scholarly journals Aerosol radiative effects in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectral ranges using long-term aerosol data series over the Iberian Peninsula

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 8779-8818 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Mateos ◽  
M. Antón ◽  
C. Toledano ◽  
V. E. Cachorro ◽  
L. Alados-Arboledas ◽  
...  

Abstract. A better understanding of the aerosol radiative properties is a crucial challenge for climate change studies. This study aims to provide a complete characterization of aerosol radiative effects in different spectral ranges within the shortwave (SW) solar spectrum. For this purpose, long-term datasets of aerosol properties from six AERONET stations located in the Iberian Peninsula (Southwestern Europe) are analyzed in term of climatology characterization and trends. Aerosol information is used as input to the libRadtran model in order to determine the aerosol radiative effect at the surface in the ultraviolet (AREUV), visible (AREVIS), near-infrared (ARENIR), and the entire SW range (ARESW) under cloud-free conditions. Over the whole Iberian Peninsula, aerosol radiative effects in the different spectral ranges are: −1.1 < AREUV < −0.7 W m−2, −5.7 < AREVIS < −3.8 W m−2, −2.8 < ARENIR < −1.7 W m−2, and −9.5 < ARESW < −6.1 W m−2. The four variables showed positive statistically significant trends between 2004 and 2012, e.g., ARESW increased +3.6 W m−2 per decade. This fact is linked to the decrease in the aerosol load, which presents a trend of −0.04 per unit of aerosol optical depth at 500 nm per decade, hence a reduction of aerosol effect on solar radiation at the surface is seen. Monthly means of ARE show a seasonal pattern with larger values in spring and summer. The aerosol forcing efficiency (AFE), ARE per unit of aerosol optical depth, is also evaluated in the four spectral ranges. AFE exhibits a dependence on single scattering albedo and a weaker one on Ångström exponent. AFE is larger (in absolute value) for small and absorbing particles. The contributions of the UV, VIS, and NIR ranges to the SW efficiency vary with the aerosol types. Aerosol size determines the fractions of AFEVIS/AFESW and AFENIR/AFESW. VIS range is the dominant region for all types, although non-absorbing large particles cause a more equal contribution of VIS and NIR intervals. The AFEUV / AFESW ratio shows a higher contribution for absorbing fine particles.

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (24) ◽  
pp. 13497-13514 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Mateos ◽  
M. Antón ◽  
C. Toledano ◽  
V. E. Cachorro ◽  
L. Alados-Arboledas ◽  
...  

Abstract. A better understanding of aerosol radiative properties is a crucial challenge for climate change studies. This study aims at providing a complete characterization of aerosol radiative effects in different spectral ranges within the shortwave (SW) solar spectrum. For this purpose, long-term data sets of aerosol properties from six AERONET stations located in the Iberian Peninsula (southwestern Europe) have been analyzed in terms of climatological characterization and inter-annual changes. Aerosol information was used as input for the libRadtran model in order to determine the aerosol radiative effect (ARE) at the surface in the ultraviolet (AREUV), visible (AREVIS), near-infrared (ARENIR), and the entire SW range (ARESW) under cloud-free conditions. Over the whole Iberian Peninsula, yearly aerosol radiative effects in the different spectral ranges were found to be −1.1 < AREUV < −0.7, −5.7 < AREVIS < −3.5, −2.6 < ARENIR < −1.6, and −8.8 < ARESW < −5.7 (in W m−2). Monthly means of ARE showed a seasonal pattern with larger values in spring and summer. The aerosol forcing efficiency (AFE), ARE per unit of aerosol optical depth, has also been evaluated in the four spectral ranges. AFE exhibited a dependence on single scattering albedo as well as a weaker one on the Ångström exponent. AFE is larger (in absolute value) for small and absorbing particles. The contributions of the UV, VIS, and NIR ranges to the SW efficiency varied with the aerosol types. The predominant aerosol size determined the fractions AFEVIS/AFESW and AFENIR/AFESW. The AFEVIS was the dominant contributor for all aerosol types, although non-absorbing large particles caused more even contribution of VIS and NIR intervals. The AFEUV / AFESW ratio showed a higher value in the case of absorbing fine particles.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (18) ◽  
pp. 11865-11886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harshavardhana Sunil Pathak ◽  
Sreedharan Krishnakumari Satheesh ◽  
Ravi Shankar Nanjundiah ◽  
Krishnaswamy Krishna Moorthy ◽  
Sivaramakrishnan Lakshmivarahan ◽  
...  

