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- ItemOptical properties of long-range transported Saharan dust over Barbados as measured by dual-wavelength depolarization Raman lidar measurements(München : European Geopyhsical Union, 2015) Groß, S.; Freudenthaler, V.; Schepanski, K.; Toledano, C.; Schäfler, A.; Ansmann, A.; Weinzierl, B.Dual-wavelength Raman and depolarization lidar observations were performed during the Saharan Aerosol Long-range Transport and Aerosol-Cloud interaction Experiment in Barbados in June and July 2013 to characterize the optical properties and vertical distribution of long-range transported Saharan dust after transport across the Atlantic Ocean. Four major dust events were studied during the measurements from 15 June to 13 July 2013 with aerosol optical depths at 532 nm of up to 0.6. The vertical aerosol distribution was characterized by a three-layer structure consisting of the boundary layer, the entrainment or mixing layer and the pure Saharan dust layer. The upper boundary of the pure dust layer reached up to 4.5 km in height. The contribution of the pure dust layer was about half of the total aerosol optical depth at 532 nm. The total dust contribution was about 50–70 % of the total aerosol optical depth at 532 nm. The lidar ratio within the pure dust layer was found to be wavelength independent with mean values of 53 ± 5 sr at 355 nm and 56 ± 7 sr at 532 nm. For the particle linear depolarization ratio, wavelength-independent mean values of 0.26 ± 0.03 at 355 nm and 0.27 ± 0.01 at 532 nm have been found.
- ItemIn situ, satellite measurement and model evidence on the dominant regional contribution to fine particulate matter levels in the Paris megacity(Katlenburg-Lindau : EGU, 2015) Beekmann, M.; Prévôt, A.S.H.; Drewnick, F.; Sciare, J.; Pandis, S.N.; Denier van der Gon, H.A.C.; Crippa, M.; Freutel, F.; Poulain, L.; Ghersi, V.; Rodriguez, E.; Beirle, S.; Zotter, P.; von der Weiden-Reinmüller, S.-L.; Bressi, M.; Fountoukis, C.; Petetin, H.; Szidat, S.; Schneider, J.; Rosso, A.; El Haddad, I.; Megaritis, A.; Zhang, Q.J.; Michoud, V.; Slowik, J.G.; Moukhtar, S.; Kolmonen, P.; Stohl, A.; Eckhardt, S.; Borbon, A.; Gros, V.; Marchand, N.; Jaffrezo, J.L.; Schwarzenboeck, A.; Colomb, A.; Wiedensohler, A.; Borrmann, S.; Lawrence, M.; Baklanov, A.; Baltensperger, U.A detailed characterization of air quality in the megacity of Paris (France) during two 1-month intensive campaigns and from additional 1-year observations revealed that about 70 % of the urban background fine particulate matter (PM) is transported on average into the megacity from upwind regions. This dominant influence of regional sources was confirmed by in situ measurements during short intensive and longer-term campaigns, aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements from ENVISAT, and modeling results from PMCAMx and CHIMERE chemistry transport models. While advection of sulfate is well documented for other megacities, there was surprisingly high contribution from long-range transport for both nitrate and organic aerosol. The origin of organic PM was investigated by comprehensive analysis of aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), radiocarbon and tracer measurements during two intensive campaigns. Primary fossil fuel combustion emissions constituted less than 20 % in winter and 40 % in summer of carbonaceous fine PM, unexpectedly small for a megacity. Cooking activities and, during winter, residential wood burning are the major primary organic PM sources. This analysis suggests that the major part of secondary organic aerosol is of modern origin, i.e., from biogenic precursors and from wood burning. Black carbon concentrations are on the lower end of values encountered in megacities worldwide, but still represent an issue for air quality. These comparatively low air pollution levels are due to a combination of low emissions per inhabitant, flat terrain, and a meteorology that is in general not conducive to local pollution build-up. This revised picture of a megacity only being partially responsible for its own average and peak PM levels has important implications for air pollution regulation policies.
