A Decade of Poland-AOD Aerosol Research Network Observations

The Poland-AOD aerosol research network was established in 2011 to improve aerosol–climate interaction knowledge and provide a real-time and historical, comprehensive, and quantitative database for the aerosol optical properties distribution over Poland. The network consists of research institutions and private owners operating 10 measurement stations and an organization responsible for aerosol model transport simulations. Poland-AOD collaboration provides observations of spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångstrom Exponent (AE), incoming shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) radiation fluxes, vertical profiles of aerosol optical properties and surface aerosol scattering and absorption coefficient, as well as microphysical particle properties. Based on the radiative transfer model (RTM), the aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) and the heating rate are simulated. In addition, results from GEM-AQ and WRF-Chem models (e.g., aerosol mass mixing ratio and optical properties for several particle chemical components), and HYSPLIT back-trajectories are used to interpret the results of observation and to describe the 3D aerosol optical properties distribution. Results of Poland-AOD research indicate progressive improvement of air quality and atmospheric turbidity during the last decade. The AOD was reduced by about 0.02/10 yr (at 550 nm), which corresponds to positive trends in ARF. The estimated clear-sky ARF trend is 0.34 W/m2/10yr and 0.68 W/m2/10yr, respectively, at TOA and at Earth’s surface. Therefore, reduction in aerosol load observed in Poland can significantly contribute to climate warming.

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Aerosol Characterization and Direct Radiative Forcing Assessment over the Ocean. Part I: Methodology and Sensitivity Analysis

Journal of Applied Meteorology ◽

10.1175/jam2156.1 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 43 (12) ◽

pp. 1799-1817 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Maria João Costa ◽

Ana Maria Silva ◽

Vincenzo Levizzani

Keyword(s):

Sensitivity Analysis ◽

Optical Properties ◽

Radiative Forcing ◽

High Spectral Resolution ◽

Earth Orbit ◽

Aerosol Optical Properties ◽

Aerosol Model ◽

Aerosol Radiative Forcing ◽

The Impact ◽

Aerosol Radiative

Abstract A method based on the synergistic use of low earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite data for aerosol-type characterization, as well as aerosol optical thickness (AOT) retrieval and monitoring over the ocean, is presented. These properties are used for the estimation of the direct shortwave aerosol radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere. The synergy serves the purpose of monitoring aerosol events at the GEO time and space scales while maintaining the accuracy level achieved with LEO instruments. Aerosol optical properties representative of the atmospheric conditions are obtained from the inversion of high-spectral-resolution measurements from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME). The aerosol optical properties are input for radiative transfer calculations for the retrieval of the AOT from GEO visible broadband measurements, avoiding the use of fixed aerosol models available in the literature. The retrieved effective aerosol optical properties represent an essential component for the aerosol radiative forcing assessment. A sensitivity analysis is also presented to quantify the effects that changes on the aerosol model may have on modeled results of spectral reflectance, AOT, and direct shortwave aerosol radiative forcing at the top of the atmosphere. The impact on modeled values of the physical assumptions on surface reflectance and vertical profiles of ozone and water vapor are analyzed. Results show that the aerosol model is the main factor influencing the investigated radiative variables. Results of the application of the method to several significant aerosol events, as well as their validation, are presented in a companion paper.

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Aerosol radiative forcing during African desert dust events (2005–2010) over Southeastern Spain

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-12-10331-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 12 (21) ◽

pp. 10331-10351 ◽

Cited By ~ 72

Author(s):

