Effect of urban submicron particles on single scattering albedo: the case study of high pollution event

Abstract. The polarized phase function of atmospheric aerosols has been investigated for the atmosphere of Zanjan, a city in northwest Iran. To do this, aerosol optical depth, Ångström exponent, single-scattering albedo, and polarized phase function have been retrieved from the measurements of a Cimel CE 318-2 polarized sun-photometer from February 2010 to December 2012. The results show that the maximum value of aerosol polarized phase function as well as the polarized phase function retrieved for a specific scattering angle (i.e., 60°) are strongly correlated (R = 0.95 and 0.95, respectively) with the Ångström exponent. The latter has a meaningful variation with respect to the changes in the complex refractive index of the atmospheric aerosols. Furthermore the polarized phase function shows a moderate negative correlation with respect to the atmospheric aerosol optical depth and single-scattering albedo (R = −0.76 and −0.33, respectively). Therefore the polarized phase function can be regarded as a key parameter to characterize the atmospheric particles of the region – a populated city in the semi-arid area and surrounded by some dust sources of the Earth's dust belt.

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Modulation of the aerosol absorption and single-scattering albedo due to synoptic scale and sea breeze circulations: United Arab Emirates experiment perspective

Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres ◽

10.1029/2006jd007139 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 112 (D5) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

J. Remiszewska ◽

P. J. Flatau ◽

K. M. Markowicz ◽

E. A. Reid ◽

J. S. Reid ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United Arab Emirates ◽

Sea Breeze ◽

Single Scattering ◽

Single Scattering Albedo ◽

Synoptic Scale ◽

Aerosol Absorption

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Seasonal cycle and source analyses of aerosol optical properties in a semi-urban environment at Puijo station in Eastern Finland

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-12-5647-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 5647-5659 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

A. Leskinen ◽

A. Arola ◽

M. Komppula ◽

H. Portin ◽

P. Tiitta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Optical Properties ◽

Paper Mill ◽

Single Scattering ◽

Single Scattering Albedo ◽

Scattering Coefficient ◽

Traffic Density ◽

Aerosol Optical Properties ◽

Absorption Coefficients ◽

Data Set ◽

Pollutant Sources

Abstract. We introduce a four-year (in 2006–2010) continuous data set of aerosol optical properties at Puijo in Kuopio, Finland. We study the annual and diurnal variation of the aerosol scattering and absorption coefficients, hemispheric backscattering fraction, scattering Ångström exponent, and single scattering albedo, whose median values over this period were 7.2 Mm−1 (at 550 nm), 1.0 Mm−1 (at 637 nm), 0.15, 1.93 (between 450 and 550 nm), and 0.85, respectively. The scattering coefficient peaked in the spring and autumn, being 2–4 times those in the summer and winter. An exception was the summer of 2010, when the scattering coefficient was elevated to ~300 Mm−1 by plumes from forest fires in Russia. The absorption coefficient peaked in the winter when soot-containing particles derived from biomass burning were present. The higher relative absorption coefficients resulted in lower single scattering albedo in winter. The optical properties varied also with wind direction and time of the day, indicating the effect of the local pollutant sources and the age of the particles. Peak values in the single scattering albedo were observed when the wind blew from a paper mill and from the sector without local pollutant sources. These observations were linked, respectively, to the sulphate-rich aerosol from the paper mill and the oxygenated organics in the aged aerosol, which both are known to increase the scattering characteristics of aerosols. Decreases in the single scattering albedo in the morning and afternoon, distinct in the summertime, were linked to the increased traffic density at these hours. The scattering and absorption coefficients of residential and long-range transported aerosol (two separate cloud events) were found to be decreased by clouds. The effect was stronger for the scattering than absorption, indicating preferential activation of the more hygroscopic aerosol with higher scattering characteristics.

