthropogenic emissions and their dispersion controlled by local meteorology. The highest aerosol amount, with mean AOD₅₀₀>0.4, being even above 1.0 on specific days, is found close to the coastal regions in the western and northern parts of BoB. In these regions the Ångström exponent is also found to be high (~1.2–1.25 indicating transport of strong anthropogenic emissions from continental regions, while very high AOD₅₀₀ (0.39±0.07 and α_380–870 values (1.27±0.09 are found over the eastern BoB. Except from the large α_380–870 values, an indication of strong fine-mode dominance is also observed from the AOD curvature, which is negative in the vast majority of the cases, suggesting dominance of an anthropogenic-pollution aerosol type. On the other hand, clean maritime conditions are rather rare over the region, while the aerosol types are further examined through a classification scheme based on the relationship between α and dα. It was found that even for the same α values the fine-mode dominance is larger for higher AODs showing the strong continental influence over the marine environment of BoB. Furthermore, there is also an evidence of aerosol-size growth under more turbid conditions indicative of coagulation and/or humidification over specific BoB regions. The results obtained using OPAC model show significant fraction of soot aerosols (~6 %–8 % over the eastern and northwestern BoB, while coarse-mode sea salt particles are found to dominate in the southern parts of BoB.