A. Valenzuela ◽

F. J. Olmo ◽

H. Lyamani ◽

M. Antón ◽

A. Quirantes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Radiative Forcing ◽

Radiative Transfer Model ◽

Transfer Model ◽

Aerosol Optical Properties ◽

Aerosol Radiative Forcing ◽

Desert Dust ◽

The Mean ◽

Dust Events ◽

Aerosol Properties ◽

Aerosol Radiative

Abstract. The daily (24 h) averages of the aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) at the surface and the top of the atmosphere (TOA) were calculated during desert dust events over Granada (southeastern Spain) from 2005 to 2010. A radiative transfer model (SBDART) was utilized to simulate the solar irradiance values (0.31–2.8 μm) at the surface and TOA, using as input aerosol properties retrieved from CIMEL sun photometer measurements via an inversion methodology that uses the sky radiance measurements in principal plane configuration and a spheroid particle shape approximation. This inversion methodology was checked by means of simulated data from aerosol models, and the derived aerosol properties were satisfactorily compared against well-known AERONET products. Good agreement was found over a common spectral interval (0.2–4.0 μm) between the simulated SBDART global irradiances at surface and those provided by AERONET. In addition, simulated SBDART solar global irradiances at the surface have been successfully validated against CM-11 pyranometer measurements. The comparison indicates that the radiative transfer model slightly overestimates (mean bias of 3%) the experimental solar global irradiance. These results show that the aerosol optical properties used to estimate ARF represent appropriately the aerosol properties observed during desert dust outbreak over the study area. The ARF mean monthly values computed during desert dust events ranged from −13 ± 8 W m−2 to −34 ± 15 W m−2 at surface, from −4 ± 3 W m−2 to −13 ± 7 W m−2 at TOA and from +6 ± 4 to +21 ± 12 W m−2 in the atmosphere. We have checked if the differences found in aerosol optical properties among desert dust sectors translate to differences in ARF. The mean ARF at surface (TOA) were −20 ± 12 (−5 ± 5) W m−2, −21 ± 9 (−7 ± 5) W m−2 and −18 ± 9 (−6 ± 5) W m−2 for sector A (northern Morocco; northwestern Algeria), sector B (western Sahara, northwestern Mauritania and southwestern Algeria), and sector C (eastern Algeria, Tunisia), respectively. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistical test revealed that daily {ARF} values at TOA for sector A were significantly different from the other two sectors, likely as a result of the lower values of single scattering albedo obtained for sector A. The mean values of aerosol radiative forcing efficiency at surface (TOA) were −74 ± 12 W m−2 (−17 ± 7 W m−2) for sector A, −70 ± 14 W m−2 (−20 ± 9 W m−2) for sector B, and −65 ± 16 W m−2 (−22 ± 10 W m−2) for sector C, and thus comparable between the three sectors in all seasons.

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MACv2-SP: a parameterization of anthropogenic aerosol optical properties and an associated Twomey effect for use in CMIP6

Geoscientific Model Development ◽

10.5194/gmd-10-433-2017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 433-452 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Bjorn Stevens ◽

Stephanie Fiedler ◽

Stefan Kinne ◽

Karsten Peters ◽

Sebastian Rast ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Optical Properties ◽

