scholarly journals The surface aerosol optical properties in urban areas of Nanjing, west Yangtze River Delta of China

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. L. Zhuang ◽  
T. J. Wang ◽  
J. Liu ◽  
S. Li ◽  
M. Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Yangtze River Delta ◽  
Aerosol Optical Properties ◽  
Growth Trend ◽  
Near Surface

Abstract. Observational studies of aerosol optical properties are useful to reducing uncertainties in estimating aerosol radiative forcing and forecasting visibility. In this study, the observed near-surface aerosol optical properties in urban Nanjing are analyzed from Mar 2014 to Feb 2016. Results show that near-surface urban aerosols in Nanjing are mainly from local emissions and the regions around. They have lower loadings but are more scattering than in most cities in China. The annual mean aerosol extinction coefficient (EC), single scattering albedo (SSA) and asymmetry parameter (ASP) at 550 nm are 381.96 Mm−1, 0.9 and 0.57, respectively. The aerosol absorption coefficient (AAC) is about one order of magnitude smaller than its scattering coefficient (SC). However, the absorbing aerosol has larger Ångström exponent (AAE) value, 1.58 at 470/660 nm, about 0.2 larger than the scattering aerosols' (SAE). All the aerosol optical properties followed a near unimodal pattern, the ranges around their averages accounting for more than 60 % of the total samplings. Additionally, they have substantial seasonality and diurnal variations. High levels of SC and AAC all appear in winter due to higher aerosol and trace gas emissions. AAE (ASP) is the smallest (largest) in summer because of high relative humidity (RH) which also causes considerably larger SC and smaller SAE, although intensive gas-to-particle transformation could produce a large number of finer scattering aerosols in this season. Seasonality of EC is different from the columnar aerosol optical depth. Larger AACs appear at the rush hours of the day while SC and Bsp only peak in the early morning. Aerosols are fresher at daytime than at nighttime, leading to their larger AE and smaller ASP. Different temporal variations between AAC and SC cause the aerosols more absorbing (smaller SSA) in autumn and around rush hours. ASP has a good quasi-LogNormal growth trend with increasing SC when RH is below 60 %. The correlation between AAC and SC at the site is close but a little smaller than that in suburban Nanjing in spring. Atmospheric visibility decreases exponentially with increasing EC or SC, more sharply in spring and summer. It could be further deteriorated with increasing SSA and ASP.

scholarly journals The surface aerosol optical properties in the urban area of Nanjing, west Yangtze River Delta, China

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 1143-1160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bingliang Zhuang ◽  
Tijian Wang ◽  
Jane Liu ◽  
Shu Li ◽  
Min Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Scattering Coefficient ◽  
Aerosol Optical Properties ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Growth Trend ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Angstrom Exponent ◽  
Ångström Exponent ◽  
Ångstrom Exponent

Abstract. Observational studies of aerosol optical properties are useful for reducing uncertainties in estimations of aerosol radiative forcing and forecasting visibility. In this study, the observed near-surface aerosol optical properties in urban Nanjing are analysed from March 2014 to February 2016. Results show that near-surface urban aerosols in Nanjing are mainly from local emissions and the surrounding regions. They have lower loadings but are more scattering than aerosols in most cities in China. The annual mean aerosol extinction coefficient (EC), single-scattering albedo (SSA) and asymmetry parameter (ASP) at 550 nm are 381.96 Mm−1, 0.9 and 0.57, respectively. The aerosol absorption coefficient (AAC) is about 1 order of magnitude smaller than its scattering coefficient (SC). However, the absorbing aerosol has a larger Ångström exponent (AAE) value, 1.58 at 470∕660 nm, about 0.2 larger than the scattering aerosols (SAE). All the aerosol optical properties follow a near-unimodal pattern, and their values are mostly concentrated around their averages, accounting for more than 60 % of the total samplings. Additionally, they have substantial seasonality and diurnal variations. High levels of SC and AAC all appear in winter due to higher aerosol and trace gas emissions. AAE (ASP) is the smallest (largest) in summer, possibly because of high relative humidity (RH) which also causes considerably larger SC and smaller SAE, although intensive gas-to-particle transformation could produce a large number of finer scattering aerosols in this season. Seasonality of EC is different from the columnar aerosol optical depth. Larger AACs appear during the rush hours of the day while SC and back-scattering coefficient (Bsp) only peak in the early morning. Aerosols are fresher in the daytime than at night-time, leading to their larger Ångström exponent and smaller ASP. Different temporal variations between AAC and SC cause the aerosols to be more absorbing (smaller SSA) in autumn, winter and around rush hours. ASP has a good quasi-log-normal growth trend with increasing SC when RH is below 60 %. The correlation between AAC and SC at the site is close but a little smaller than that in suburban Nanjing in spring. Atmospheric visibility decreases exponentially with increasing EC or SC, more sharply in spring and summer, and it could be further deteriorated with increasing SSA and ASP.

scholarly journals Simulations of Black Carbon Over Indian Region: Improvements and Implications of Diurnality in Emissions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaurav Govardhan ◽  
Sreedharan Krishnakumari Satheesh ◽  
Krishnaswamy Krishna Moorthy ◽  
Ravi Nanjundiah
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Indian Region ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Aerosol Radiative Forcing ◽  
Convective Mixing

