scholarly journals Continental pollution in the Western Mediterranean Basin: vertical profiles of aerosol and trace gases measured over the sea during TRAQA 2012 and SAFMED 2013

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 8283-8328 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Di Biagio ◽  
L. Doppler ◽  
C. Gaimoz ◽  
N. Grand ◽  
G. Ancellet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Trace Gases ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Saharan Dust ◽  
Vertical Profiles ◽  
Free Troposphere ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. In this study we present airborne observations of aerosol and trace gases obtained over the sea in the Western Mediterranean Basin during the TRAQA (TRansport and Air QuAlity) and SAFMED (Secondary Aerosol Formation in the MEDiterranean) campaigns in summers 2012 and 2013. A total of 23 vertical profiles were measured up to 5000 m a.s.l. over an extended area (40–45° N latitude and 2° W–12° E longitude) including the Gulf of Genoa, Southern France, the Gulf of Lion, and the Spanish coast. TRAQA and SAFMED successfully measured a wide range of meteorological conditions which favoured the pollution export from different sources located around the basin. Also, several events of dust outflows were measured during the campaigns. Observations from the present study indicate that continental pollution largely affects the Western Mediterranean both close to coastal regions and in the open sea as far as ~250 km from the coastline. Aerosol layers not specifically linked with Saharan dust outflows are distributed ubiquitously which indicates quite elevated levels of background pollution throughout the Western Basin. The measured aerosol scattering coefficient varies between ~20 and 120 M m−1, while carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3) mixing ratios are in the range of 60–170 and 30–85 ppbv, respectively. Pollution reaches 3000–4000 m in altitude and presents a very complex and highly stratified structure characterized by fresh and aged layers both in the boundary layer and in the free troposphere. Within pollution plumes the measured particle concentration in the Aitken (0.004–0.1 μm) and accumulation (0.1–1.0 μm) modes is between $\\sim 100$ and 5000–6000 s cm−3 (standard cm−3), which is comparable to the aerosol concentration measured in continental urban areas. Additionally, our measurements indicate the presence of highly concentrated Aitken layers (10 000–15 000 s cm−3) observed both close to the surface and in the free troposphere, possibly linked to the influence of new particle formation (NPF) episodes over the basin.

scholarly journals Continental pollution in the western Mediterranean basin: vertical profiles of aerosol and trace gases measured over the sea during TRAQA 2012 and SAFMED 2013

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (16) ◽  
pp. 9611-9630 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Di Biagio ◽  
L. Doppler ◽  
C. Gaimoz ◽  
N. Grand ◽  
G. Ancellet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Trace Gases ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Vertical Profiles ◽  
Free Troposphere ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Mixing Ratios ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Extended Area

Abstract. In this study we present airborne observations of aerosol and trace gases obtained over the sea in the western Mediterranean basin during the TRAQA (TRansport and Air QuAlity) and SAFMED (Secondary Aerosol Formation in the MEDiterranean) campaigns in summer 2012 and 2013. A total of 23 vertical profiles were measured up to 5000 m above sea level over an extended area (40–45° N and 2° W–12° E) including the Gulf of Genoa, southern France, the Gulf of Lion, and the Spanish coast. During TRAQA and SAFMED the study area experienced a wide range of meteorological conditions which favoured pollution export from different sources located around the basin. Also, several events of dust outflows were measured during the campaigns. Observations from the present study show that continental pollution largely affects the western Mediterranean both close to coastal regions and in the open sea as far as ~ 250 km from the coastline. The measured aerosol scattering coefficient varies between ~ 20 and 120 Mm−1, while carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3) mixing ratios are in the range of 60–165 and 30–85 ppbv, respectively. Pollution reaches 3000–4000 m in altitude and presents a very complex and highly stratified structure characterized by fresh and aged layers both in the boundary layer and in the free troposphere. Within pollution plumes the measured particle concentration in the Aitken (0.004–0.1 μm) and accumulation (0.1–1.0 μm) modes is between ~ 30 and 5000–6000 scm−3 (standard cm−3), which is comparable to the aerosol concentration measured in continental areas under pollution conditions. Additionally, our measurements indicate the presence of highly concentrated Aitken layers (10 000–15 000 scm−3) observed both close to the surface and in the free troposphere, possibly linked to the influence of new particle formation (NPF) episodes over the basin.