Abstract. Improving the accuracy of regional aerosol climate impact assessment calls for improvement in the accuracy of regional aerosol radiative effect (ARE) estimation. One of the most important means of achieving this is to use spatially homogeneous and temporally continuous datasets of critical aerosol properties, such as spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD) and single scattering albedo (SSA), which are the most important parameters for estimating aerosol radiative effects. However, observations do not provide the above; the space-borne observations though provide wide spatial coverage, are temporal snapshots and suffer from possible sensor degradation over extended periods. On the other hand, the ground-based measurements provide more accurate and temporally continuous data but are spatially near-point observations. Realizing the need for spatially homogeneous and temporally continuous datasets on one hand and the near non-existence of such data over the south Asian region (which is one of the regions where aerosols show large heterogeneity in most of their properties), construction of accurate gridded aerosol products by synthesizing the long-term space-borne and ground-based data has been taken up as an important objective of the South West Asian Aerosol Monsoon Interactions (SWAAMI), a joint Indo-UK field campaign, aiming at characterizing aerosol–monsoon links and their variabilities over the Indian region. In Part 1 of this two-part paper, we present spatially homogeneous gridded datasets of AOD and absorption aerosol optical depth (AAOD), generated for the first time over this region. These data products are developed by merging the highly accurate aerosol measurements from the dense networks of 44 (for AOD) and 34 (for AAOD) ground-based observatories of Aerosol Radiative Forcing over India NETwork (ARFINET) and AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) spread across the Indian region, with satellite-retrieved AOD and AAOD, following statistical assimilation schemes. The satellite data used for AOD assimilation include AODs retrieved from MODerate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) over the same domain. For AAOD, the ground-based black carbon (BC) mass concentration measurements from the network of 34 ARFINET observatories and satellite-based (Kalpana-1, INSAT-3A) infrared (IR) radiance measurements are blended with gridded AAODs (500 nm, monthly mean) derived from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)-retrieved AAODs (at 354 and 388 nm). The details of the assimilation methods and the gridded datasets generated are presented in this paper. The merged gridded AOD and AAOD products thus generated are validated against the data from independent ground-based observatories, which were not used for the assimilation process but are representative of different subregions of the complex domain. This validation exercise revealed that the independent ground-based measurements are better confirmed by merged datasets than the respective satellite products. As ensured by assimilation techniques employed, the uncertainties in merged AODs and AAODs are significantly less than those in corresponding satellite products. These merged products also all exhibit important large-scale spatial and temporal features which are already reported for this region. Nonetheless, the merged AODs and AAODs are significantly different in magnitude from the respective satellite products. On the background of above-mentioned quality enhancements demonstrated by merged products, we have employed them for deriving the columnar SSA and analysed its spatiotemporal characteristics. The columnar SSA thus derived has demonstrated distinct seasonal variation over various representative subregions of the study domain. The uncertainties in the derived SSA are observed to be substantially less than those in OMI SSA. On the backdrop of these benefits, the merged datasets are employed for the estimation of regional aerosol radiative effects (direct), the results of which would be presented in a companion paper, Part 2 of this two-part paper.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (22) ◽  
pp. 11209-11221 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. P. Gobbi ◽  
F. Angelini ◽  
P. Bonasoni ◽  
G. P. Verza ◽  
A. Marinoni ◽  
...  