Radiative Forcing ◽

Industrial Emissions ◽

Max Planck ◽

Aerosol Optical Properties ◽

Anthropogenic Aerosol ◽

Aerosol Radiative Forcing ◽

Clear Sky ◽

Aerosol Forcing ◽

Aerosol Radiative

Abstract. A simple plume implementation of the second version (v2) of the Max Planck Institute Aerosol Climatology, MACv2-SP, is described. MACv2-SP provides a prescription of anthropogenic aerosol optical properties and an associated Twomey effect. It was created to provide a harmonized description of post-1850 anthropogenic aerosol radiative forcing for climate modeling studies. MACv2-SP has been designed to be easy to implement, change and use, and thereby enable studies exploring the climatic effects of different patterns of aerosol radiative forcing, including a Twomey effect. MACv2-SP is formulated in terms of nine spatial plumes associated with different major anthropogenic source regions. The shape of the plumes is fit to the Max Planck Institute Aerosol Climatology, version 2, whose present-day (2005) distribution is anchored by surface-based observations. Two types of plumes are considered: one predominantly associated with biomass burning, the other with industrial emissions. These differ in the prescription of their annual cycle and in their optical properties, thereby implicitly accounting for different contributions of absorbing aerosol to the different plumes. A Twomey effect for each plume is prescribed as a change in the host model's background cloud-droplet population density using relationships derived from satellite data. Year-to-year variations in the amplitude of the plumes over the historical period (1850–2016) are derived by scaling the plumes with associated national emission sources of SO2 and NH3. Experiments using MACv2-SP are performed with the Max Planck Institute Earth System Model. The globally and annually averaged instantaneous and effective aerosol radiative forcings are estimated to be −0.6 and −0.5 W m−2, respectively. Forcing from aerosol–cloud interactions (the Twomey effect) offsets the reduction of clear-sky forcing by clouds, so that the net effect of clouds on the aerosol forcing is small; hence, the clear-sky forcing, which is more readily measurable, provides a good estimate of the total aerosol forcing.

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Anthropogenic aerosol forcing under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways

10.5194/acp-2019-606 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Marianne T. Lund ◽

Gunnar Myhre ◽

Bjørn H. Samset

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Radiative Forcing ◽

Global Climate ◽

Radiative Transfer Model ◽

Transfer Model ◽

Air Pollution Control ◽

Anthropogenic Aerosols ◽

Anthropogenic Aerosol ◽

Aerosol Radiative Forcing ◽

Aerosol Forcing

Abstract. Emissions of anthropogenic aerosols are expected to change drastically over the coming decades, with potentially significant climate implications. Using the most recent generation of harmonized emission scenarios, the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) as input to a global chemistry transport and radiative transfer model, we provide estimates of the projected future global and regional burdens and radiative forcing of anthropogenic aerosols under three different levels of air pollution control: strong (SSP1), medium (SSP2) and weak (SSP3). We find that the broader range of future air pollution emission trajectories spanned by the SSPs compared to previous scenarios translates into total aerosol forcing estimates in 2100 relative to 1750 ranging from −0.04 W m−2 in SSP1-1.9 to −0.51 W m−2 in SSP3-7.0. Compared to our 1750–2015 estimate of −0.61 W m−2, this shows that depending on the success of air pollution policies over the coming decades, aerosol radiative forcing may weaken by nearly 95 % or remain close to the pre-industrial to present-day level. In all three scenarios there is a positive forcing in 2100 relative to 2015, from 0.51 W m−2 in SSP1-1.9 to 0.04 W m−2 in SSP3-7.0. Results also demonstrate significant differences across regions and scenarios, especially in South Asia and Africa. While rapid weakening of the negative aerosol forcing following effective air quality policies will unmask more of the greenhouse gas-induced global warming, slow progress on mitigating air pollution will significantly enhance the atmospheric aerosol levels and risk to human health. In either case, the resulting impacts on regional and global climate can be significant.

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

Annales Geophysicae ◽

10.5194/angeo-29-789-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 29 (5) ◽

pp. 789-804 ◽

Cited By ~ 85

Author(s):

A. K. Srivastava ◽

S. Tiwari ◽

P. C. S. Devara ◽

D. S. Bisht ◽

Manoj K. Srivastava ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Radiative Forcing ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Dust Particles ◽

Radiative Transfer Model ◽

Transfer Model ◽

Climatic Impact ◽

Surface Cooling ◽

Monsoon Period ◽

Aerosol Radiative Forcing ◽

Absorbing Aerosols

Abstract. 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.

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

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-15-7841-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (14) ◽

pp. 7841-7858 ◽

Cited By ~ 59

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.

