Derivation of aerosol optical properties using ground-based radiation measurements

The knowledge of the optical and microphysical properties of aerosol particles in the atmosphere is relevant in various scientific fields from public health issues to climate modeling. A retrieval method is presented that estimates the single scattering albedo and asymmetry parameter of aerosol particles in regions of high pollution using spectral ground-based radiance and irradiance measurements, radiative transfer simulations, and a priori knowledge of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) derived from sun photometer observations. The used measurement data originated from the Pearl River Delta in China. The results are compared with sun photometer data and show a high agreement for AODs larger than 0.5. For low AODs and for cloudy conditions the method did not work due to the strong sensitivity of the initial parameters.Kenntnisse über optische und mikrophysikalische Eigenschaften von Aerosolpartikeln in der Atmosphäre werden in vielen verschiedenen wissenschaftlichen Gebieten benötigt. Diese reichen vom Gesundheitswesen bis hin zur Klimamodellierung. Deswegen wird im Folgenden eine Ableitungsmethode vorgestellt, die die Einfachstreualbedo und Asymmtrieparameter von Aerosolpartikeln bestimmt. Diese Methode wurde dabei für Messungen im Pearl River Delta, China, in denen oft hohe Luftverschmutzungen auftreten, angewandt. Es werden dazu bodengebundene Messungen der spektralen abwärtsgerichteten Strahlungsflussdichte und Strahldichte, gekoppelt mit Strahlungsübertragungsrechnungen durchgeführt. Um die aerosoloptischen Parameter ableiten zu können, wird als zusätzliche Randbedingung die aerosol-optische Dicke (AOD) benötigt. Sonnenphotometermessungen liefern dabei zum einen die AOD und zum anderen die aerosoloptische Eigenschaften, die mit den Ergebnissen der Ableitungsmethode verglichen werden. Dabei wurden für große AOD-Werte (über 0.5) gute Übereinstimmungen zwischen beiden Methoden festgestellt werden. Für AOD-Werte kleiner als 0.5 und bei bewölkten Bedingungen zeigt die Methode große Unsicherheiten, weil die Parameter zu empfindlich auf diese Begebenheiten reagieren

Combining atmospheric and snow radiative transfer models to assess the solar radiative effects of black carbon in the Arctic

The magnitude of solar radiative effects (cooling or warming) of black carbon (BC) particles embedded in the Arctic atmosphere and surface snow layer was explored on the basis of case studies. For this purpose, combined at- mospheric and snow radiative transfer simulations were per- formed for cloudless and cloudy conditions on the basis of BC mass concentrations measured in pristine early summer and more polluted early spring conditions. The area of inter- est is the remote sea-ice-covered Arctic Ocean in the vicin- ity of Spitsbergen, northern Greenland, and northern Alaska typically not affected by local pollution. To account for the radiative interactions between the black-carbon-containing snow surface layer and the atmosphere, an atmospheric and snow radiative transfer model were coupled iteratively. For pristine summer conditions (no atmospheric BC, minimum solar zenith angles of 55◦) and a representative BC particle mass concentration of 5 ng g−1 in the surface snow layer, a positive daily mean solar radiative forcing of +0.2Wm−2 was calculated for the surface radiative budget. A higher load of atmospheric BC representing early springtime conditions results in a slightly negative mean radiative forcing at the surface of about −0.05 W m−2, even when the low BC mass concentration measured in the pristine early summer condi- tions was embedded in the surface snow layer. The total net surface radiative forcing combining the effects of BC em- bedded in the atmosphere and in the snow layer strongly de- pends on the snow optical properties (snow specific surface area and snow density). For the conditions over the Arctic Ocean analyzed in the simulations, it was found that the at- mospheric heating rate by water vapor or clouds is 1 to 2 or-ders of magnitude larger than that by atmospheric BC. Sim- ilarly, the daily mean total heating rate (6 K d−1) within a snowpack due to absorption by the ice was more than 1 order of magnitude larger than that of atmospheric BC (0.2 K d−1). Also, it was shown that the cooling by atmospheric BC of the near-surface air and the warming effect by BC embedded in snow are reduced in the presence of clouds

Derivation of aerosol optical properties using ground-based radiation measurements