Abstract. In spite of being located at the heart of the highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayan Nepal Climate Observatory (5079 m a.s.l.) at the Ev-K2-CNR Pyramid is shown to be affected by the advection of pollution aerosols from the populated regions of southern Nepal and the Indo-Gangetic plains. Such an impact is observed along most of the period April 2006–March 2007 addressed here, with a minimum in the monsoon season. Backtrajectory-analysis indicates long-range transport episodes occurring in this year to originate mainly in the west Asian deserts. At this high altitude site, the measured aerosol optical depth is observed to be about one order of magnitude lower than the one measured at Ghandi College (60 m a.s.l.), in the Indo-Gangetic basin. As for Ghandi College, and in agreement with the in situ ground observations at the Pyramid, the fine mode aerosol optical depth maximizes during winter and minimizes in the monsoon season. Conversely, total optical depth maximizes during the monsoon due to the occurrence of elevated, coarse particle layers. Possible origins of these particles are wind erosion from the surrounding peaks and hydrated/cloud-processed aerosols. Assessment of the aerosol radiative forcing is then expected to be hampered by the presence of these high altitude particle layers, which impede an effective, continuous measurement of anthropogenic aerosol radiative properties from sky radiance inversions and/or ground measurements alone. Even though the retrieved absorption coefficients of pollution aerosols were rather large (single scattering albedo of the order of 0.6–0.9 were observed in the month of April 2006), the corresponding low optical depths (~0.03 at 500 nm) are expected to limit the relevant radiative forcing. Still, the high specific forcing of this aerosol and its capability of altering snow surface albedo provide good reasons for continuous monitoring.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria José Granados-Muñoz ◽  
Michael Sicard ◽  
Roberto Román ◽  
Jose Antonio Benavent-Oltra ◽  
Rubén Barragán ◽  
...  

Abstract. Aerosol radiative properties are investigated in South-eastern Spain during a dust event on June 16–17, 2013 in the framework of the ChArMEx/ADRIMED (Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment/Aerosol Direct Radiative Impact on the regional climate in the MEDiterranean region) campaign. Particle optical and microphysical properties from ground-based sun/sky photometer and lidar measurements, as well as in situ measurements onboard the SAFIRE ATR 42 French research aircraft are used to create a set of different levels of input parameterizations which feed the 1-D radiative transfer model (RTM) GAME (Global Atmospheric ModEl). We consider three datasets: 1) a first parametrization based on the retrievals by an advanced aerosol inversion code (GRASP; Generalized Retrieval of Aerosol and Surface Properties) applied to combined photometer and lidar data; 2) a parameterization based on the photometer columnar optical properties and vertically-resolved lidar retrievals with the two-component Klett-Fernald algorithm; and 3) a parametrization based on vertically-resolved optical and microphysical aerosol properties measured in situ by the aircraft instrumentation. Once retrieved, the outputs of the RTM in terms of both shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes are contrasted against ground-, satellite- and in situ airborne measurements. In addition, the outputs of the model in terms of the aerosol direct radiative effect are discussed with respect to the different input parameterizations. Results show that calculated atmospheric radiative fluxes differ no more than 7 % to the measured ones. The three parametrization datasets produce aerosol radiative effects with differences up to 10 W m−2 in the shortwave spectral range (mostly due to differences in the aerosol optical depth), and 2 W m−2 for the longwave (mainly due to differences in the aerosol optical depth but also to the coarse mode radius used to calculate the radiative properties). The study reveals the complexity of parameterizing 1-D RTMs as sizing and characterising the optical properties of mineral dust is challenging. The use of advanced remote sensing data and processing, in combination with closure studies on the optical/microphysical properties from in situ aircraft measurements when available, is recommended.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 16901-16943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Feng ◽  
V. R. Kotamarthi ◽  
R. Coulter ◽  
C. Zhao ◽  
M. Cadeddu