- ItemMaritime aerosol network as a component of AERONET - First results and comparison with global aerosol models and satellite retrievals(München : European Geopyhsical Union, 2011) Smirnov, A.; Holben, B.N.; Giles, D.M.; Slutsker, I.; O'Neill, N.T.; Eck, T.F.; Macke, A.; Croot, P.; Courcoux, Y.; Sakerin, S.M.; Smyth, T.J.; Zielinski, T.; Zibordi, G.; Goes, J.I.; Harvey, M.J.; Quinn, P.K.; Nelson, N.B.; Radionov, V.F.; Duarte, C.M.; Losno, R.; Sciare, J.; Voss, K.J.; Kinne, S.; Nalli, N.R.; Joseph, E.; Krishna Moorthy, K.; Covert, D.S.; Gulev, S.K.; Milinevsky, G.; Larouche, P.; Belanger, S.; Horne, E.; Chin, M.; Remer, L.A.; Kahn, R.A.; Reid, J.S.; Schulz, M.; Heald, C.L.; Zhang, J.; Lapina, K.; Kleidman, R.G.; Griesfeller, J.; Gaitley, B.J.; Tan, Q.; Diehl, T.L.The Maritime Aerosol Network (MAN) has been collecting data over the oceans since November 2006. Over 80 cruises were completed through early 2010 with deployments continuing. Measurement areas included various parts of the Atlantic Ocean, the Northern and Southern Pacific Ocean, the South Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, the Arctic Ocean and inland seas. MAN deploys Microtops hand-held sunphotometers and utilizes a calibration procedure and data processing traceable to AERONET. Data collection included areas that previously had no aerosol optical depth (AOD) coverage at all, particularly vast areas of the Southern Ocean. The MAN data archive provides a valuable resource for aerosol studies in maritime environments. In the current paper we present results of AOD measurements over the oceans, and make a comparison with satellite AOD retrievals and model simulations.
- ItemCharacterization of aerosol properties at Cyprus, focusing on cloud condensation nuclei and ice-nucleating particles(Göttingen : Copernicus GmbH, 2019) Gong, X.; Wex, H.; Müller, T.; Wiedensohler, A.; Höhler, K.; Kandler, K.; Ma, N.; Dietel, B.; Schiebel, T.; Möhler, O.; Stratmann, F.As part of the A-LIFE (Absorbing aerosol layers in a changing climate: aging, LIFEtime and dynamics) campaign, ground-based measurements were carried out in Paphos, Cyprus, to characterize the abundance, properties, and sources of aerosol particles in general and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice-nucleating particles (INP) in particular. New particle formation (NPF) events with subsequent growth of the particles into the CCN size range were observed. Aitken mode particles featured k values of 0.21 to 0.29, indicating the presence of organic materials. Accumulation mode particles featured a higher hygroscopicity parameter, with a median k value of 0.57, suggesting the presence of sulfate and maybe sea salt particles mixed with organic carbon. A clear downward trend of k with increasing supersaturation and decreasing dcrit was found. Super-micron particles originated mainly from sea-spray aerosol (SSA) and partly from mineral dust. INP concentrations (NINP) were measured in the temperature range from-6:5 to-26:5 °C, using two freezing array-type instruments. NINP at a particular temperature span around 1 order of magnitude below-20 °C and about 2 orders of magnitude at warmer temperatures (T >-18 °C). Few samples showed elevated concentrations at temperatures >-15 °C, which suggests a significant contribution of biological particles to the INP population, which possibly could originate from Cyprus. Both measured temperature spectra and NINP probability density functions (PDFs) indicate that the observed INP (ice active in the temperature range between-15 and-20 °C) mainly originate from long-range transport. There was no correlation between NINP and particle number concentration in the size range> 500 nm (N>500 nm). Parameterizations based on N>500 nm were found to overestimate NINP by about 1 to 2 orders of magnitude. There was also no correlation between NINP and particle surface area concentration. The ice active surface site density (ns) for the polluted aerosol encountered in the eastern Mediterranean in this study is about 1 to 3 orders of magnitude lower than the ns found for dust aerosol particles in previous studies. This suggests that observed NINP PDFs such as those derived here could be a better choice for modeling NINP if the aerosol particle composition is unknown or uncertain.
