scholarly journals SNICAR-ADv3: a community tool for modeling spectral snow albedo

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 7673-7704
Author(s):  
Mark G. Flanner ◽  
Julian B. Arnheim ◽  
Joseph M. Cook ◽  
Cheng Dang ◽  
Cenlin He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Volcanic Ash ◽  
Algal Cell ◽  
Forward Direction ◽  
Refractive Indices ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Snow Albedo ◽  
Snow Algae ◽  
Code Base ◽  
Effective Grain Size

Abstract. The Snow, Ice, and Aerosol Radiative (SNICAR) model has been used in various capacities over the last 15 years to model the spectral albedo of snow with light-absorbing constituents (LACs). Recent studies have extended the model to include an adding-doubling two-stream solver and representations of non-spherical ice particles; carbon dioxide snow; snow algae; and new types of mineral dust, volcanic ash, and brown carbon. New options also exist for ice refractive indices and solar-zenith-angle-dependent surface spectral irradiances used to derive broadband albedo. The model spectral range was also extended deeper into the ultraviolet for studies of extraterrestrial and high-altitude cryospheric surfaces. Until now, however, these improvements and capabilities have not been merged into a unified code base. Here, we document the formulation and evaluation of the publicly available SNICAR-ADv3 source code, web-based model, and accompanying library of constituent optical properties. The use of non-spherical ice grains, which scatter less strongly into the forward direction, reduces the simulated albedo perturbations from LACs by ∼9 %–31 %, depending on which of the three available non-spherical shapes are applied. The model compares very well against measurements of snow albedo from seven studies, though key properties affecting snow albedo are not fully constrained with measurements, including ice effective grain size of the top sub-millimeter of the snowpack, mixing state of LACs with respect to ice grains, and site-specific LAC optical properties. The new default ice refractive indices produce extremely high pure snow albedo (>0.99) in the blue and ultraviolet part of the spectrum, with such values only measured in Antarctica so far. More work is needed particularly in the representation of snow algae, including experimental verification of how different pigment expressions and algal cell concentrations affect snow albedo. Representations and measurements of the influence of liquid water on spectral snow albedo are also needed.

scholarly journals SNICAR-AD v3: A Community Tool for Modeling Spectral Snow Albedo

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark G. Flanner ◽  
Julian Arnheim ◽  
Joseph M. Cook ◽  
Cheng Dang ◽  
Cenlin He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Volcanic Ash ◽  
Algal Cell ◽  
Forward Direction ◽  
Refractive Indices ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Snow Albedo ◽  
Snow Algae ◽  
Code Base ◽  
Effective Grain Size

Abstract. The Snow, Ice, and Aerosol Radiative (SNICAR) model has been used in various capacities over the last 15 years to model the spectral albedo of snow with light-absorbing constituents (LAC). Recent studies have extended the model to include an adding-doubling two-stream solver and representations of non-spherical ice particles, carbon dioxide snow, snow algae, and new types of mineral dust, volcanic ash, and brown carbon. New options also exist for ice refractive indices and solar zenith angle-dependent surface spectral irradiances used to derive broadband albedo. The model spectral range was also extended deeper into the ultraviolet for studies of extraterrestrial and high-altitude cryospheric surfaces. Until now, however, these improvements and capabilities have not been merged into a unified code base. Here, we document the formulation and evaluation of the publicly-available SNICAR-ADv3 source code, web-based model, and accompanying library of particle optical properties. The use of non-spherical ice grains, which scatter less strongly into the forward direction, reduce the simulated albedo perturbations from LAC by ~9–31 %, depending on which of the three available non-spherical shapes are applied. The model compares very well against measurements of snow albedo from seven studies, though key properties affecting snow albedo are not fully constrained with measurements, including ice effective grain size of the top sub-millimeter of the snowpack, mixing state of LAC with respect to ice grains, and site-specific LAC optical properties. The new default ice refractive indices produce extremely high pure snow albedo (> 0.99) in the blue and ultraviolet part of the spectrum, with such values measured so far only in Antarctica. More work is needed particularly in the representation of snow algae, including experimental verification of how different pigment expressions and algal cell concentrations affect snow albedo. Representations and measurements of the influence of liquid water on spectral snow albedo are also needed.

scholarly journals Benefit of depolarization ratio at λ = 1064 nm for the retrieval of the aerosol microphysics from lidar measurements

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 3773-3781 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Gasteiger ◽  
V. Freudenthaler
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Mass Concentration ◽  
Volcanic Ash ◽  
Single Scattering ◽  
Depolarization Ratio ◽  
Complex Relation ◽  
Microphysical Properties ◽  
Lidar Measurements ◽  
Increased Sensitivity ◽  
Linear Depolarization Ratio

