Quasi-periodic oscillations of aerosol backscatter profiles and surface meteorological parameters during winter nights over a tropical station

Atmospheric gravity waves, which are a manifestation of the fluctuations in buoyancy of the air parcels, are well known for their direct influence on concentration of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols, and also on oscillations of meteorological variables such as temperature, wind speed, visibility and so on. The present paper reports quasi-periodic oscillations in the lidar backscatter signal strength due to aerosol fluctuations in the nocturnal boundary layer, studied with a high space-time resolution polarimetric micro pulse lidar and concurrent meteorological parameters over a tropical station in India. The results of the spectral analysis of the data, archived on some typical clear-sky conditions during winter months of 2008 and 2009, exhibit a prominent periodicity of 20–40 min in lidar-observed aerosol variability and show close association with those observed in the near-surface temperature and wind at 5% statistical significance. Moreover, the lidar aerosol backscatter signal strength variations at different altitudes, which have been generated from the height-time series of the one-minute interval profiles at 2.4 m vertical resolution, indicate vertical propagation of these waves, exchanging energy between lower and higher height levels. Such oscillations are favoured by the stable atmospheric background condition and peculiar topography of the experimental site. Accurate representation of these buoyancy waves is essential in predicting the sporadic fluctuations of weather in the tropics

Total column ozone variations over oceanic region around Indian sub-continent during pre-monsoon of 2006

International audienceSpecial campaign mode ship-based sun photometric observations of total column ozone over the oceanic regions around the Indian sub-continent (56° E?6° E, 4° N?° N) during the pre-monsoon period (18 March?11 May) of 2006 have been used to investigate the spatial and temporal distributions. The overall mean ozone content over the sea region during this period is 298 DU with a variability of ±10 DU. There is a well defined diurnal (daytime) variation in total column ozone with maximum content around the noon-time hours. The amplitude of diurnal variation is higher over the Arabian Sea compared to that over Bay of Bengal. Spatial distribution of total ozone shows higher values over the Head Bay (North Bay of Bengal) and all along the west coast of India strongly pointing to continental origin of possible anthropogenic source. This is further corroborated from the spatial distribution of simultaneously measured aerosol optical thickness (AOT, at 1020 nm) and precipitable water. The overall mean AOT over the oceanic region is 0.09 and mean precipitable water (water vapor) over Indian Ocean region was 3.25 cm which is almost 1 cm higher than that observed over Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea during the above pre-monsoon period

Validation of MODIS Aerosol Optical Depth Retrievals over a Tropical Urban Site, Pune, India

In the present paper, MODIS (Terra and Aqua; level 2, collection 5) derived aerosoloptical depths (AODs) are compared with the ground-based measurements obtained from AERONET (level 2.0) and Microtops - II sun-photometer over a tropical urban station, Pune (18 deg 32'N; 73 deg 49'E, 559 m amsl). This is the first ever systematic validation of the MODIS aerosol products over Pune. Analysis of the data indicates that the Terra and Aqua MODIS AOD retrievals at 550 nm have good correlations with the AERONET and Microtops - II sun-photometer AOD measurements. During winter the linear regression correlation coefficients for MODIS products against AERONET measurements are 0.79 for Terra and 0.62 for Aqua; however for premonsoon, the corresponding coefficients are 0.78 and 0.74. Similarly, the linear regression correlation coefficients for Microtops measurements against MODIS products are 0.72 and 0.93 for Terra and Aqua data respectively during winter and are 0.78 and 0.75 during pre-monsoon. On yearly basis in 2008-2009, correlation coefficients for MODIS products against AERONET measurements are 0.80 and 0.78 for Terra and Aqua respectively while the corresponding coefficients are 0.70 and 0.73 during 2009-2010. The regressed intercepts with MODIS vs. AERONET are 0.09 for Terra and 0.05 for Aqua during winter whereas their values are 0.04 and 0.07 during pre-monsoon. However, MODIS AODs are found to underestimate during winter and overestimate during pre-monsoon with respect to AERONET and Microtops measurements having slopes 0.63 (Terra) and 0.74 (Aqua) during winter and 0.97 (Terra) and 0.94 (Aqua) during pre-monsoon. Wavelength dependency of Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) shows presence of absorbing and scattering aerosol particles. For winter, SSA decreases with wavelength with the values 0.86 +/- 0.03 at 440 nm and 0.82 +/- 0.04 at 1020nm. In pre-monsoon, it increases with wavelength (SSA is 0.87 +/- 0.02 at 440nm; and 0.88 +/-0.04 at 1020 nm)

Heterogeneity in pre-monsoon aerosol types over the Arabian Sea deduced from ship-borne measurements of spectral AODs

Ship-borne sunphotometer measurements obtained in the Arabian Sea (AS) in the pre-monsoon season (18 April–10 May 2006) during a cruise campaign (ICARB) have been used to retrieve the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD; τ) and the Ångström wavelength exponent (α). The continents surrounding the AS produce natural and anthropogenic aerosols that have distinctive influences on α and its spectral distribution. The α values were estimated by means of the least-squares method over the spectral bands 340–1020 nm and 340–870 nm. The spectral distribution of AOD in logarithmic co-ordinates could be fit using a 2nd order polynomial with higher accuracy in the wavelength band 340–1020 nm than in the 340–870 nm band. A polynomial fit analytically parameterizes the observed wavelength dependencies of AOD with least errors in spectral variation of α and yields accurate estimates of the coefficients (<i>a</i><sub>1</sub> and <i>a</i><sub>2</sub>). The coarse-mode (positive curvature in the lnτ<sub>λ</sub> vs. lnλ) aerosols are mainly depicted in the Northern part of the AS closely associated with the nearby arid areas while fine-mode aerosols are mainly observed over the far and coastal AS regions. In the study period the mean AOD at 500 nm is 0.25±0.11 and the α<sub>340-1020</sub> is 0.90±0.19. The α<sub>340-870</sub> exhibits similar values (0.92±0.18), while significant differences revealed for the constant terms of the polynomial fit (<i>a</i><sub>1</sub> and <i>a</i><sub>2</sub>) proportionally to the wavelength band used for their determination. Observed day-to-day variability in the aerosol load and optical properties are direct consequence of the local winds and air-mass trajectories along with the position of the ship

