Estimation of Surface and Top-of-Atmosphere Shortwave Irradiance in Biomass-Burning Regions during SCAR-B

2000 ◽  
Vol 39 (10) ◽  
pp. 1742-1753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sundar A. Christopher ◽  
Xiang Li ◽  
Ronald M. Welch ◽  
Jeffrey S. Reid ◽  
Peter V. Hobbs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Optical Thickness ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Wavelength Dependence ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Aerosol Radiative Forcing ◽  
Mean Square Errors

Abstract Using in situ measurements of aerosol optical properties and ground-based measurements of aerosol optical thickness (τs) during the Smoke, Clouds and Radiation—Brazil (SCAR-B) experiment, a four-stream broadband radiative transfer model is used to estimate the downward shortwave irradiance (DSWI) and top-of-atmosphere (TOA) shortwave aerosol radiative forcing (SWARF) in cloud-free regions dominated by smoke from biomass burning in Brazil. The calculated DSWI values are compared with broadband pyranometer measurements made at the surface. The results show that, for two days when near-coincident measurements of single-scattering albedo ω0 and τs are available, the root-mean-square errors between the measured and calculated DSWI for daytime data are within 30 W m−2. For five days during SCAR-B, however, when assumptions about ω0 have to be made and also when τs was significantly higher, the differences can be as large as 100 W m−2. At TOA, the SWARF per unit optical thickness ranges from −20 to −60 W m−2 over four major ecosystems in South America. The results show that τs and ω0 are the two most important parameters that affect DSWI calculations. For SWARF values, surface albedos also play an important role. It is shown that ω0 must be known within 0.05 and τs at 0.55 μm must be known to within 0.1 to estimate DSWI to within 20 W m−2. The methodology described in this paper could serve as a potential strategy for determining DSWI values in the presence of aerosols. The wavelength dependence of τs and ω0 over the entire shortwave spectrum is needed to improve radiative transfer calculations. If global retrievals of DSWI and SWARF from satellite measurements are to be performed in the presence of biomass-burning aerosols on a routine basis, a concerted effort should be made to develop methodologies for estimating ω0 and τs from satellite and ground-based measurements.

scholarly journals Aerosol radiative forcing during African desert dust events (2005–2010) over South-Eastern Spain

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 6593-6622 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Valenzuela ◽  
F. J. Olmo ◽  
H. Lyamani ◽  
M. Antón ◽  
A. Quirantes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Aerosol Radiative Forcing ◽  
Desert Dust ◽  
Aerosol Parameter ◽  
Dust Events ◽  
Aerosol Radiative

Abstract. The instantaneous values of the aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) at the surface and the top of the atmosphere (TOA) were calculated during desert dust events occurred at Granada (Southeastern Spain) from 2005 to 2010. For that, the SBDART radiative transfer model was utilized to simulate the global irradiance values (0.3–2.8 μm) at the surface and TOA using as input the aerosol properties derived from a CIMEL sun-photometer measurements and an inversion methodology that uses the sky radiance measurements in principal plane configuration and non-spherical particle shapes approximation. The SBDART modeled global irradiances at surface have been successfully validated against experimental measurements obtained by CM-11 pyranometer, indicating the reliability of the radiative transfer model used in this work for the ARF calculations. The monthly ARF values at surface ranged from −32 W m−2 to −46 W m−2, being larger in April and July than in the rest of months. The seasonal ARF evolution was inconsistent with seasonal aerosol optical depth (AOD) variation due to the effects induced by other aerosol parameter such as the single scattering albedo. The ARF at TOA changed from −9 W m−2 to −29 W m−2. Thus, the atmospheric ARF values (ARF at TOA minus ARF at surface) ranged from +15 to +35 W m−2. These results suggest that the African dust caused local atmospheric heating over the study location. The instantaneous aerosol radiative forcing efficiency (ARFE), aerosol radiative forcing per unit of AOD (440 nm), at surface and TOA during African desert dust events was evaluated according to the desert dust source origins. The ARFE values at surface were relatively high (in absolute term) and were −157 ± 20 (Sector A), −154 ± 23 (Sector B), and −147 ± 23 (Sector C) W m−2. These values were larger than many of the values found in literature which could be due to the presence of more absorbing atmospheric particles during African desert dust intrusions over our study area. Finally, our ARF computations showed good agreement with the corresponding ARF calculated by AERONET network.