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Modeling of Aerosol Radiation-Relevant Parameters in the Troposphere of Siberia on the Basis of Empirical Data

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos9110414 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 414 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mikhail Panchenko ◽

Svetlana Terpugova ◽

Victor Pol’kin ◽

Valerii Kozlov ◽

Dmitry Chernov

Keyword(s):

Complex Refractive Index ◽

West Siberia ◽

Single Scattering ◽

Single Scattering Albedo ◽

Optical Characteristics ◽

Asymmetry Factor ◽

Size Spectrum ◽

Scattering Phase ◽

Scattering Phase Function ◽

Modal Radius

The paper presents the generalized empirical model of the aerosol optical characteristics in the lower 5-km layer of the atmosphere of West Siberia. The model is based on the data of long-term airborne sensing of the vertical profiles of the angular scattering coefficient, aerosol disperse composition, as well as the content of absorbing particles. The model provides for retrieval of the aerosol optical characteristics in visible and near IR wavelength ranges (complex refractive index, scattering and absorption coefficients, optical depth, single scattering albedo, and asymmetry factor of the scattering phase function). The main attention in the presented version of the model is given to two aspects: The study of the effect of the size spectrum of the absorbing substance in the composition of aerosol particles on radiative-relevant parameters (the single scattering albedo (SSA) and the asymmetry factor (AF)) and the consideration of different algorithms for taking into account the relative humidity of air. The ranges of uncertainty of SSA and AF at variations in the modal radius of the absorbing fraction at different altitudes in the troposphere are estimated.

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Key factors affecting single scattering albedo calculation: Implications for aerosol climate forcing

10.5194/acp-2017-1104 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Duseong S. Jo ◽

Rokjin J. Park ◽

Jaein I. Jeong ◽

Gabriele Curci ◽

Hyung-Min Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Particulate Matter ◽

Radiative Forcing ◽

Transport Model ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Single Scattering ◽

Single Scattering Albedo ◽

Geometric Standard Deviation ◽

Physical Parameters ◽

Chemical Transport Model ◽

Aerosol Mass

Abstract. Single Scattering Albedo (SSA), the ratio of scattering efficiency to total extinction efficiency, is an essential parameter used to estimate the Direct Radiative Forcing (DRF) of aerosols. However, SSA is one of the large contributors to the uncertainty of DRF estimations. In this study, we examined the sensitivity of SSA calculations to the physical properties of absorbing aerosols, in particular, Black Carbon (BC), Brown Carbon (BrC), and dust. We used GEOS-Chem 3-D global chemical transport model (CTM) simulations and a post-processing tool for the aerosol optical properties (FlexAOD). The model and input parameters were evaluated by comparison against the observed aerosol mass concentrations and the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) values obtained from global surface observation networks such as the global Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) dataset, the Surface Particulate Matter Network (SPARTAN), and the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). The model was generally successful in reproducing the observed variability of both the Particulate Matter 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and AOD (R ~ 0.76) values, although it underestimated the magnitudes by approximately 20 %. Our sensitivity tests of the SSA calculation revealed that the aerosol physical parameters, which have generally received less attention than the aerosol mass loadings, can cause large uncertainties in the resulting DRF estimation. For example, large variations in the calculated BC absorption may result from slight changes of the geometric mean radius, geometric standard deviation, real and imaginary refractive indices, and density. The inclusion of BrC and observationally-constrained dust size distributions also significantly affected the SSA, and resulted in a remarkable improvement for the simulated SSA at 440 nm (bias was reduced by 44–49 %) compared with the AERONET observations. Based on the simulations performed during this study, we found that the global aerosol direct radiative effect was increased by 10 % after the SSA bias was reduced.

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Three-wavelength cavity-enhanced albedometer for measuring wavelength-dependent optical properties and single-scattering albedo of aerosols

Optics Express ◽

10.1364/oe.26.033484 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 26 (25) ◽

pp. 33484 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Xuezhe Xu ◽

Weixiong Zhao ◽

Bo Fang ◽

Jiacheng Zhou ◽

Shuo Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Optical Properties ◽

Single Scattering ◽

Single Scattering Albedo

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Study of the effect of different type of aerosols on UV-B radiation from measurements during EARLINET

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-3-4671-2003 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 3 (5) ◽

pp. 4671-4700

Author(s):