scholarly journals Aircraft vertical profiles during summertime regional and Saharan dust scenarios over the north-western Mediterranean Basin: aerosol optical and physical properties

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Yus-Díez ◽  
Marina Ealo ◽  
Marco Pandolfi ◽  
Noemí Perez ◽  
Gloria Titos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Vertical Distribution ◽  
Asymmetry Parameter ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Saharan Dust ◽  
Vertical Profiles ◽  
Measurement Campaign ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Ne Spain

Abstract. Accurate measurements of the horizontal and vertical distribution of atmospheric aerosol particle optical properties are key for a better understanding of their impact on the climate. Here we present the results of a measurement campaign based on instrumented flights over NE Spain. We measured vertical profiles of size segregated atmospheric particulate matter (PM) mass concentrations and multi-wavelength scattering and absorption coefficients in the Western Mediterranean Basin (WMB). The campaign took place during typical summer conditions, characterized by the development of a vertical multi-layer structure, under both summer regional pollution episodes (REG) and Saharan dust events (SDE). REG patterns in the region form under high insolation and scarce precipitation in summer, favoring layering of highly-aged fine PM strata in the lower few km a.s.l. The REG scenario prevailed during the entire measurement campaign. Additionally, African dust outbreaks and plumes from North African wildfires influenced the study area. The vertical profiles of climate relevant intensive optical parameters such as single scattering albedo (SSA), asymmetry parameter (g), scattering, absorption and SSA Angstrom exponents (SAE, AAE, SSAAE), and PM mas scattering and absorption cross sections (MSC and MAE) were derived from the measurements. Moreover, we compared the aircraft measurements with those performed at two GAW/ACTRIS surface measurement stations located in NE Spain, namely: Montseny (MSY; regional background) and Montsec d'Ares (MSA; remote site). Airborne in-situ measurements and ceilometer ground-based remote measurements identified aerosol air masses at altitude up to more than 3.5 km a.s.l. The vertical profiles of the optical properties markedly changed according to the prevailing atmospheric scenarios. During SDE the SAE was low along the profiles, reaching values  2.0 and the asymmetry parameter g was rather low (0.5–0.6) due to the prevalence of fine PM which were characterized by an AAE close to 1.0 suggesting a fossil fuel combustion origin. During REG, some of the layers featured larger AAE (> 1.5), relatively low SSA at 525 nm ( 9 m2 g−1) and were associated to the influence of PM from wildfires. Overall, the SSA and MSC near the ground ranged around 0.85 and 3 m2 g−1, respectively and increased at higher altitudes, reaching values above 0.95 and up to 9 m2 g−1. The PM, MSC and MAE were on average larger during REG compared to SDE due to the larger scattering and absorption efficiency of fine PM compared with dust. The SSA and MSC had quite similar vertical profiles and often both increased with height indicating the progressive shift toward PM with larger scattering efficiency with altitude. This study contributes to our understanding of regional aerosol vertical distribution and optical properties in the WMB and the results will be useful for improving future climate projections and remote sensing/satellite retrieval algorithms.

scholarly journals Aircraft vertical profiles during summertime regional and Saharan dust scenarios over the north-western Mediterranean basin: aerosol optical and physical properties

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 431-455
Author(s):  
Jesús Yus-Díez ◽  
Marina Ealo ◽  
Marco Pandolfi ◽  
Noemí Perez ◽  
Gloria Titos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Vertical Distribution ◽  
Asymmetry Parameter ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Saharan Dust ◽  
Vertical Profiles ◽  
Measurement Campaign ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
North Eastern