Consistent retrieval of cloud/aerosol single scattering properties and surface reflectance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Luffarelli ◽  
Yves Govaerts
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Optical Thickness ◽  
Solution Space ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Aerosol Optical Thickness ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Surface Reflectance ◽  
Earth System ◽  
System Components

<p>The CISAR (Combined Inversion of Surface and AeRosols) algorithm is exploited in the framework of the ESA Aerosol Climate Change Initiatiave (CCI) project, aiming at providing a set of atmospheric (cloud and aerosol) and surface reflectance products derived from S3A/SLSTR observations using the same radiative transfer physics and assumptions. CISAR is an advance algorithm developed by Rayference originally designed for the retrieval of aerosol single scattering properties and surface reflectance from both geostationary and polar orbiting satellite observations.  It is based on the inversion of a fast radiative transfer model (FASTRE). The retrieval mechanism allows a continuous variation of the aerosol and cloud single scattering properties in the solution space.</p><p> </p><p>Traditionally, different approaches are exploited to retrieve the different Earth system components, which could lead to inconsistent data sets. The simultaneous retrieval of different atmospheric and surface variables over any type of surface (including bright surfaces and water bodies) with the same forward model and inversion scheme ensures the consistency among the retrieved Earth system components. Additionally, pixels located in the transition zone between pure clouds and pure aerosols are often discarded from both cloud and aerosol algorithms. This “twilight zone” can cover up to 30% of the globe. A consistent retrieval of both cloud and aerosol single scattering properties with the same algorithm could help filling this gap.</p><p> </p><p>The CISAR algorithm aims at overcoming the need of an external cloud mask, discriminating internally between aerosol and cloud properties. This approach helps reducing the overestimation of aerosol optical thickness in cloud contaminated pixels. The surface reflectance product is delivered both for cloud-free and cloudy observations.  </p><p> </p><p>Global maps obtained from the processing of S3A/SLSTR observations will be shown. The SLSTR/CISAR products over events such as, for instance, the Australian fire in the last months of 2019, will be discussed in terms of aerosol optical thickness, aerosol-cloud discrimination and fine/coarse mode fraction.</p>

scholarly journals Brown carbon aerosol in the North American continental troposphere: sources, abundance, and radiative forcing

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (14) ◽  
pp. 7841-7858 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Liu ◽  
E. Scheuer ◽  
J. Dibb ◽  
G. S. Diskin ◽  
L. D. Ziemba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
North American ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Measurement Range ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Chemical Components ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Brown Carbon ◽  
The North

Abstract. Chemical components of organic aerosol (OA) selectively absorb light at short wavelengths. In this study, the prevalence, sources, and optical importance of this so-called brown carbon (BrC) aerosol component are investigated throughout the North American continental tropospheric column during a summer of extensive biomass burning. Spectrophotometric absorption measurements on extracts of bulk aerosol samples collected from an aircraft over the central USA were analyzed to directly quantify BrC abundance. BrC was found to be prevalent throughout the 1 to 12 km altitude measurement range, with dramatic enhancements in biomass-burning plumes. BrC to black carbon (BC) ratios, under background tropospheric conditions, increased with altitude, consistent with a corresponding increase in the absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) determined from a three-wavelength particle soot absorption photometer (PSAP). The sum of inferred BC absorption and measured BrC absorption at 365 nm was within 3 % of the measured PSAP absorption for background conditions and 22 % for biomass burning. A radiative transfer model showed that BrC absorption reduced top-of-atmosphere (TOA) aerosol forcing by ~ 20 % in the background troposphere. Extensive radiative model simulations applying this study background tropospheric conditions provided a look-up chart for determining radiative forcing efficiencies of BrC as a function of a surface-measured BrC : BC ratio and single scattering albedo (SSA). The chart is a first attempt to provide a tool for better assessment of brown carbon's forcing effect when one is limited to only surface data. These results indicate that BrC is an important contributor to direct aerosol radiative forcing.