D. S. Balis ◽

V. Amiridis ◽

C. Zerefos ◽

A. Kazantzidis ◽

S. Kazadzis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Total Ozone ◽

Single Scattering ◽

Single Scattering Albedo ◽

Radiative Transfer Model ◽

Transfer Model ◽

Combined Use ◽

Lidar Measurements ◽

The Vertical Distribution ◽

Aerosol Type

Abstract. Routine lidar measurements of the vertical distribution of the aerosol extinction coefficient and the extinction-to-backscatter ratio have been performed at Thessaloniki, Greece using a Raman lidar system in the frame of the EARLINET project since 2000. Spectral and broadband UV-B irradiance measurements, as well as total ozone observations, were available whenever lidar measurements were obtained. From the available measurements several cases could be identified that allowed the study of the effect of different types of aerosol on the levels of the UV-B solar irradiance at the Earth's surface. The TUV radiative transfer model has been used to simulate the irradiance measurements, using total ozone and the lidar aerosol data as input. From the comparison of the model results with the measured spectra the effective single scattering albedo was determined using an iterative procedure, which has been verified against results from the 1998 Lindenberg Aerosol Characterization Experiment. It is shown that the same aerosol optical depth and same total ozone values can show differences up to 10% in the UV-B irradiance at the Earth's surface, which can be attributed to differences in the aerosol type. It is shown that the combined use of the estimated single scattering albedo and the measured extinction-to-backscatter ratio leads to a better characterization of the aerosol type probed.

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Impact of long-range transport over the Atlantic Ocean on Saharan dust optical and microphysical properties

10.5194/acp-2017-1089 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Cristian Velasco-Merino ◽

David Mateos ◽

Carlos Toledano ◽

Joseph M. Prospero ◽

Jack Molinie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Ocean ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Mineral Dust ◽

Single Scattering ◽

Single Scattering Albedo ◽

West African ◽

Asymmetry Factor ◽

Caribbean Basin ◽

Air Mass ◽

Aerosol Properties

Abstract. Mineral dust aerosol can be a major driver of aerosol climatology in regions distant from the sources. This study addresses the change of columnar aerosol properties when mineral dust arrives to the Caribbean Basin after transport from Africa over the Atlantic Ocean. We use data from NASA Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites in five Caribbean and two West African sites to characterize changes in aerosol properties: aerosol optical depth, size distribution, single scattering albedo, and refractive indexes. After obtaining local aerosol climatology in each area, the air mass connections between West Africa and Caribbean Basin have been investigated by means of air mass back trajectories. Over the period 1996–2014 we identify 3174 connection days, on average, 167 connection days per year. Among these, 1162 pairs of data present aerosol data in Caribbean sites with corresponding aerosol observations in Western Africa sites ~5–7 days before. Of these 1162 days, 484 meet the criteria to be characterized as mineral dust outbreaks. Based on these days we observe the following changes in aerosol-related properties in transiting the Atlantic: AOD decreases about 0.16 or −30 %; the volume particle size distribution shape shows no changes; single scattering albedo, refractive indexes, and asymmetry factor remain unchanged; the difference in the effective radius in West African area with respect to Caribbean Basin is between 0 and +0.3 µm; and half of the analyzed cases present predominance of non-spherical particles in both areas.

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Global maps of aerosol single scattering albedo using combined CERES-MODIS retrieval

10.5194/acp-2021-521 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Archana Devi ◽

Sreedharan Krishnakumari Satheesh

Keyword(s):

Climate Models ◽

Radiant Energy ◽

Energy System ◽

Single Scattering ◽

Global Scale ◽

Single Scattering Albedo ◽

Accurate Information ◽

Climatic Impact ◽

Aerosol Absorption ◽

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

Abstract. Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) is a leading contributor to the uncertainty in aerosol radiative impact assessments. Therefore accurate information on aerosol absorption is required on a global scale. In this study, we have applied a multi-satellite algorithm to retrieve SSA using the concept of ‘critical optical depth.’ Global maps of SSA were generated following this approach using spatially and temporally collocated data from Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on board Terra and Aqua satellites. The method has been validated using the data from aircraft-based measurements of various field campaigns. The retrieval uncertainty is ±0.03 and depends on both the surface albedo and aerosol absorption. Global mean SSA estimated over land and ocean is 0.93 and 0.97, respectively. Seasonal and spatial distribution of SSA over various regions are also presented. The global maps of SSA, thus derived with improved accuracy, provide important input to climate models for assessing the climatic impact of aerosols on regional and global scales.

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