Large-scale enhancement in aerosol absorption in the lower free troposphere over continental India during spring

Aerosol absorption in the lower troposphere over continental India was assessed using extensive measurements of the vertical distribution of absorption coefficients aboard an instrumented aircraft. Measurements were made from seven base stations during winter (November–December 2012) and spring (April–May 2013), supplemented by the data from the networks of surface observatories. A definite enhancement in aerosol absorption has been observed in the lower free troposphere over the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) during spring, along with a reduction near the surface. The regional mean aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) over IGP, which was derived from aircraft observations (integrated from the ground to 3 km), increased from 0.020 ± 0.009 in winter to 0.048 ± 0.01 in spring. The columnar AAOD depicted weak and distinctly different seasonal variations than that of surface level black carbon mass concentrations. This contrasting difference in the seasonality indicates the presence of elevated layers of absorbing aerosols during spring in association with the long-range transport and vertical convective lofting of aerosols

Vertical distributions of the microscopic morphological characteristics and elemental composition of aerosols over India

Particle morphology and elemental compositions are among the crucial parameters of aerosols required for accurate understanding of the climatic effect of aerosols in the earth-atmosphere system; yet their vertical distributions and region specific properties are poorly characterised due to sparse in-situ measurements. This is the first study to classify and quantify the vertical distributions of the morphological characteristics and elemental composition of aerosols based on single particle as well as bulk chemical analysis over seven geographically diverse regions of northern and central parts of India during spring (April-May, 2013), carried out as a part of Regional Aerosol Warming Experiment (RAWEX). Significant regional distinctiveness in shapes (non-sphericity), sizes and elemental compositions of the airborne particles were conspicuous, having dominance of highly irregular granular aggregates over the north Indian sites. The non-spherical coarse mode particles dominated the lower free tropospheric regions (> 2 km) of the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). These particles could be responsible for enhanced spring time aerosol absorption in the elevated region of the atmosphere. Elemental compositions of the single particle analysis indicate that the free tropospheric layer over the IGP and central India is enriched with Na and Ca compounds mixed with Fe or Al (soil particles), indicating long range transport of crustal aerosols. This finding is very well supported by the bulk particle analysis indicating abundance of Ca(2+)in the free troposphere with low contribution of ssNa(+). Particles with irregular rough surfaces having dominance of SiO(2)were observed over all the study sites. The percentage share of spherical (either smooth or rough) particles to the total morphological characteristics of the particles was found to be highly subdued (<10%). The present study thus critically assesses the relevant knowledge pertaining to the morphological features of aerosols over the IGP during spring for the accurate estimation of aerosol radiative properties. More such efforts are required in future to study the connections and dependencies between morphological and radiative properties of aerosols in different seasons.Peer reviewe

Climatology of columnar aerosol properties and the influence of synoptic conditions: first-time results from the northeastern region of India

Six years of spectral aerosol optical depths (AODs), from the northeastern part of India (Dibrugarh), are used to evolve a climatology for this region. The results indicate that the seasonal mean AODs at 500 nm go as high as 0.45 &#177; 0.05 during premonsoon season (March to May), decrease gradually through the monsoon (June to September) to reach the lowest value of 0.19 &#177; 0.06 during the retreating-monsoon season (October and November), and increase to 0.31 &#177; 0.04 in winter (December to February). The AOD spectra are generally flatter than those seen typically over continental sites of India (and elsewhere in the neighboring regions) with Angstrom exponent &#945; remaining below 1.0 during February through August, indicating a relatively low abundance of fine and accumulation mode aerosols. The columnar size distributions (CSD) retrieved from spectral AODs are, in general, bimodal with primary mode at ~0.1 &#956;m and secondary mode at ~1.0 &#956;m. High mass loading (~309.5 &#177; 65.9 mg m-2) and effective radius (~0.40 &#177; 0.09 &#956;m) occur during premonsoon and are attributed to significant abundance of coarse (natural) aerosols. Cluster analysis of air mass back trajectories indicate significant transport of mineral dust from the arid regions of west Asia and northwest India across the Indo-Gangetic plains and marine aerosols advected from the Bay of Bengal contributing largely to the coarse mode aerosols during this season. On the other hand, the peculiar topography combined with the local conditions and the widespread rainfall lead to a more pristine environment during retreating-monsoon season with quite low AODs and columnar loading

Spatio-temporal variations in aerosol properties over the oceanic regions between coastal India and Antarctica

Measurements of aerosol optical depth (AOD), mass concentrations of black carbon (MB) and composite aerosols (MT) in the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) were made during onward [Dec 2007 to Jan 2008; Northern Hemispheric (NH) winter] and return (Mar–Apr 2008; NH spring) legs of the trans-continental cruise of 27th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (ISEA) during International Polar Year of 2007–2008. Large latitudinal gradients are seen; with AOD decreasing from coastal India (AOD~0.45) to coastal Antarctica (AOD~0.04) during NH winter. The measurements also evidenced a strong seasonality of AOD over all regions, with a decrease of the values and gradient in NH spring. BC concentration in the MABL decreases exponentially from 3800 ng m−3 (over 10°N) to 624 ng m−3 near equator and much lower values (&#60; 100 ng m−3) over southern oceanic region. Seasonality in the latitudinal gradients of AOD, MB and MT exists over regions north of 20°S. Multi campaign [Pilot Expedition to Southern Ocean (2004), Special Expedition to Larsemann Hills (2007) and Tropical Indian Ocean cruise (2010)] analysis over these oceanic regions showed that the pattern over the regions (south of 20°S) remained the same. Seasonality of AOD exists over Atlantic Ocean as well. Temporal variation of AOD at different latitudes derived from AERONET data also showed marked seasonality and latitudinal variation in northern hemisphere than in southern Hemisphere. Satellite retrieved AOD showed good correlation with the ship borne measurements; while GOCART retrieved AOD underestimates but gives a measure of the spatial variations