Abstract. A better quantification of aerosol properties is required for improving the modelling of aerosol effects on weather and climate. This task is methodologically demanding due to the diversity of the microphysical properties of aerosols and the complex relation between their microphysical and optical properties. Advanced lidar systems provide spatially and temporally resolved information on the aerosol optical properties that is sufficient for the retrieval of important aerosol microphysical properties. Recently, the mass concentration of transported volcanic ash, which is relevant for the flight safety of aeroplanes, was retrieved from measurements of such lidar systems in southern Germany. The relative uncertainty of the retrieved mass concentration was on the order of ±50%. The present study investigates improvements of the retrieval accuracy when the capability of measuring the linear depolarization ratio at 1064 nm is added to the lidar setup. The lidar setups under investigation are based on those of MULIS and POLIS of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich (Germany) which measure the linear depolarization ratio at 355 and 532 nm with high accuracy. The improvements are determined by comparing uncertainties from retrievals applied to simulated measurements of this lidar setup with uncertainties obtained when the depolarization at 1064 nm is added to this setup. The simulated measurements are based on real lidar measurements of transported Eyjafjallajökull volcano ash. It is found that additional 1064 nm depolarization measurements significantly reduce the uncertainty of the retrieved mass concentration and effective particle size. This significant improvement in accuracy is the result of the increased sensitivity of the lidar setup to larger particles. The size dependence of the depolarization does not vary strongly with refractive index, thus we expect similar benefits for the retrieval in case of measurements of other volcanic ash compositions and also for transported desert dust. For the retrieval of the single scattering albedo, which is relevant to the radiative transfer in aerosol layers, no significant improvements were found.

Geochemical and Petrological Characterization of Ash Samples from Cascade Range Volcanoes

1971 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 261-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Randle ◽  
Gordon G. Goles ◽  
Laurence R. Kittleman
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Volcanic Ash ◽  
Cascade Range ◽  
Crystalline Material ◽  
Refractive Indices ◽  
Crystalline Materials ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Volcanic Ashes ◽  
Different Sources

Twenty-nine samples of volcanic ash from the Pacific Northwest were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation techniques, with the aim of distinguishing among ashes from different sources. Preliminary results of petrographic studies of 42 ash or pumice samples are also reported. Geochemical characteristics of Mazama ash are defined, and problems induced by winnowing of crystalline material during transport and by weathering are discussed. Contents of La, Th, and Co, and La/Yb ratios are shown to be good discriminants. Data on refractive indices and on proportions of crystalline materials also aid in distinguishing among the various volcanic ashes studied. Ash and pumice found in archaeological contexts at Fort Rock Cave, Paisley Cave, Wildcat Canyon, and Hobo Cave are all from Mount Mazama, presumably from the culminating cruption of 7000 years ago.

scholarly journals Microstructure-Induced Anisotropic Optical Properties of YF3 Columnar Thin Films Prepared by Glancing Angle Deposition

Nanomaterials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2413
Author(s):  
Yao Shan ◽  
Pian Liu ◽  
Yao Chen ◽  
Haotian Zhang ◽  
Huatian Tu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thin Films ◽  
Optical Properties ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Electron Beam Evaporation ◽  
Glancing Angle Deposition ◽  
Refractive Indices ◽  
Glancing Angle ◽  
Axis Parallel ◽  
Angle Deposition ◽  
Deposition Angle

Yttrium fluoride (YF3) columnar thin films (CTFs) were fabricated by electron beam evaporation with the glancing angle deposition method. The microstructures and optical properties of YF3 CTFs were studied systematically. The YF3 films grown at different deposition angles are all amorphous. As the deposition angle increases, the columns in YF3 CTFs become increasingly separated and inclined, and the volume fraction of YF3 decreases, resulting in lower refractive indices. This phenomenon is attributed to the self-shadowing effect and limited adatom diffusion. The YF3 CTFs are optically biaxial anisotropic with the long axis (c-axis) parallel to the columns, the short axis (b-axis) perpendicular to the columns, and the other axis (a-axis) parallel to the film interface. The principal refractive index along the b-axis for the 82°-deposited sample is approximately 1.233 at 550 nm. For the 78°-deposited sample, the differences of principal refractive indices between the c-axis and the b-axis and between the a-axis and the b-axis reach the maximum 0.056 and 0.029, respectively. The differences of principal refractive indices were affected by both the deposition angle and the volume fraction of YF3.