Abstract. Accurate measurements of the horizontal and vertical distribution of atmospheric aerosol particle optical properties are key for a better understanding of their impact on the climate. Here we present the results of a measurement campaign based on instrumented flights over north-eastern Spain. We measured vertical profiles of size-segregated atmospheric particulate matter (PM) mass concentrations and multi-wavelength scattering and absorption coefficients in the western Mediterranean basin (WMB). The campaign took place during typical summer conditions, characterized by the development of a vertical multi-layer structure, under both summer regional pollution episodes (REGs) and Saharan dust events (SDEs). REG patterns in the region form under high insolation and scarce precipitation in summer, favouring layering of highly aged fine-PM strata in the lower few kma.s.l. The REG scenario prevailed during the entire measurement campaign. Additionally, African dust outbreaks and plumes from northern African wildfires influenced the study area. The vertical profiles of climate-relevant intensive optical parameters such as single-scattering albedo (SSA); the asymmetry parameter (g); scattering, absorption and SSA Ångström exponents (SAE, AAE and SSAAE); and PM mass scattering and absorption cross sections (MSC and MAC) were derived from the measurements. Moreover, we compared the aircraft measurements with those performed at two GAW–ACTRIS (Global Atmosphere Watch–Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases) surface measurement stations located in north-eastern Spain, namely Montseny (MSY; regional background) and Montsec d'Ares (MSA; remote site). Airborne in situ measurements and ceilometer ground-based remote measurements identified aerosol air masses at altitudes up to more than 3.5 kma.s.l. The vertical profiles of the optical properties markedly changed according to the prevailing atmospheric scenarios. During SDE the SAE was low along the profiles, reaching values < 1.0 in the dust layers. Correspondingly, SSAAE was negative, and AAE reached values up to 2.0–2.5, as a consequence of the UV absorption increased by the presence of the coarse dust particles. During REG, the SAE increased to > 2.0, and the asymmetry parameter g was rather low (0.5–0.6) due to the prevalence of fine PM, which was characterized by an AAE close to 1.0, suggesting a fossil fuel combustion origin. During REG, some of the layers featured larger AAE (> 1.5), relatively low SSA at 525 nm (< 0.85) and high MSC (> 9 m2 g−1) and were associated with the influence of PM from wildfires. Overall, the SSA and MSC near the ground ranged around 0.85 and 3 m2 g−1, respectively, and increased at higher altitudes, reaching values above 0.95 and up to 9 m2 g−1. The PM, MSC and MAC were on average larger during REG compared to SDE due to the larger scattering and absorption efficiency of fine PM compared with dust. The SSA and MSC had quite similar vertical profiles and often both increased with height indicating the progressive shift toward PM with a larger scattering efficiency with altitude. This study contributes to our understanding of regional-aerosol vertical distribution and optical properties in the WMB, and the results will be useful for improving future climate projections and remote sensing or satellite retrieval algorithms.

scholarly journals Simulation of fine organic aerosols in the western Mediterranean area during the ChArMEx 2013 summer campaign

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 7287-7312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arineh Cholakian ◽  
Matthias Beekmann ◽  
Augustin Colette ◽  
Isabelle Coll ◽  
Guillaume Siour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Mass Concentration ◽  
Organic Aerosols ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Basis Set ◽  
Aerosol Formation ◽  
Standard Scheme ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Fine Organic