Seasonal variation of vertical distribution of aerosol single scattering albedo over Indian sub-continent: RAWEX aircraft observations

To characterize the vertical distribution of aerosols and its seasonality (especially the single scattering albedo, SSA) extensive profiling of aerosol scattering and absorption coefficients have been carried out using an instrumented aircraft from seven base stations spread across the Indian mainland during winter 2012 and spring/pre-monsoon 2013 under the Regional Aerosol Warming Experiment (RAWEX). Spatial variation of the vertical profiles of the asymmetry parameter, the wavelength exponent of the absorption coefficient and the single scattering albedo, derived from the measurements, are used to infer the source characteristics of winter and pre-monsoon aerosols as well as the seasonality of free tropospheric aerosols. The relatively high value of the wavelength exponent of absorption coefficient over most of the regions indicates the contribution from biomass burning and dust aerosols up to lower free tropospheric altitudes. A clear enhancement in aerosol loading and its absorbing nature is seen at lower free troposphere levels (above the planetary boundary layer) over the entire mainland during spring/pre-monsoon season compared to winter, whereas concentration of aerosols within the boundary layer showed a decrease from winter to spring. This could have significant implications on the aerosol heating structure over the Indian region and hence the regional climate

Recent trend in the global distribution of aerosol direct radiative forcing from satellite measurements

Global distribution of aerosol direct radiative forcing (DRF) is estimated using Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) synoptic (SYN) 1° datasets. During 2001–2017, a statistically significant change of global DRFs is revealed with a general decreasing trend (i.e., a reduced cooling effect) at the top of the atmosphere (DRFTOA ~ 0.017 W⋅m−2⋅year−1) and at the surface (DRFSFC ~ 0.033 W⋅m−2⋅year−1) with rapid change over the land compared to the global ocean. South Asia and Africa/Middle East regions depict significant increasing trend of atmospheric warming by 0.025 and 0.002 W·m−2⋅year−1 whereas, the rest of the regions show a decline. These regional variations significantly modulate the global mean DRF (−5.36 ± 0.04 W·m−2 at the TOA and − 9.64 ± 0.07 W·m−2 at the surface during the study period). The observed DRF trends are coincident with the change in the underlying aerosol properties, for example, aerosol optical depth, Ångström exponent and partly due to the increasing columnar burden of SO2 over some of the regions. This indicates that increasing industrialization and urbanization have caused prominent change in the DRF during recent decades.Change in the underlying aerosol properties are synchronous with the change in the forcing.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163609/2/asl2975.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163609/1/asl2975_am.pd

Large-scale enhancement in aerosol absorption in the lower free troposphere over continental India during spring

Aerosol absorption in the lower troposphere over continental India was assessed using extensive measurements of the vertical distribution of absorption coefficients aboard an instrumented aircraft. Measurements were made from seven base stations during winter (November-December 2012) and spring (April-May 2013), supplemented by the data from the networks of surface observatories. A definite enhancement in aerosol absorption has been observed in the lower free troposphere over the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) during spring, along with a reduction near the surface. The regional mean aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) over IGP, which was derived from aircraft observations (integrated from the ground to 3 km), increased from 0.020 +/- 0.009 in winter to 0.048 +/- 0.01 in spring. The columnar AAOD depicted weak and distinctly different seasonal variations than that of surface level black carbon mass concentrations. This contrasting difference in the seasonality indicates the presence of elevated layers of absorbing aerosols during spring in association with the long-range transport and vertical convective lofting of aerosols

Multi-year investigations of aerosols from an island station, Port Blair, in the Bay of Bengal: climatology and source impacts

Long-term measurements of spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD) using multi-wavelength solar radiometer (MWR) for a period of seven years (from 2002 to 2008) from the island location, Port Blair (11.63° N, 92.7° E, PBR) in the Bay of Bengal (BoB), along with the concurrent measurements of the size distribution of near-surface aerosols, have been analyzed to delineate the climatological features of aerosols over eastern BoB. In order to identity the contribution of different aerosol types from distinct sources, concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) analysis has been employed. Climatologically, AODs increase from January to reach peak value of ~0.4 (at 500 nm) in March, followed by a weak decrease towards May. Over this general pattern, significant modulations of intra-seasonal time scales, caused by the changes in the relative strength of distinctively different sources, are noticed. The derivative (α') of the Angstrom wavelength exponent α in the wavelength domain, along with CWT analysis, are used to delineate the different important aerosol types that influence this remote island. Corresponding changes in the aerosol size distributions are inferred from the numerical inversion of the spectral AODs as well from (surface) measurements. The analyses revealed that advection plays a major role in modifying the aerosol properties over the remote island location, the potential sources contributing to the accumulation mode (coarse mode) aerosols over eastern BoB being the East Asia and South China regions (Indian mainland and the oceanic regions)