Abstract. Aerosol radiative effects and thermodynamic responses over South Asia are examined with a version of the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) for March 2012. Model results of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and extinction profiles are analyzed and compared to satellite retrievals and two ground-based lidars located in the northern India. The WRF-Chem model is found to underestimate the AOD during the simulated pre-monsoon month and about 83 % of the model low-bias is due to aerosol extinctions below ~2 km. Doubling the calculated aerosol extinctions below 850 hPa generates much better agreement with the observed AOD and extinction profiles averaged over South Asia. To separate the effect of absorption and scattering properties, two runs were conducted: in one run (Case I), the calculated scattering and absorption coefficients were increased proportionally, while in the second run (Case II) only the calculated aerosol scattering coefficient was increased. With the same AOD and extinction profiles, the two runs produce significantly different radiative effects over land and oceans. On the regional mean basis, Case I generates 48 % more heating in the atmosphere and 21 % more dimming at the surface than Case II. Case I also produces stronger cooling responses over the land from the longwave radiation adjustment and boundary layer mixing. These rapid adjustments offset the stronger radiative heating in Case I and lead to an overall lower-troposphere cooling up to −0.7 K day−1, which is smaller than that in Case II. Over the ocean, direct radiative effects dominate the heating rate changes in the lower atmosphere lacking such surface and lower atmosphere adjustments due to fixed sea surface temperature, and the strongest atmospheric warming is obtained in Case I. Consequently, atmospheric dynamics (boundary layer heights and meridional circulation) and thermodynamic processes (water vapor and cloudiness) are shown to respond differently between Case I and Case II underlying the importance of determining the exact portion of scattering or absorbing aerosols that lead to the underestimation of aerosol optical depth in the model. In addition, the model results suggest that both direct radiative effect and rapid thermodynamic responses need to be quantified for understanding aerosol radiative impacts.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 523-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
María José Granados-Muñoz ◽  
Michael Sicard ◽  
Roberto Román ◽  
Jose Antonio Benavent-Oltra ◽  
Rubén Barragán ◽  
...  