Abstract. The simulation of fine organic aerosols with CTMs (chemistry–transport models) in the western Mediterranean basin has not been studied until recently. The ChArMEx (the Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment) SOP 1b (Special Observation Period 1b) intensive field campaign in summer of 2013 gathered a large and comprehensive data set of observations, allowing the study of different aspects of the Mediterranean atmosphere including the formation of organic aerosols (OAs) in 3-D models. In this study, we used the CHIMERE CTM to perform simulations for the duration of the SAFMED (Secondary Aerosol Formation in the MEDiterranean) period (July to August 2013) of this campaign. In particular, we evaluated four schemes for the simulation of OA, including the CHIMERE standard scheme, the VBS (volatility basis set) standard scheme with two parameterizations including aging of biogenic secondary OA, and a modified version of the VBS scheme which includes fragmentation and formation of nonvolatile OA. The results from these four schemes are compared to observations at two stations in the western Mediterranean basin, located on Ersa, Cap Corse (Corsica, France), and at Cap Es Pinar (Mallorca, Spain). These observations include OA mass concentration, PMF (positive matrix factorization) results of different OA fractions, and 14C observations showing the fossil or nonfossil origins of carbonaceous particles. Because of the complex orography of the Ersa site, an original method for calculating an orographic representativeness error (ORE) has been developed. It is concluded that the modified VBS scheme is close to observations in all three aspects mentioned above; the standard VBS scheme without BSOA (biogenic secondary organic aerosol) aging also has a satisfactory performance in simulating the mass concentration of OA, but not for the source origin analysis comparisons. In addition, the OA sources over the western Mediterranean basin are explored. OA shows a major biogenic origin, especially at several hundred meters height from the surface; however over the Gulf of Genoa near the surface, the anthropogenic origin is of similar importance. A general assessment of other species was performed to evaluate the robustness of the simulations for this particular domain before evaluating OA simulation schemes. It is also shown that the Cap Corse site presents important orographic complexity, which makes comparison between model simulations and observations difficult. A method was designed to estimate an orographic representativeness error for species measured at Ersa and yields an uncertainty of between 50 and 85 % for primary pollutants, and around 2–10 % for secondary species.

scholarly journals Variability of mineral dust deposition in the western Mediterranean basin and south-east of France

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (14) ◽  
pp. 8749-8766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Vincent ◽  
Benoit Laurent ◽  
Rémi Losno ◽  
Elisabeth Bon Nguyen ◽  
Pierre Roullet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Mineral Dust ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Saharan Dust ◽  
Deposition Flux ◽  
Dust Deposition ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Provenance Areas

Abstract. Previous studies have provided some insight into the Saharan dust deposition at a few specific locations from observations over long time periods or intensive field campaigns. However, no assessment of the dust deposition temporal variability in connection with its regional spatial distribution has been achieved so far from network observations over more than 1 year. To investigate dust deposition dynamics at the regional scale, five automatic deposition collectors named CARAGA (Collecteur Automatique de Retombées Atmosphériques insolubles à Grande Autonomie in French) have been deployed in the western Mediterranean region during 1 to 3 years depending on the station. The sites include, from south to north, Lampedusa, Majorca, Corsica, Frioul and Le Casset (southern French Alps). Deposition measurements are performed on a common weekly period at the five sites. The mean dust deposition fluxes are higher close to the northern African coasts and decrease following a south–north gradient, with values from 7.4 g m−2 year−1 in Lampedusa (35°31′ N, 12°37′ E) to 1 g m−2 year−1 in Le Casset (44°59′ N, 6°28′ E). The maximum deposition flux recorded is of 3.2 g m−2 wk−1 in Majorca with only two other events showing more than 1 g m−2 wk−1 in Lampedusa, and a maximum of 0.5 g m−2 wk−1 in Corsica. The maximum value of 2.1 g m−2 year−1 observed in Corsica in 2013 is much lower than existing records in the area over the 3 previous decades (11–14 g m−2 year−1). From the 537 available samples, 98 major Saharan dust deposition events have been identified in the records between 2011 and 2013. Complementary observations provided by both satellite and air mass trajectories are used to identify the dust provenance areas and the transport pathways from the Sahara to the stations for the studied period. Despite the large size of African dust plumes detected by satellites, more than 80 % of the major dust deposition events are recorded at only one station, suggesting that the dust provenance, transport and deposition processes (i.e. wet vs. dry) of dust are different and specific for the different deposition sites in the Mediterranean studied area. The results tend to indicate that wet deposition is the main form of deposition for mineral dust in the western Mediterranean basin, but the contribution of dry deposition (in the sense that no precipitation was detected at the surface) is far from being negligible, and contributes 10 to 46 % to the major dust deposition events, depending on the sampling site.