Pre-monsoon aerosol characteristics over the Indo-Gangetic Basin: implications to climatic impact

Sun/sky radiometer observations over the Indo-Gangetic Basin (IGB) region during pre-monsoon (from April–June 2009) have been processed to analyze various aerosol characteristics in the central and eastern IGB region, represented by Kanpur and Gandhi College, respectively, and their impacts on climate in terms of radiative forcing. Monthly mean aerosol optical depth (AOD at 500 nm) and corresponding Angstrom Exponent (AE at 440–870 nm, given within the brackets) was observed to be about 0.50 (0.49) and 0.51 (0.65) in April, 0.65 (0.74) and 0.67 (0.91) in May and 0.69 (0.45) and 0.77 (0.71) in June at Kanpur and Gandhi College, respectively. Results show a positive gradient in AOD and AE from central to eastern IGB region with the advancement of the pre-monsoon, which may be caused due to diverse geographical location of the stations having different meteorological conditions and emission sources. Relatively lower SSA was observed at the eastern IGB (0.89) than the central IGB (0.92) region during the period, which suggests relative dominance of absorbing aerosols at the eastern IGB as compared to central IGB region. The absorbing aerosol optical properties over the station suggest that the atmospheric absorption over central IGB region is mainly due to dominance of coarse-mode dust particles; however, absorption over eastern IGB region is mainly due to dominance of fine-particle pollution. The derived properties from sun/sky radiometer during pre-monsoon period are used in a radiative-transfer model to estimate aerosol radiative forcing at the top-of-the atmosphere (TOA) and at the surface over the IGB region. Relatively large TOA and surface cooling was observed at the eastern IGB as compared to the central IGB region. This translates into large heating of the atmosphere ranging from 0.45 to 0.55 K day−1 at Kanpur and from 0.45 to 0.59 K day−1 at Gandhi College

Study of lidar and satellite data on stratospheric aerosols formed due to Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption

50-55Lidar aerosol backscatter data of a few stations published in Bulletin of Global Volcanism Network (USA)' (Vol. 16, Nos 5-12, 1991) have been used to investigate various transport/dynamical processes and also aerosol loading in the stratosphere due to the 15 June 1991 Pinatubo volcanic eruption. Some recently reported satellite observations have also been used to support the results obtained. Satellite data showed that in the zone extending 10°N from equator, Pinatubo aerosols circled the globe in 21 days, implying a mean easterly speed of 20-22 m/s. Ground-based lidar observations showed that aerosol cloud spread northward faster in low mid-latitudes and slowly in higher mid-latitudes. The stratospheric aerosol loading due to Pinatubo was about 30 times the pre-eruption value at a low latitude station (Mauna Loa) and about 4 times at a higher mid-latitude station (Obninsk). The analysis further showed that the aerosol cloud due to Pinatubo was nearly 1.5 times than that produced due to the 1982 El Chichon volcanic eruption. The presence and morphology of of the multiple stratospheric aerosol layers that appeared over Mauna Loa in the aftermath of Pinatubo are discussed

A long-term study of aerosol modulation of atmospheric and surface solar heating over Pune, India

Implications of aerosol characteristics, observed during a five-year (2004–2009) period over Pune (a tropical urban location), to short-wave radiation budget are reported. A discrete ordinate radiative transfer (DISORT) model with a code, namely, Santa Barbara DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (SBDART), has been used to carry out the radiative transfer computations. The validity of the method is demonstrated using independent ground-based remote sensing observations. Uncertainties in the estimates are also quantified. Clear-sky forcing reveals the points that include (1) Large negative bottom-of-the-atmosphere (BOA) forcing (more than−30 Wm−2) in all the months with peaks during October, December and March when the surface forcing exceeds~−40 Wm−2, and (2) Surface forcing values are higher for pre-monsoon months, while they are comparable for winter and post-monsoon months. The top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) forcing is found to be negative during all the seasons. Large differences between TOA and BOA forcing during pre-monsoon, winter and post-monsoon indicate large absorption of radiant energy (~30 Wm−2) within the atmosphere during these seasons, thus increasing atmospheric heating by~1 K/d. These values imply that aerosols have considerable impact on the atmosphere–surface system by causing substantial warming/cooling at the atmosphere/surface. This persistent trend in strong atmospheric absorption is likely to alter atmospheric thermodynamic conditions and thus affects circulation considerably

VHF MST Radar & Its Application to Cloud Physics

171-175The mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere (MST) radar technique and the associated principles and mechanisms underlying the signature of radar returns are briefly outlined. Some of the important application of the VHF MSF radar to cloud physics research are reviewed. The possibility of studying the interactions between cloud dynamics and cloud microphysics-an aspect which needs immediate attention in the field of cloud physics-has been stressed