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Composition Dependence of Stratospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-13162 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yaowei Li ◽

John Dykema ◽

Frank Keutsch

Keyword(s):

Refractive Index ◽

Optical Properties ◽

Radiative Forcing ◽

Complex Refractive Index ◽

Stratospheric Aerosol ◽

Organic Component ◽

Aerosol Optical Properties ◽

Aerosol Radiative Forcing ◽

Aerosol Radiative

Model results suggest organic aerosol represents a significant fraction of total stratospheric aerosol radiative forcing, which in itself could represent as much as a quarter of global radiative forcing. Other model investigations suggest that the radiative influence of organic aerosols and dust must be included to obtain consistency with satellite measurements of stratospheric aerosols. In situ observations suggest that stratospheric aerosol composition is strongly vertically dependent and contains a significant organic component in the lower stratosphere. Laboratory studies suggest a range of possible values for the complex refractive index of organic aerosols in the stratosphere. The real part of the refractive index could vary over a range that brackets the value of the real refractive index for pure sulfuric acid/water aerosols. The imaginary part of the refractive index of the organic component is highly uncertain, suggesting aerosols that range from being purely refractive to significantly absorbing (eg, brown carbon). The mixing state of these mixed composition aerosols is also uncertain; depending on the complex refractive index of the organic component, morphological variation could have a significant influence on aerosol radiative properties. In this work we perform a sensitivity study of shortwave radiative forcing of stratospheric aerosols, examining the influence of different plausible values of complex refractive index and particle morphologies. In situ measurements of aerosol size and composition are used to represent the size distribution, vertical profile, and organic mass fraction for the computation of aerosol optical properties. These profiles of aerosol optical properties are used as inputs to a radiative transfer model to calculate profiles of shortwave fluxes and radiative heating rates for standard model atmospheres. The implications of the variations in aerosol optical depth and resulting radiative forcing are interpreted in terms of implications for satellite measurements of stratospheric radiative forcing. The various radiative forcing results and remote sensing implications for different scenarios of organic complex refractive index and morphology call for better understandings of the effects of chemical evolution and transport dynamics on the aerosol optical properties in the stratosphere.

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

Journal of Applied Meteorology ◽

10.1175/1520-0450-39.10.1742 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 39 (10) ◽

pp. 1742-1753 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

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.

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The Campaign on Atmospheric Aerosol Research Network of China: CARE-China

Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society ◽

10.1175/bams-d-14-00039.1 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 96 (7) ◽

pp. 1137-1155 ◽

Cited By ~ 72

Author(s):

Jinyuan Xin ◽

Yuesi Wang ◽

Yuepeng Pan ◽

Dongsheng Ji ◽

Zirui Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Optical Properties ◽

Atmospheric Aerosol ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Regional Climate ◽

Monitoring Network ◽

Research Network ◽

Chemical Components ◽

Aerosol Optical Properties ◽

Anthropogenic Aerosol ◽

Main Components

Abstract Based on a network of field stations belonging to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Campaign on Atmospheric Aerosol Research network of China (CARE-China) was recently established as the country’s first monitoring network for the study of the spatiotemporal distribution of aerosol physical characteristics, chemical components, and optical properties, as well as aerosol gaseous precursors. The network comprises 36 stations in total and adopts a unified approach in terms of the instrumentation, experimental standards, and data specifications. This ongoing project is intended to provide an integrated research platform to monitor online PM2.5 concentrations, nine-size aerosol concentrations and chemical component distributions, nine-size secondary organic aerosol (SOA) component distributions, gaseous precursor concentrations (including SO2, NOx, CO, O3, and VOCs), and aerosol optical properties. The data will be used to identify the sources of regional aerosols, the relative contributions from nature and anthropogenic emissions, the formation of secondary aerosols, and the effects of aerosol component distributions on aerosol optical properties. The results will reduce the levels of uncertainty involved in the quantitative assessment of aerosol effects on regional climate and environmental changes and ultimately provide insight into how to mitigate anthropogenic aerosol emissions in China. The present paper provides a detailed description of the instrumentation, methodologies, and experimental procedures used across the network, as well as a case study of observations taken from one station and the distribution of main components of aerosol over China during 2012.

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