scholarly journals Aerosol distribution over the western Mediterranean basin during a Tramontane/Mistral event

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 11913-11956 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Salameh ◽  
P. Drobinski ◽  
L. Menut ◽  
B. Bessagnet ◽  
C. Flamant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Time Evolution ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Radiation Budget ◽  
Anthropogenic Aerosols ◽  
Massif Central ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin

Abstract. This paper investigates experimentally and numerically the time evolution of the spatial distribution of aerosols over the Western Mediterranean basin during 24 March 1998 Mistral event documented during the FETCH experiment. Mistral and Tramontane are very frequent northerly winds (5–15 days per month) accelerated along the Rhône and Aude valley (France) that can transport natural and anthropogenic aerosols offshore as far as a few hundreds of kilometers which can in turn have an impact on the radiation budget over the Mediterranean Sea and on precipitation. The spatial distribution of aerosols was documented by means of the airborne lidar LEANDRE-2 and spaceborne radiometer SeaWIFS, and a validated mesoscale chemical simulation using the chemistry-transport model CHIMERE with an aerosol module, forced by the non-hydrostatic model MM5. This study shows that: (1) the Mistral contributes to the offshore exportation of a large amount of aerosols originally emitted over continental Europe (in particular ammonium nitrate in the particulate phase and sulfates) and along the shore from the industrialized and urban areas of Fos-Berre/Marseille. The Genoa surface low contributes to advect the aerosols along a cyclonic trajectory that skirts the North African coast and reaches Italy; (2) the aerosol concentration pattern is very unsteady as a result of the time evolution of the two winds (or Genoa cyclone position): The Tramontane wind prevails in the morning hours of 24 March, leaving room for the Mistral wind and an unusually strong Ligurian outflow in the afternoon. The wakes trailing downstream the Massif Central and the Alps prevent any horizontal diffusion of the aerosols and can, at times, contribute to aerosol stagnation.

scholarly journals Variability of mineral dust deposition in the western Mediterranean basin and South-East of France

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (23) ◽  
pp. 34673-34717 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Vincent ◽  
B. Laurent ◽  
R. Losno ◽  
E. Bon Nguyen ◽  
P. Roullet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Mineral Dust ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Saharan Dust ◽  
Deposition Flux ◽  
Dust Deposition ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Provenance Areas

Abstract. Previous studies have provided some insight into the Saharan dust deposition at a few specific locations from observations over long time periods or intensive field campaigns. However, no assessment of the dust deposition temporal variability in connection with its regional spatial distribution has been achieved so far from network observations over more than one year. To investigate dust deposition dynamics at the regional scale, five automatic deposition collectors named CARAGA ("Collecteur Automatique de Retombées Atmosphériques insolubles à Grande Autonomie" in French) have been deployed in the western Mediterranean region during one to three years depending on the station. The sites include, from South to North, Lampedusa Isl., Mallorca Isl., Corsica Isl., Frioul Isl. and Le Casset (South of French Alps). Deposition measurements are performed on a common weekly period at the 5 sites. The mean Saharan dust deposition fluxes are higher close to the North African coasts and decrease following a South to North gradient, with values from 7.4 g m−2 yr−1 in Lampedusa (35°31' N–12°37' E) to 1 g m−2 yr−1 in Le Casset (44°59' N–6°28' E). The maximum deposition flux recorded is of 3.2 g m−2 wk−1 in Mallorca with only 2 other events showing more than 1 g m−2 wk−1 in Lampedusa, and a maximum of 0.5 g m−2 wk−1 in Corsica. The maximum value of 2.1 g m−2 yr−1 observed in Corsica in 2013 is much lower than existing records in the area over the 3 previous decades (11–14 g m−2 yr−1). From the 537 available samples, ninety eight major Saharan dust deposition events have been identified in the records between 2011 and 2013. Complementary observations provided by both satellite and air mass trajectories are used to identify the dust provenance areas and the transport pathways from the Sahara to the stations. Despite the large size of African dust plumes detected by satellites, more than eighty percent of the major dust deposition events are recorded at only one station, suggesting that the dust provenance, transport, and deposition processes (i.e. wet vs. dry) of dust are different and specific for the different deposition sites in the Mediterranean studied area. The results also show that wet deposition is the main way of deposition for mineral dust in the western Mediterranean basin, but the contribution of dry deposition is far to be negligible, and contributes by 15 to 46 % to the major dust deposition events, depending on the sampling site.