Abstract. With a view to improving the performance of WRF-Chem over the Indian region in simulating BC (black Carbon) mass concentrations as well as its short-term variations, especially on diurnal scale, a region-specific diurnal variation scheme has been introduced in the model emissios and the performance of the modified simulations has been evaluated against high-resolution measurements carried out over 8 ARFI (Aerosol Radiative Forcing over India) network observatories spread across India for distinct seasons; pre-monsoon (represented by May), post-monsoon (represented by October) and winter (represented by December). In addition to an overall improvement in the simulated concentrations and their temporal variations, it has also been found that the effects of prescribing diurnally varying emissions on the simulated near-surface concentrations largely depend on the boundary layer turbulence. The effects are perceived fast (within about 2–3 hours) during the evening–early morning hours when the atmospheric boundary layer is shallow and convective mixing is weak, while they are delayed, taking as much as about 5–6 hours, during periods when the boundary layer is deep and convective mixing is strong. This information would also serve as an important input for agencies concerned with urban planning and pollution mitigation. Despite these improvements in the near-surface concentrations, the simulated columnar aerosol optical depth (AOD) still remains largely underestimated vis-a-vis the satellite retrieved products. These modifications will serve as a guideline for further model-improvement initiatives at regional scale.

scholarly journals Intercomparison of biomass burning aerosol optical properties from in situ and remote-sensing instruments in ORACLES-2016

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (14) ◽  
pp. 9181-9208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Pistone ◽  
Jens Redemann ◽  
Sarah Doherty ◽  
Paquita Zuidema ◽  
Sharon Burton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Single Scattering Albedo ◽  
Aerosol Optical Properties ◽  
Biomass Burning Aerosol

Abstract. The total effect of aerosols, both directly and on cloud properties, remains the biggest source of uncertainty in anthropogenic radiative forcing on the climate. Correct characterization of intensive aerosol optical properties, particularly in conditions where absorbing aerosol is present, is a crucial factor in quantifying these effects. The southeast Atlantic Ocean (SEA), with seasonal biomass burning smoke plumes overlying and mixing with a persistent stratocumulus cloud deck, offers an excellent natural laboratory to make the observations necessary to understand the complexities of aerosol–cloud–radiation interactions. The first field deployment of the NASA ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS) campaign was conducted in September of 2016 out of Walvis Bay, Namibia. Data collected during ORACLES-2016 are used to derive aerosol properties from an unprecedented number of simultaneous measurement techniques over this region. Here, we present results from six of the eight independent instruments or instrument combinations, all applied to measure or retrieve aerosol absorption and single-scattering albedo. Most but not all of the biomass burning aerosol was located in the free troposphere, in relative humidities typically ranging up to 60 %. We present the single-scattering albedo (SSA), absorbing and total aerosol optical depth (AAOD and AOD), and absorption, scattering, and extinction Ångström exponents (AAE, SAE, and EAE, respectively) for specific case studies looking at near-coincident and near-colocated measurements from multiple instruments, and SSAs for the broader campaign average over the month-long deployment. For the case studies, we find that SSA agrees within the measurement uncertainties between multiple instruments, though, over all cases, there is no strong correlation between values reported by one instrument and another. We also find that agreement between the instruments is more robust at higher aerosol loading (AOD400>0.4). The campaign-wide average and range shows differences in the values measured by each instrument. We find the ORACLES-2016 campaign-average SSA at 500 nm (SSA500) to be between 0.85 and 0.88, depending on the instrument considered (4STAR, AirMSPI, or in situ measurements), with the interquartile ranges for all instruments between 0.83 and 0.89. This is consistent with previous September values reported over the region (between 0.84 and 0.90 for SSA at 550nm). The results suggest that the differences observed in the campaign-average values may be dominated by instrument-specific spatial sampling differences and the natural physical variability in aerosol conditions over the SEA, rather than fundamental methodological differences.

scholarly journals Simulations of black carbon over the Indian region: improvements and implications of diurnality in emissions

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 8229-8241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaurav Govardhan ◽  
Sreedharan Krishnakumari Satheesh ◽  
Krishnaswamy Krishna Moorthy ◽  
Ravi Nanjundiah
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Indian Region ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Aerosol Radiative Forcing ◽  
Convective Mixing

Abstract. With a view to improving the performance of WRF-Chem over the Indian region in simulating BC (black carbon) mass concentrations as well as its short-term variations, especially on a diurnal scale, a region-specific diurnal variation scheme has been introduced in the model emissions and the performance of the modified simulations has been evaluated against high-resolution measurements carried out over eight ARFI (Aerosol Radiative Forcing over India) network observatories spread across India for distinct seasons: pre-monsoon (represented by May), post-monsoon (represented by October) and winter (represented by December). In addition to an overall improvement in the simulated concentrations and their temporal variations, we have also found that the effects of prescribing diurnally varying emissions on the simulated near-surface concentrations largely depend on the boundary layer turbulence. The effects are perceived quickly (within about 2–3 h) during the evening–early morning hours when the atmospheric boundary layer is shallow and convective mixing is weak, while they are delayed, taking as much as about 5–6 h, during periods when the boundary layer is deep and convective mixing is strong. This information would also serve as an important input for agencies concerned with urban planning and pollution mitigation. Despite these improvements in the near-surface concentrations, the simulated columnar aerosol optical depth (AOD) still remains largely underestimated vis-à-vis the satellite-retrieved products. These modifications will serve as a guideline for further model-improvement initiatives at a regional scale.