Abstract. Aerosol radiative properties are investigated in southeastern Spain during a dust event on 16–17 June 2013 in the framework of the ChArMEx/ADRIMED (Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment/Aerosol Direct Radiative Impact on the regional climate in the MEDiterranean region) campaign. Particle optical and microphysical properties from ground-based sun/sky photometer and lidar measurements, as well as in situ measurements on board the SAFIRE ATR 42 French research aircraft, are used to create a set of different levels of input parameterizations, which feed the 1-D radiative transfer model (RTM) GAME (Global Atmospheric ModEl). We consider three datasets: (1) a first parameterization based on the retrievals by an advanced aerosol inversion code (GRASP; Generalized Retrieval of Aerosol and Surface Properties) applied to combined photometer and lidar data, (2) a parameterization based on the photometer columnar optical properties and vertically resolved lidar retrievals with the two-component Klett–Fernald algorithm, and (3) a parameterization based on vertically resolved optical and microphysical aerosol properties measured in situ by the aircraft instrumentation. Once retrieved, the outputs of the RTM in terms of both shortwave and longwave radiative fluxes are compared against ground and in situ airborne measurements. In addition, the outputs of the model in terms of the aerosol direct radiative effect are discussed with respect to the different input parameterizations. Results show that calculated atmospheric radiative fluxes differ no more than 7 % from the measured ones. The three parameterization datasets produce a cooling effect due to mineral dust both at the surface and the top of the atmosphere. Aerosol radiative effects with differences of up to 10 W m−2 in the shortwave spectral range (mostly due to differences in the aerosol optical depth) and 2 W m−2 for the longwave spectral range (mainly due to differences in the aerosol optical depth but also to the coarse mode radius used to calculate the radiative properties) are obtained when comparing the three parameterizations. The study reveals the complexity of parameterizing 1-D RTMs as sizing and characterizing the optical properties of mineral dust is challenging. The use of advanced remote sensing data and processing, in combination with closure studies on the optical and microphysical properties from in situ aircraft measurements when available, is recommended.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 4933-4962 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meloë S. Kacenelenbogen ◽  
Mark A. Vaughan ◽  
Jens Redemann ◽  
Stuart A. Young ◽  
Zhaoyan Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract. All-sky direct aerosol radiative effects (DARE) play a significant yet still uncertain role in climate. This is partly due to poorly quantified radiative properties of aerosol above clouds (AAC). We compute global estimates of shortwave top-of-atmosphere DARE over opaque water clouds (OWCs), DAREOWC, using observation-based aerosol and cloud radiative properties from a combination of A-Train satellite sensors and a radiative transfer model. There are three major differences between our DAREOWC calculations and previous studies: (1) we use the depolarization ratio method (DR) on CALIOP (Cloud–Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization) Level 1 measurements to compute the AAC frequencies of occurrence and the AAC aerosol optical depths (AODs), thus introducing fewer uncertainties compared to using the CALIOP standard product; (2) we apply our calculations globally, instead of focusing exclusively on regional AAC “hotspots” such as the southeast Atlantic; and (3) instead of the traditional look-up table approach, we use a combination of satellite-based sensors to obtain AAC intensive radiative properties. Our results agree with previous findings on the dominant locations of AAC (south and northeast Pacific, tropical and southeast Atlantic, northern Indian Ocean and northwest Pacific), the season of maximum occurrence and aerosol optical depths (a majority in the 0.01–0.02 range and that can exceed 0.2 at 532 nm) across the globe. We find positive averages of global seasonal DAREOWC between 0.13 and 0.26 W m−2 (i.e., a warming effect on climate). Regional seasonal DAREOWC values range from −0.06 W m−2 in the Indian Ocean offshore from western Australia (in March–April–May) to 2.87 W m−2 in the southeast Atlantic (in September–October–November). High positive values are usually paired with high aerosol optical depths (>0.1) and low single scattering albedos (<0.94), representative of, for example, biomass burning aerosols. Because we use different spatial domains, temporal periods, satellite sensors, detection methods and/or associated uncertainties, the DAREOWC estimates in this study are not directly comparable to previous peer-reviewed results. Despite these differences, we emphasize that the DAREOWC estimates derived in this study are generally higher than previously reported. The primary reasons for our higher estimates are (i) the possible underestimate of the number of dust-dominated AAC cases in our study; (ii) our use of Level 1 CALIOP products (instead of CALIOP Level 2 products in previous studies) for the detection and quantification of AAC aerosol optical depths, which leads to larger estimates of AOD above OWC; and (iii) our use of gridded 4∘×5∘ seasonal means of aerosol and cloud properties in our DAREOWC calculations instead of simultaneously derived aerosol and cloud properties from a combination of A-Train satellite sensors. Each of these areas is explored in depth with detailed discussions that explain both the rationale for our specific approach and the subsequent ramifications for our DARE calculations.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meloë S. Kacenelenbogen ◽  
Mark A. Vaughan ◽  
Jens Redemann ◽  
Stuart A. Young ◽  
Zhaoyan Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract. All-sky Direct Aerosol Radiative Effects (DARE) play a significant yet still uncertain role in climate. This is partly due to poorly quantified radiative properties of Aerosol Above Clouds (AAC). We compute global estimates of short-wave top-of-atmosphere DARE over Opaque Water Clouds (OWC), DAREOWC, using observation-based aerosol and cloud radiative properties from a combination of A-Train satellite sensors and a radiative transfer model. There are three major differences between our DAREOWC calculations and previous studies: (1) we use the Depolarization Ratio method (DR) on CALIOP (Cloud Aerosol LIdar with Orthogonal Polarization) Level 1 measurements to compute the AAC frequencies of occurrence and the AAC Aerosol Optical Depths (AOD), thus introducing fewer uncertainties compared to using the CALIOP standard product; (2) we apply our calculations globally, instead of focusing exclusively on regional AAC hotspots such as the southeast Atlantic; and (3) instead of the traditional look-up table approach, we use a combination of satellite-based sensors to obtain AAC intensive radiative properties. Our results agree with previous findings on the dominant locations of AAC (South and North East Pacific, Tropical and South East Atlantic, northern Indian Ocean and North West Pacific), the season of maximum occurrence, aerosol optical depths (a majority in the 0.01–0.02 range and that can exceed 0.2 at 532 nm) and aerosol extinction-to-backscatter ratios (a majority in the 40–50 sr range at 532 nm which is typical of dust aerosols) over the globe. We find positive averages of global seasonal DAREOWC between 0.13 and 0.26 W · m−2 (i.e., a warming effect on climate). Regional seasonal DAREOWC values range from −0.06 W · m−2 in the Indian Ocean, offshore from western Australia (in March–April–May) to 2.87 W · m−2 in the South East Atlantic (in September–October–November). High positive values are usually paired with high aerosol optical depths (> 0.1) and low single scattering albedos (


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