scholarly journals Climatology of aerosol optical properties and black carbon mass absorption cross section at a remote high-altitude site in the western Mediterranean Basin

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 6443-6460 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Pandolfi ◽  
A. Ripoll ◽  
X. Querol ◽  
A. Alastuey
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Asymmetry Parameter ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Free Troposphere ◽  
Absorption Cross ◽  
Aerosol Optical Properties ◽  
Western Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Carbon Mass

Abstract. Aerosol light scattering (σsp), backscattering (σbsp) and absorption (σap) were measured at Montsec (MSC; 42°3' N, 0°44' E, 1570 m a.s.l.), a remote high-altitude site in the western Mediterranean Basin. Mean (±SD) σsp, σbsp and σap were 18.9 ± 20.8, 2.6 ± 2.8 and 1.5 ± 1.4 Mm−1, respectively at 635 nm during the period under study (June 2011–June 2013). Mean values of single-scattering albedo (SSA, 635 nm), the scattering Ångström exponent (SAE, 450–635 nm), backscatter-to-scatter ratio (B / S, 635 nm), asymmetry parameter (g, 635 nm), black carbon mass absorption cross section (MAC, 637 nm) and PM2.5 mass scattering cross section (MSCS, 635 nm) were 0.92 ± 0.03, 1.56 ± 0.88, 0.16 ± 0.09, 0.53 ± 0.16, 10.9 ± 3.5 m2 g−1 and 2.5 ± 1.3 m2 g−1, respectively. The scattering measurements performed at MSC were in the medium/upper range of values reported by Andrews et al. (2011) for other mountaintop sites in Europe due to the frequent regional recirculation scenarios (SREG) and Saharan dust episodes (NAF) occurring mostly in spring/summer and causing the presence of polluted layers at the MSC altitude. However, the development of upslope winds and the possible presence of planetary boundary layer air at MSC altitude in summer may also have contributed to the high scattering observed. Under these summer conditions no clear diurnal cycles were observed for the measured extensive aerosol optical properties (σsp, σbsp and σap). Conversely, low σsp and σap at MSC were measured during Atlantic advections (AA) and winter regional anticyclonic episodes (WREG) typically observed during the cold season in the western Mediterranean. Therefore, a season-dependent decrease in the magnitude of aerosol extensive properties was observed when MSC was in the free troposphere, with the highest free-troposphere vs. all-data difference observed in winter and the lowest in spring/summer. The location of MSC station allowed for a reliable characterization of aerosols as a function of the main synoptic meteorological patterns. The SAE was the lowest during NAF and showed an inverse correlation with the outbreak intensity, indicating a progressive shift toward larger particles. Moreover, the strength of NAF episodes in the region led to a slope of the scattering vs. absorption relationship among the lowest reported for other mountaintop sites worldwide, indicating that MSC was dominated by dust aerosols at high aerosol loading. As a consequence, SSA showed a nearly monotonic increase with increasing particle concentration and scattering. The SAE was the highest during SREG, indicating the presence of polluted layers dominated by smaller particles. Correspondingly, the asymmetry parameter was lower under SREG compared with NAF. The MAC and MSCS were significantly higher during NAF and SREG compared to AA and WREG, indicating an increase of absorption and scattering efficiencies associated with the summer polluted scenarios. The optical measurements performed at the MSC remote site were compared with those simultaneously performed at a regional background station in the western Mediterranean Basin located at around 700 m a.s.l. upstream of the MSC station.

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