scholarly journals Intercomparison of biomass burning aerosol optical properties from in-situ and remote-sensing instruments in ORACLES-2016

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Pistone ◽  
Jens Redemann ◽  
Sarah Doherty ◽  
Paquita Zuidema ◽  
Sharon Burton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Biomass Burning ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Single Scattering Albedo ◽  
Aerosol Optical Properties ◽  
Biomass Burning Aerosol

Abstract. The total effect of aerosols, both directly and on cloud properties, remains the biggest source of uncertainty in anthropogenic radiative forcing on the climate. Correct characterization of intensive aerosol optical properties, particularly in conditions where absorbing aerosol is present, is a crucial factor in quantifying these effects. The Southeast Atlantic Ocean (SEA), with seasonal biomass burning smoke plumes overlying and mixing with a persistent stratocumulus cloud deck, offers an excellent natural laboratory to make the observations necessary to understand the complexities of aerosol-cloud-radiation interactions. The first field deployment of the NASA ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS) campaign was conducted in September of 2016 out of Walvis Bay, Namibia. Data collected during ORACLES-2016 are used to derive aerosol properties from an unprecedented number of simultaneous measurement techniques over this region. Here we present results from six of the eight independent instruments or instrument combinations, all applied to measure or retrieve aerosol absorption and single scattering albedo. Most but not all of the biomass-burning aerosol was located in the free troposphere, in relative humidities typically ranging up to 60 %. We present the single scattering albedo (SSA), absorbing and total aerosol optical depth (AOD and AAOD), and absorption, scattering, and extinction Ångström exponents (AAE, SAE, EAE) for specific case studies looking at near-coincident and -colocated measurements from multiple instruments, and SSAs for the broader campaign average over the monthlong deployment. For the case studies, we find that SSA agrees within the measurement uncertainties between multiple instruments, though, over all cases, there is no strong correlation between values reported by one instrument and another. We also find that agreement between the instruments is more robust at higher aerosol loading (AOD400 > 0.4). The campaign-wide average and range shows differences in the values measured by each instrument. We find the ORACLES-2016 campaign-average SSA at 500 nm (SSA500) to be between 0.85 and 0.88, depending on the instrument considered (4STAR, AirMSPI, or in situ measurements), with the inter-quartile ranges for all instruments between 0.83 and 0.89. This is consistent with previous September values reported over the region (between 0.84 and 0.90 for SSA at 550 nm). The results suggest that the differences observed in the campaign-average values may be dominated by instrument-specific spatial sampling differences and the natural physical variability in aerosol conditions over the SEA, rather than fundamental methodological differences.

scholarly journals Over a 10-year record of aerosol optical properties at SMEAR II

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (17) ◽  
pp. 11363-11382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista Luoma ◽  
Aki Virkkula ◽  
Pasi Aalto ◽  
Tuukka Petäjä ◽  
Markku Kulmala
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Single Scattering Albedo ◽  
Aerosol Size Distribution ◽  
Forest Site ◽  
Aerosol Optical Properties ◽  
Absorption Coefficients

Abstract. Aerosol optical properties (AOPs) describe the ability of aerosols to scatter and absorb radiation at different wavelengths. Since aerosol particles interact with the sun's radiation, they impact the climate. Our study focuses on the long-term trends and seasonal variations of different AOPs measured at a rural boreal forest site in northern Europe. To explain the observed variations in the AOPs, we also analyzed changes in the aerosol size distribution. AOPs of particles smaller than 10 µm (PM10) and 1 µm (PM1) have been measured at SMEAR II, in southern Finland, since 2006 and 2010, respectively. For PM10 particles, the median values of the scattering and absorption coefficients, single-scattering albedo, and backscatter fraction at λ=550 nm were 9.8 Mm−1, 1.3 Mm−1, 0.88, and 0.14. The median values of scattering and absorption Ångström exponents at the wavelength ranges 450–700 and 370–950 nm were 1.88 and 0.99, respectively. We found statistically significant trends for the PM10 scattering and absorption coefficients, single-scattering albedo, and backscatter fraction, and the slopes of these trends were −0.32 Mm−1, −0.086 Mm−1, 2.2×10-3, and 1.3×10-3 per year. The tendency for the extensive AOPs to decrease correlated well with the decrease in aerosol number and volume concentrations. The tendency for the backscattering fraction and single-scattering albedo to increase indicates that the aerosol size distribution consists of fewer larger particles and that aerosols absorb less light than at the beginning of the measurements. The trends of the single-scattering albedo and backscattering fraction influenced the aerosol radiative forcing efficiency, indicating that the aerosol particles are scattering the radiation more effectively back into space.

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