The knowledge of the optical and microphysical properties of aerosol particles in the atmosphere is relevant in various scientific fields from public health issues to climate modeling. A retrieval method is presented that estimates the single scattering albedo and asymmetry parameter of aerosol particles in regions of high pollution using spectral ground-based radiance and irradiance measurements, radiative transfer simulations, and a priori knowledge of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) derived from sun photometer observations. The used measurement data originated from the Pearl River Delta in China. The results are compared with sun photometer data and show a high agreement for AODs larger than 0.5. For low AODs and for cloudy conditions the method did not work due to the strong sensitivity of the initial parameters.Kenntnisse über optische und mikrophysikalische Eigenschaften von Aerosolpartikeln in der Atmosphäre werden in vielen verschiedenen wissenschaftlichen Gebieten benötigt. Diese reichen vom Gesundheitswesen bis hin zur Klimamodellierung. Deswegen wird im Folgenden eine Ableitungsmethode vorgestellt, die die Einfachstreualbedo und Asymmtrieparameter von Aerosolpartikeln bestimmt. Diese Methode wurde dabei für Messungen im Pearl River Delta, China, in denen oft hohe Luftverschmutzungen auftreten, angewandt. Es werden dazu bodengebundene Messungen der spektralen abwärtsgerichteten Strahlungsflussdichte und Strahldichte, gekoppelt mit Strahlungsübertragungsrechnungen durchgeführt. Um die aerosoloptischen Parameter ableiten zu können, wird als zusätzliche Randbedingung die aerosol-optische Dicke (AOD) benötigt. Sonnenphotometermessungen liefern dabei zum einen die AOD und zum anderen die aerosoloptische Eigenschaften, die mit den Ergebnissen der Ableitungsmethode verglichen werden. Dabei wurden für große AOD-Werte (über 0.5) gute Übereinstimmungen zwischen beiden Methoden festgestellt werden. Für AOD-Werte kleiner als 0.5 und bei bewölkten Bedingungen zeigt die Methode große Unsicherheiten, weil die Parameter zu empfindlich auf diese Begebenheiten reagieren

Derivation of aerosol optical properties using ground-based radiation measurements

The knowledge of the optical and microphysical properties of aerosol particles in the atmosphere is relevant in various scientific fields from public health issues to climate modeling. A retrieval method is presented that estimates the single scattering albedo and asymmetry parameter of aerosol particles in regions of high pollution using spectral ground-based radiance and irradiance measurements, radiative transfer simulations, and a priori knowledge of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) derived from sun photometer observations. The used measurement data originated from the Pearl River Delta in China. The results are compared with sun photometer data and show a high agreement for AODs larger than 0.5. For low AODs and for cloudy conditions the method did not work due to the strong sensitivity of the initial parameters.Kenntnisse über optische und mikrophysikalische Eigenschaften von Aerosolpartikeln in der Atmosphäre werden in vielen verschiedenen wissenschaftlichen Gebieten benötigt. Diese reichen vom Gesundheitswesen bis hin zur Klimamodellierung. Deswegen wird im Folgenden eine Ableitungsmethode vorgestellt, die die Einfachstreualbedo und Asymmtrieparameter von Aerosolpartikeln bestimmt. Diese Methode wurde dabei für Messungen im Pearl River Delta, China, in denen oft hohe Luftverschmutzungen auftreten, angewandt. Es werden dazu bodengebundene Messungen der spektralen abwärtsgerichteten Strahlungsflussdichte und Strahldichte, gekoppelt mit Strahlungsübertragungsrechnungen durchgeführt. Um die aerosoloptischen Parameter ableiten zu können, wird als zusätzliche Randbedingung die aerosol-optische Dicke (AOD) benötigt. Sonnenphotometermessungen liefern dabei zum einen die AOD und zum anderen die aerosoloptische Eigenschaften, die mit den Ergebnissen der Ableitungsmethode verglichen werden. Dabei wurden für große AOD-Werte (über 0.5) gute Übereinstimmungen zwischen beiden Methoden festgestellt werden. Für AOD-Werte kleiner als 0.5 und bei bewölkten Bedingungen zeigt die Methode große Unsicherheiten, weil die Parameter zu empfindlich auf diese Begebenheiten reagieren

Combining atmospheric and snow radiative transfer models to assess the solar radiative effects of black carbon in the Arctic