scholarly journals Interpreting the Ultraviolet Aerosol Index observed with the OMI satellite instrument to understand absorption by organic aerosols: implications for atmospheric oxidation and direct radiative effects

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (19) ◽  
pp. 27405-27447
Author(s):  
M. S. Hammer ◽  
R. V. Martin ◽  
A. van Donkelaar ◽  
V. Buchard ◽  
O. Torres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
South America ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Aerosol Index

Abstract. Satellite observations of the Ultraviolet Aerosol Index (UVAI) are sensitive to absorption of solar radiation by aerosols; this absorption affects photolysis frequencies and radiative forcing. We develop a global simulation of the UVAI using the 3-D chemical transport model GEOS-Chem coupled with the Vector Linearized Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer model (VLIDORT). The simulation is applied to interpret UVAI observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) for the year 2007. Simulated and observed values are highly consistent in regions where mineral dust dominates the UVAI, but a large negative bias (−0.32 to −0.97) exists between simulated and observed values in biomass burning regions. We determine effective optical properties for absorbing organic aerosol, known as brown carbon (BrC), and implement them into GEOS-Chem to better represent observed UVAI values over biomass burning regions. The addition of absorbing BrC decreases the mean bias between simulated and OMI UVAI values from −0.57 to −0.09 over West Africa in January, from −0.32 to +0.0002 over South Asia in April, from −0.97 to −0.22 over southern Africa in July, and from −0.50 to +0.33 over South America in September. The spectral dependence of absorption after adding BrC to the model is broadly consistent with reported observations for biomass burning aerosol, with Absorbing Angstrom Exponent (AAE) values ranging from 2.9 in the ultraviolet (UV) to 1.3 across the UV-Near IR spectrum. We assess the effect of the additional UV absorption by BrC on atmospheric photochemistry by examining tropospheric hydroxyl radical (OH) concentrations in GEOS-Chem. The inclusion of BrC decreases OH by up to 35 % over South America in September, up to 25 % over southern Africa in July, and up to 20 % over other biomass burning regions. Global annual mean OH concentrations in GEOS-Chem decrease due to the presence of absorbing BrC, increasing the methyl chloroform lifetime from 5.62 to 5.68 years, thus reducing the bias against observed values. We calculate the direct radiative effect (DRE) of BrC using GEOS-Chem coupled with the radiative transfer model RRTMG (GC-RT). Treating organic aerosol as containing absorbing BrC rather than as primarily scattering changes global annual mean all-sky top of atmosphere (TOA) DRE by +0.05 W m-2 and all-sky surface DRE by −0.06 W m-2. Regional changes of up to +0.5 W m-2 at TOA and down to −1 W m-2 at the surface are found over major biomass burning regions.

scholarly journals A case study on biomass burning aerosols: effects on solar UV irradiance, retrieval of aerosol single scattering albedo

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 17987-18005 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bagheri ◽  
B. Kjeldstad ◽  
B. Johnsen
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Uv Radiation ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Single Scattering Albedo ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Uv Irradiance ◽  
Surface Measurements

Abstract. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) from biomass burning aerosols from eastern Europe was measured in Trondheim, Norway (63.43° N , 10.43° E) in May 2006. The event was observed as far as the Arctic. In the first part of this paper, the surface measurements of direct and global UV radiation (and retrieved AOD) are used to simulate the data using a radiative transfer model. Measured and simulated data were used to study the effect of biomass aerosol on the levels of surface UV radiation. We found reductions of up to 31%, 15% and 2% in direct, global and diffuse surface UV irradiance (at 350 nm, SZA=50°±0.5°) as compared to typical aerosol conditions. In the second part of our study, surface measurements of global and direct irradiance at five wavelength in UVB and UVA (305, 313, 320, 340 and 380 nm) were coupled with a radiative transfer model to produce values of aerosol single scattering albedo, ω. The aerosol single scattering albedo for biomass aerosols is compared to ω for background aerosols. The values of ω for biomass aerosols were 0.76 at 305 nm, 0.75 at 313 nm, 0.79 at 320 nm, 0.72 at 340 nm and 0.80 at 380 nm.