Optical properties of a liquid crystal with small ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices and small optical anisotropy

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kędzierski ◽  
K. Garbat ◽  
Z. Raszewski ◽  
M. Kojdecki ◽  
K. Kowiorski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Refractive Index ◽  
Optical Properties ◽  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Optical Anisotropy ◽  
Order Parameter ◽  
Orientational Order ◽  
Refractive Indices ◽  
Orientational Order Parameter ◽  
Unknown Density ◽  
Abbe Refractometer

AbstractOptical properties of a nematic liquid crystal with small refractive index and small birefringence were studied. The ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices and birefringence were measured as functions of temperature by using an Abbe refractometer and wedge nematic cells. From values of these indices the nematic orientational order parameter was calculated by using several methods and corresponding mathematical models. Kuczyński et al. method was found to be suitable for determining the order parameter also for materials featuring small ordinary refractive index, with unknown density.

scholarly journals Deposition of brown carbon onto snow: changes in snow optical and radiative properties

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 6095-6114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas D. Beres ◽  
Deep Sengupta ◽  
Vera Samburova ◽  
Andrey Y. Khlystov ◽  
Hans Moosmüller
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Total Organic Carbon ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Radiative Properties ◽  
Unit Mass ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Snow Surface ◽  
Brown Carbon ◽  
Snow Albedo

Abstract. Light-absorbing organic carbon aerosol – colloquially known as brown carbon (BrC) – is emitted from combustion processes and has a brownish or yellowish visual appearance, caused by enhanced light absorption at shorter visible and ultraviolet wavelengths (0.3 µm≲λ≲0.5 µm). Recently, optical properties of atmospheric BrC aerosols have become the topic of intense research, but little is known about how BrC deposition onto snow surfaces affects the spectral snow albedo, which can alter the resulting radiative forcing and in-snow photochemistry. Wildland fires in close proximity to the cryosphere, such as peatland fires that emit large quantities of BrC, are becoming more common at high latitudes, potentially affecting nearby snow and ice surfaces. In this study, we describe the artificial deposition of BrC aerosol with known optical, chemical, and physical properties onto the snow surface, and we monitor its spectral radiative impact and compare it directly to modeled values. First, using small-scale combustion of Alaskan peat, BrC aerosols were artificially deposited onto the snow surface. UV–Vis absorbance and total organic carbon (TOC) concentration of snow samples were measured for samples with and without artificial BrC deposition. These measurements were used to first derive a BrC (mass) specific absorption (m2 g−1) across the UV–Vis spectral range. We then estimate the imaginary part of the refractive index of deposited BrC aerosol using a volume mixing rule. Single-particle optical properties were calculated using Mie theory, and these values were used to show that the measured spectral snow albedo of snow with deposited BrC was in general agreement with modeled spectral snow albedo using calculated BrC optical properties. The instantaneous radiative forcing per unit mass of total organic carbon deposited to the ambient snowpack was found to be 1.23 (+0.14/-0.11) W m−2 per part per million (ppm). We estimate the same deposition onto a pure snowpack without light-absorbing impurities would have resulted in an instantaneous radiative forcing per unit mass of 2.68 (+0.27/-0.22) W m−2 per ppm of BrC deposited.

scholarly journals MOPSMAP v0.9: A versatile tool for modeling of aerosol optical properties

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef Gasteiger ◽  
Matthias Wiegner
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Optical Properties ◽  
Aerosol Particles ◽  
Particle Orientation ◽  
Spherical Particles ◽  
Refractive Indices ◽  
Hygroscopic Growth ◽  
Web Interface ◽  
Optical Modeling ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. The spatiotemporal distribution and characterization of aerosol particles are usually determined by remote sensing and optical in-situ measurements. These measurements are indirect with respect to microphysical properties and thus inversion techniques are required to determine the aerosol microphysics. Scattering theory provides the link between microphysical and optical properties; it is not only needed for such inversions but also for radiative budget calculations and climate modeling. However, optical modeling can be very time consuming, in particular if non-spherical particles or complex ensembles are involved. In this paper we present the MOPSMAP package (modeled optical properties of ensembles of aerosol particles) which is computationally fast for optical modeling even in case of complex aerosols. The package consists of a data set of pre-calculated optical properties of single aerosol particles, a Fortran program to calculate the properties of user-defined aerosol ensembles, and a user-friendly web interface for online calculations. Spheres, spheroids, and a small set of irregular particle shapes are considered over a wide range of sizes and refractive indices. MOPSMAP provides the fundamental optical properties assuming random particle orientation, including the scattering matrix for the selected wavelengths. Moreover, the output includes tables of frequently used properties such as the single scattering albedo, the asymmetry parameter or the lidar ratio. To demonstrate the wide range of possible MOPSMAP applications a selection of examples is presented, e.g., dealing with hygroscopic growth, mixtures of absorbing and non-absorbing particles, the relevance of the size equivalence in case of non-spherical particles, and the variability of volcanic ash microphysics. The web interface is designed to be intuitive for expert and non-expert users. To support users a large set of default settings is available, e.g., several wavelength-dependent refractive indices, climatologically representative size distributions, and a parameterization of hygroscopic growth. Calculations are possible for single wavelengths or user-defined sets (e.g., of specific remote sensing application). For expert users more options for the microphysics are available. Plots for immediate visualization of the results are shown. The complete output can be downloaded for further applications. All input parameters and results are stored in the user’s personal folder so that calculations can easily be reproduced. The MOPSMAP package is available on request for offline calculations, e.g., when large numbers of different runs for sensitivity studies shall be made.

