Measurements of UV aerosol optical depth in the French Southern Alps

Routine measurements of global and diffuse UV irradiances at Briançon station (1310 m a.s.l.) are used to retrieve the direct solar irradiance and the aerosol optical depth (AOD), for cloudless days. Data of three years (2003, 2004, 2005) are analyzed; the results confirm those of a preliminary analysis for 2001, 2002. <br><br> The atmosphere is very clear in winter, with AODs between 0.05 and 0.1. The turbidity increases slowly in spring, starting end of February, with AODs around 0.2–0.3 in mid summer, some values reaching 0.4. A similar behaviour is observed for all years, with somewhat higher values in late summer for the year 2003

Comparative measurements of total ozone amount and aerosol optical depth during a campaign at El Arenosillo, Huelva, Spain

A one week field campaign took place in September 2002 at El Arenosillo, Spain. The objective was to compare total ozone column (<I>TOC</I>) and aerosol optical depth (<I>AOD</I>) from near ultraviolet to near infrared, measured by several Spanish and French instruments. Three spectroradiometers, Brewer, SPUV02, and LICOR, and a CIMEL photometer, have been used simultaneously and the results are presented for four clear days. <I>TOC</I> values are given by the Brewer instrument, and by SPUV02, using two different methods. The ground instruments compare satisfactorily (within 5 DU) and the values are consistent with TOMS data (within 10 DU). <P style="line-height: 20px;"> <I>AOD</I> from the various instruments are compared at seven different wavelengths between 320 nm and 1020 nm: the agreement is very good at 350, 380, and 870 nm; at the four other wavelengths the difference is smaller than 0.03, which can be explained by a relative difference of 4% only between the calibrations of the various instruments. Larger <I>AOD</I> diurnal variations were observed at short wavelengths than in the visible and near infrared; this is most likely due to changes in aerosol size along the day, during the campaign

Comparative measurements of total ozone amount and aerosol optical depth during a campaign at El Arenosillo, Huelva, Spain

A one week field campaign took place in September 2002 at El Arenosillo, Spain. The objective was to compare total ozone column (TOC) and aerosol optical depth (AOD) from near ultraviolet to near infrared, measured by several Spanish and French instruments. Three spectroradiometers, Brewer, SPUV02, and LICOR, and a CIMEL photometer, have been used simultaneously and the results are presented for four clear days. TOC values are given by the Brewer instrument, and by SPUV02, using two different methods. The ground instruments compare satisfactorily (within 5 DU) and the values are consistent with TOMS data (within 10 DU). AOD from the various instruments are compared at seven different wavelengths between 320 nm and 1020 nm: the agreement is very good at 350, 380, and 870 nm; at the four other wavelengths the difference is smaller than 0.03, which can be explained by a relative difference of 4% only between the calibrations of the various instruments. Larger AOD diurnal variations were observed at short wavelengths than in the visible and near infrared; this is most likely due to changes in aerosol size along the day, during the campaign