scholarly journals Brown carbon aerosol in the North American continental troposphere: sources, abundance, and radiative forcing

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 5959-6007 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Liu ◽  
E. Scheuer ◽  
J. Dibb ◽  
G. S. Diskin ◽  
L. D. Ziemba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Burning ◽  
North American ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Measurement Range ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Chemical Components ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Brown Carbon ◽  
The North

Abstract. Chemical components of organic aerosol selectively absorb light at short wavelengths. In this study, the prevalence, sources, and optical importance of this so-called brown carbon (BrC) aerosol component are investigated throughout the North American continental tropospheric column during a summer of extensive biomass burning. Spectrophotometric absorption measurements on extracts of bulk aerosol samples collected from an aircraft over the central USA were analyzed to directly quantify BrC abundance. BrC was found to be prevalent throughout the 1 to 12 km altitude measurement range, with dramatic enhancements in biomass burning plumes. BrC to black carbon (BC) ratios, under background tropospheric conditions, increased with altitude, consistent with a corresponding increase in the Absorption Ångström Exponent (AAE) determined from a 3-wavelength Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP). The sum of inferred BC absorption and measured BrC absorption at 365 nm was within 3% of the measured PSAP absorption for background conditions and 22% for biomass burning. A radiative transfer model showed that BrC absorption reduced top of atmosphere aerosol forcing by ~20% in the background troposphere. Extensive radiative model simulations applying this studies background tropospheric conditions provided a look-up chart for determining radiative forcing efficiencies of BrC as a function of surface-measured BrC–BC ratio and single scattering albedo (SSA). The chart is a first attempt to provide a tool for better assessment of brown carbon's forcing effect when one is limited to only surface data. These results indicate that BrC is an important component of direct aerosol radiative forcing.

scholarly journals Satellite-based estimate of aerosol direct radiative effect over the South-East Atlantic

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 23295-23324 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Costantino ◽  
F.-M. Bréon
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Cloud Fraction ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
The South ◽  
East Atlantic ◽  
Cloud Parameters ◽  
Horizontal And Vertical Distributions

Abstract. The net effect of aerosol Direct Radiative Forcing (DRF) is the balance between the scattering effect that reflects solar radiation back to space (cooling), and the absorption that decreases the reflected sunlight (warming). The amplitude of these two effects and their balance depends on the aerosol load, its absorptivity, the cloud fraction and the respective position of aerosol and cloud layers. In this study, we use the information provided by CALIOP (CALIPSO satellite) and MODIS (AQUA satellite) instruments as input data to a Rapid Radiative Transfer Model (RRTM) and quantify the shortwave (SW) aerosol direct atmospheric forcing, over the South-East Atlantic. The combination of the passive and active measurements allows estimates of the horizontal and vertical distributions of the aerosol and cloud parameters. We use a parametrization of the Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) based on the satellite-derived Angstrom coefficient. The South East Atlantic is a particular region, where bright stratocumulus clouds are often topped by absorbing smoke particles. Results from radiative transfer simulations confirm the similar amplitude of the cooling effect, due to light scattering by the aerosols, and the warming effect, due to the absorption by the same particles. Over six years of satellite retrievals, from 2005 to 2010, the South-East Atlantic all-sky SW DRF is −0.03 W m−2, with a spatial standard deviation of 8.03 W m−2. In good agreement with previous estimates, statistics show that a cloud fraction larger than 0.5 is generally associated with positive all-sky DRF. In case of cloudy-sky and aerosol located only above the cloud top, a SSA larger than 0.91 and cloud optical thickness larger than 4 can be considered as threshold values, beyond which the resulting radiative forcing becomes positive.

scholarly journals Interpreting the ultraviolet aerosol index observed with the OMI satellite instrument to understand absorption by organic aerosols: implications for atmospheric oxidation and direct radiative effects

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 2507-2523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie S. Hammer ◽  
Randall V. Martin ◽  
Aaron van Donkelaar ◽  
Virginie Buchard ◽  
Omar Torres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
South America ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Aerosol Index