Soot Optical Properties in the Terahertz Spectra Domain

2012 ◽  
Vol 134 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Wang ◽  
Ting Xu ◽  
Zhishen Qiang ◽  
Qunxing Huang ◽  
Dong Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Wavelength Region ◽  
Optical Methods ◽  
Optical Data ◽  
Refractive Indices ◽  
Spectroscopy Technique ◽  
Terahertz Time Domain Spectroscopy ◽  
Time Domain Spectroscopy ◽  
Combustion Diagnostics

For understanding and accurately modeling combustion, the important questions are what species are present in the flame, and the spatial distribution and temperature of these species. Traditional optical methods used only the electromagnetic waves in the wavelength region from the ultraviolet region up to the infrared. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy technique can be used for the combustion research as a novel tool. However, for some sooty combustion environments, the strong absorption, spectral interference from soot scattering, and fluorescence from large molecules must be considered. The optical properties of soot in the terahertz domain are the main basic data for terahertz application. In this paper, the terahertz time-domain spectroscopy technique was used to study the optical properties of flame soot within 0.2–1.6 THz. The complex refractive indices of the soot were deduced by the fixed-point iteration method. In order to validate the results, the complex refractive indices of the soot from the four different fuel flames were deduced. It was found that the complex refractive indices in the terahertz domain of the soot from the different fuel flames are very close to each other. The comparisons of complex refractive indices between the visible–IR domain and the terahertz domain indicate that the value of absorption index in terahertz domain is smaller than in IR domain, which implies that the terahertz wave will penetrate the sooty flame with smaller absorption than the IR rays. The results can provide the basic optical data of flame soot for the application of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy technique in the optical combustion diagnostics and extend the optical combustion diagnostics application area.

scholarly journals Quantifying bioalbedo: a new physically based model and discussion of empirical methods for characterising biological influence on ice and snow albedo

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2611-2632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph M. Cook ◽  
Andrew J. Hodson ◽  
Alex S. Gardner ◽  
Mark Flanner ◽  
Andrew J. Tedstone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Surface Energy Balance ◽  
Empirical Methods ◽  
Physically Based Model ◽  
Snow Albedo ◽  
Spectral Signatures ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Reflectance Data

Abstract. The darkening effects of biological impurities on ice and snow have been recognised as a control on the surface energy balance of terrestrial snow, sea ice, glaciers and ice sheets. With a heightened interest in understanding the impacts of a changing climate on snow and ice processes, quantifying the impact of biological impurities on ice and snow albedo (bioalbedo) and its evolution through time is a rapidly growing field of research. However, rigorous quantification of bioalbedo has remained elusive because of difficulties in isolating the biological contribution to ice albedo from that of inorganic impurities and the variable optical properties of the ice itself. For this reason, isolation of the biological signature in reflectance data obtained from aerial/orbital platforms has not been achieved, even when ground-based biological measurements have been available. This paper provides the cell-specific optical properties that are required to model the spectral signatures and broadband darkening of ice. Applying radiative transfer theory, these properties provide the physical basis needed to link biological and glaciological ground measurements with remotely sensed reflectance data. Using these new capabilities we confirm that biological impurities can influence ice albedo, then we identify 10 challenges to the measurement of bioalbedo in the field with the aim of improving future experimental designs to better quantify bioalbedo feedbacks. These challenges are (1) ambiguity in terminology, (2) characterising snow or ice optical properties, (3) characterising solar irradiance, (4) determining optical properties of cells, (5) measuring biomass, (6) characterising vertical distribution of cells, (7) characterising abiotic impurities, (8) surface anisotropy, (9) measuring indirect albedo feedbacks, and (10) measurement and instrument configurations. This paper aims to provide a broad audience of glaciologists and biologists with an overview of radiative transfer and albedo that could support future experimental design.

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