The magnitude of solar radiative effects (cooling or warming) of black carbon (BC) particles embedded in the Arctic atmosphere and surface snow layer was explored on the basis of case studies. For this purpose, combined atmospheric and snow radiative transfer simulations were performed for cloudless and cloudy conditions on the basis of BC mass concentrations measured in pristine early summer and more polluted early spring conditions. The area of interest is the remote sea-ice-covered Arctic Ocean in the vicinity of Spitsbergen, northern Greenland, and northern Alaska typically not affected by local pollution. To account for the radiative interactions between the black-carbon-containing snow surface layer and the atmosphere, an atmospheric and snow radiative transfer model were coupled iteratively. For pristine summer conditions (no atmospheric BC, minimum solar zenith angles of 55 ) and a representative BC particle mass concentration of 5 ng g-1 in the surface snow layer, a positive daily mean solar radiative forcing of +0.2 W m-2 was calculated for the surface radiative budget. A higher load of atmospheric BC representing early springtime conditions results in a slightly negative mean radiative forcing at the surface of about -0.05 W m-2, even when the low BC mass concentration measured in the pristine early summer conditions was embedded in the surface snow layer. The total net surface radiative forcing combining the effects of BC embedded in the atmosphere and in the snow layer strongly depends on the snow optical properties (snow specific surface area and snow density). For the conditions over the Arctic Ocean analyzed in the simulations, it was found that the atmospheric heating rate by water vapor or clouds is 1 to 2 orders of magnitude larger than that by atmospheric BC. Similarly, the daily mean total heating rate (6 K d-1) within a snowpack due to absorption by the ice was more than 1 order of magnitude larger than that of atmospheric BC (0.2 K d-1). Also, it was shown that the cooling by atmospheric BC of the near-surface air and the warming effect by BC embedded in snow are reduced in the presence of clouds. © 2020 Copernicus GmbH. All rights reserved

Influx of African biomass burning aerosol during the Amazonian dry season through layered transatlantic transport of black carbon-rich smoke

Black carbon (BC) aerosols are influencing the Earth’s atmosphere and climate, but their microphysical properties, spatiotemporal distribution and long-range transport are not well constrained. This study analyzes the transatlantic transport of BC-rich African biomass burning (BB) pollution into the Amazon Basin, based on airborne observations of aerosol particles and trace gases in and off the Brazilian coast during the ACRIDICON-CHUVA campaign in September 2014, combining in-situ measurements on the research aircraft HALO with satellite remote-sensing and numerical model results. During flight AC19 over land and ocean at the Brazilian coastline in the northeast of the Amazon Basin, we observed a BC-rich atmospheric layer at ~ 3.5 km altitude with a vertical extension of ~ 0.3 km. Backward trajectory analyses suggest that fires in African grasslands, savannas, and shrublands were the main source of this pollution layer, and that the observed BB smoke had undergone more than 10 days of atmospheric transport and aging. The BC mass concentrations in the layer ranged from 0.5 to 2 μg m−3, and the BC particle number fraction of ~ 40 % was about 8 times higher than observed in a fresh Amazonian BB plume, representing the highest value ever observed in the region. Upon entering the Amazon Basin, the layer started to broaden and to subside, due to convective mixing and entrainment of the BB aerosol into the boundary layer. Satellite observations show that the transatlantic transport of pollution layers is a frequently occurring process, seasonally peaking in August/September. By analyzing the aircraft observations within the broader context of the long-term data from the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO), we found that the transatlantic transport of African BB smoke layers has a strong impact on the north-central Amazonian aerosol population during the BB-influenced season (July to November). Specifically, the early BB season in this part of the Amazon appears to be dominated by African smoke, whereas the later BB season appears to be dominated by South American fires. This dichotomy is reflected in pronounced changes of aerosol optical properties such as the single scattering albedo (increasing from 0.85 in August to 0.90 in November) and the BC-to-CO enhancement ratio (decreasing from 7.4 to 4.4 ng m−3 ppb−1). Our results suggest that, despite the high amount of BC particles, the African BB aerosol act as efficient cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) with potentially important implications for aerosol-cloud interactions and the hydrological cycle in the Amazon Basin

The arctic cloud puzzle: Using ACLOUD/PASCAL multiplatform observations to unravel the role of clouds and aerosol particles in arctic amplification