Abstract. Satellite observations of the ultraviolet aerosol index (UVAI) are sensitive to absorption of solar radiation by aerosols; this absorption affects photolysis frequencies and radiative forcing. We develop a global simulation of the UVAI using the 3-D chemical transport model GEOS-Chem coupled with the Vector Linearized Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer model (VLIDORT). The simulation is applied to interpret UVAI observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) for the year 2007. Simulated and observed values are highly consistent in regions where mineral dust dominates the UVAI, but a large negative bias (−0.32 to −0.97) exists between simulated and observed values in biomass burning regions. We determine effective optical properties for absorbing organic aerosol, known as brown carbon (BrC), and implement them into GEOS-Chem to better represent observed UVAI values over biomass burning regions. The inclusion of absorbing BrC decreases the mean bias between simulated and OMI UVAI values from −0.57 to −0.09 over West Africa in January, from −0.32 to +0.0002 over South Asia in April, from −0.97 to −0.22 over southern Africa in July, and from −0.50 to +0.33 over South America in September. The spectral dependence of absorption after including BrC in the model is broadly consistent with reported observations for biomass burning aerosol, with absorbing Ångström exponent (AAE) values ranging from 2.9 in the ultraviolet (UV) to 1.3 across the UV–Near IR spectrum. We assess the effect of the additional UV absorption by BrC on atmospheric photochemistry by examining tropospheric hydroxyl radical (OH) concentrations in GEOS-Chem. The inclusion of BrC decreases OH by up to 30 % over South America in September, up to 20 % over southern Africa in July, and up to 15 % over other biomass burning regions. Global annual mean OH concentrations in GEOS-Chem decrease due to the presence of absorbing BrC, increasing the methyl chloroform lifetime from 5.62 to 5.68 years, thus reducing the bias against observed values. We calculate the direct radiative effect (DRE) of BrC using GEOS-Chem coupled with the radiative transfer model RRTMG (GC-RT). Treating organic aerosol as containing more strongly absorbing BrC changes the global annual mean all-sky top of atmosphere (TOA) DRE by +0.03 W m−2 and all-sky surface DRE by −0.08 W m−2. Regional changes of up to +0.3 W m−2 at TOA and down to −1.5 W m−2 at the surface are found over major biomass burning regions.

scholarly journals Fast Hyper-Spectral Radiative Transfer Model Based on the Double Cluster Low-Streams Regression Method

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 434
Author(s):  
Ana del Águila ◽  
Dmitry S. Efremenko
Keyword(s):  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Absorption Bands ◽  
Acceleration Techniques ◽  
Scattering Approximation ◽  
Fine Resolution ◽  
Single Scattering Approximation

Fast radiative transfer models (RTMs) are required to process a great amount of satellite-based atmospheric composition data. Specifically designed acceleration techniques can be incorporated in RTMs to simulate the reflected radiances with a fine spectral resolution, avoiding time-consuming computations on a fine resolution grid. In particular, in the cluster low-streams regression (CLSR) method, the computations on a fine resolution grid are performed by using the fast two-stream RTM, and then the spectra are corrected by using regression models between the two-stream and multi-stream RTMs. The performance enhancement due to such a scheme can be of about two orders of magnitude. In this paper, we consider a modification of the CLSR method (which is referred to as the double CLSR method), in which the single-scattering approximation is used for the computations on a fine resolution grid, while the two-stream spectra are computed by using the regression model between the two-stream RTM and the single-scattering approximation. Once the two-stream spectra are known, the CLSR method is applied the second time to restore the multi-stream spectra. Through a numerical analysis, it is shown that the double CLSR method yields an acceleration factor of about three orders of magnitude as compared to the reference multi-stream fine-resolution computations. The error of such an approach is below 0.05%. In addition, it is analysed how the CLSR method can be adopted for efficient computations for atmospheric scenarios containing aerosols. In particular, it is discussed how the precomputed data for clear sky conditions can be reused for computing the aerosol spectra in the framework of the CLSR method. The simulations are performed for the Hartley–Huggins, O2 A-, water vapour and CO2 weak absorption bands and five aerosol models from the optical properties of aerosols and clouds (OPAC) database.

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