Clouds play an important role in Arctic amplification. This term represents the recently observed enhanced warming of the Arctic relative to the global increase of near-surface air temperature. However, there are still important knowledge gaps regarding the interplay between Arctic clouds and aerosol particles, and surface properties, as well as turbulent and radiative fluxes that inhibit accurate model simulations of clouds in the Arctic climate system. In an attempt to resolve this so-called Arctic cloud puzzle, two comprehensive and closely coordinated field studies were conducted: the Arctic Cloud Observations Using Airborne Measurements during Polar Day (ACLOUD) aircraft campaign and the Physical Feedbacks of Arctic Boundary Layer, Sea Ice, Cloud and Aerosol (PASCAL) ice breaker expedition. Both observational studies were performed in the framework of the German Arctic Amplification: Climate Relevant Atmospheric and Surface Processes, and Feedback Mechanisms (AC)3 project. They took place in the vicinity of Svalbard, Norway, in May and June 2017. ACLOUD and PASCAL explored four pieces of the Arctic cloud puzzle: cloud properties, aerosol impact on clouds, atmospheric radiation, and turbulent dynamical processes. The two instrumented Polar 5 and Polar 6 aircraft; the icebreaker Research Vessel (R/V) Polarstern; an ice floe camp including an instrumented tethered balloon; and the permanent ground-based measurement station at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, were employed to observe Arctic low- and mid-level mixed-phase clouds and to investigate related atmospheric and surface processes. The Polar 5 aircraft served as a remote sensing observatory examining the clouds from above by downward-looking sensors; the Polar 6 aircraft operated as a flying in situ measurement laboratory sampling inside and below the clouds. Most of the collocated Polar 5/6 flights were conducted either above the R/V Polarstern or over the Ny-Ålesund station, both of which monitored the clouds from below using similar but upward-looking remote sensing techniques as the Polar 5 aircraft. Several of the flights were carried out underneath collocated satellite tracks. The paper motivates the scientific objectives of the ACLOUD/PASCAL observations and describes the measured quantities, retrieved parameters, and the applied complementary instrumentation. Furthermore, it discusses selected measurement results and poses critical research questions to be answered in future papers analyzing the data from the two field campaigns

The Arctic Cloud Puzzle: Using ACLOUD/PASCAL Multiplatform Observations to Unravel the Role of Clouds and Aerosol Particles in Arctic Amplification

Clouds play an important role in Arctic amplification. This term represents the recently observed enhanced warming of the Arctic relative to the global increase of near-surface air temperature. However, there are still important knowledge gaps regarding the interplay between Arctic clouds and aerosol particles, and surface properties, as well as turbulent and radiative fluxes that inhibit accurate model simulations of clouds in the Arctic climate system. In an attempt to resolve this so-called Arctic cloud puzzle, two comprehensive and closely coordinated field studies were conducted: the Arctic Cloud Observations Using Airborne Measurements during Polar Day (ACLOUD) aircraft campaign and the Physical Feedbacks of Arctic Boundary Layer, Sea Ice, Cloud and Aerosol (PASCAL) ice breaker expedition. Both observational studies were performed in the framework of the German Arctic Amplification: Climate Relevant Atmospheric and Surface Processes, and Feedback Mechanisms (AC) project. They took place in the vicinity of Svalbard, Norway, in May and June 2017. ACLOUD and PASCAL explored four pieces of the Arctic cloud puzzle: cloud properties, aerosol impact on clouds, atmospheric radiation, and turbulent dynamical processes. The two instrumented Polar 5 and Polar 6 aircraft; the icebreaker Research Vessel (R/V) Polarstern; an ice floe camp including an instrumented tethered balloon; and the permanent ground-based measurement station at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, were employed to observe Arctic low- and mid-level mixed-phase clouds and to investigate related atmospheric and surface processes. The Polar 5 aircraft served as a remote sensing observatory examining the clouds from above by downward-looking sensors; the Polar 6 aircraft operated as a flying in situ measurement laboratory sampling inside and below the clouds. Most of the collocated Polar 5/6 flights were conducted either above the R/V Polarstern or over the Ny-Ålesund station, both of which monitored the clouds from below using similar but upward-looking remote sensing techniques as the Polar 5 aircraft. Several of the flights were carried out underneath collocated satellite tracks. The paper motivates the scientific objectives of the ACLOUD/PASCAL observations and describes the measured quantities, retrieved parameters, and the applied complementary instrumentation. Furthermore, it discusses selected measurement results and poses critical research questions to be answered in future papers analyzing the data from the two field campaigns