- ItemThe impact of aerosol hygroscopic growth on the single-scattering albedo and its application on the NO2 photolysis rate coefficient(München : European Geopyhsical Union, 2014) Tao, J.C.; Zhao, C.S.; Ma, N.; Liu, P.F.Hygroscopic growth of aerosol particles can significantly affect their single-scattering albedo (ω), and consequently alters the aerosol effect on tropospheric photochemistry. In this study, the impact of aerosol hygroscopic growth on ω and its application to the NO2 photolysis rate coefficient (JNO2) are investigated for a typical aerosol particle population in the North China Plain (NCP). The variations of aerosol optical properties with relative humidity (RH) are calculated using a Mie theory aerosol optical model, on the basis of field measurements of number–size distribution and hygroscopic growth factor (at RH values above 90%) from the 2009 HaChi (Haze in China) project. Results demonstrate that ambient ω has pronouncedly different diurnal patterns from ω measured at dry state, and is highly sensitive to the ambient RHs. Ambient ω in the NCP can be described by a dry state ω value of 0.863, increasing with the RH following a characteristic RH dependence curve. A Monte Carlo simulation shows that the uncertainty of ω from the propagation of uncertainties in the input parameters decreases from 0.03 (at dry state) to 0.015 (RHs > 90%). The impact of hygroscopic growth on ω is further applied in the calculation of the radiative transfer process. Hygroscopic growth of the studied aerosol particle population generally inhibits the photolysis of NO2 at the ground level, whereas accelerates it above the moist planetary boundary layer. Compared with dry state, the calculated JNO2 at RH of 98% at the height of 1 km increases by 30.4%, because of the enhancement of ultraviolet radiation by the humidified scattering-dominant aerosol particles. The increase of JNO2 due to the aerosol hygroscopic growth above the upper boundary layer may affect the tropospheric photochemical processes and this needs to be taken into account in the atmospheric chemical models.
- ItemSun photometer retrievals of Saharan dust properties over Barbados during SALTRACE(Katlenburg-Lindau : EGU, 2019) Toledano, Carlos; Torres, Benjamín; Velasco-Merino, Cristian; Althausen, Dietrich; Groß, Silke; Wiegner, Matthias; Weinzierl, Bernadett; Gasteiger, Josef; Ansmann, Albert; González, Ramiro; Mateos, David; Farrel, David; Müller, Thomas; Haarig, Moritz; Cachorro, Victoria E.The Saharan Aerosol Long-Range Transport and Aerosol-Cloud-Interaction Experiment (SALTRACE) was devoted to the investigation of Saharan dust properties over the Caribbean. The campaign took place in June-July 2013. A wide set of ground-based and airborne aerosol instrumentation was deployed at the island of Barbados for a comprehensive experiment. Several sun photometers performed measurements during this campaign: two AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) Cimel sun photometers and the Sun and Sky Automatic Radiometer (SSARA). The sun photometers were co-located with the ground-based multi-wavelength lidars BERTHA (Backscatter Extinction lidar Ratio Temperature Humidity profiling Apparatus) and POLIS (Portable Lidar System). Aerosol properties derived from direct sun and sky radiance observations are analyzed, and a comparison with the co-located lidar and in situ data is provided. The time series of aerosol optical depth (AOD) allows identifying successive dust events with short periods in between in which the marine background conditions were observed. The moderate aerosol optical depth in the range of 0.3 to 0.6 was found during the dust periods. The sun photometer infrared channel at the 1640nm wavelength was used in the retrieval to investigate possible improvements to aerosol size retrievals, and it was expected to have a larger sensitivity to coarse particles. The comparison between column (aerosol optical depth) and surface (dust concentration) data demonstrates the connection between the Saharan Air Layer and the boundary layer in the Caribbean region, as is shown by the synchronized detection of the successive dust events in both datasets. However the differences of size distributions derived from sun photometer data and in situ observations reveal the difficulties in carrying out a column closure study. © 2019 All rights reserved.
- ItemIn situ aerosol characterization at Cape Verde, Part 2: Parametrization of relative humidity- and wavelength-dependent aerosol optical properties(Milton Park : Taylor & Francis, 2017) Schladitz, Alexander; Müller, Thomas; Nordmann, Stephan; Tesche, Matthias; Silke Groß, Silke Groß; Freudenthaler, Volker; Gasteiger, Josef; Wiedensohler, AlfredAn observation-based numerical study of humidity-dependent aerosol optical properties of mixed marine and Saharan mineral dust aerosol is presented. An aerosol model was developed based on measured optical and microphysical properties to describe the marine and Saharan dust aerosol at Cape Verde. A wavelength-dependent optical equivalent imaginary part of the refractive index and a scattering non-sphericity factor for Saharan dustwere derived. Simulations of humidity effects on optical properties by the aerosol model were validated with relative measurements of the extinction coefficient at ambient conditions. Parametrizations were derived to describe the humidity dependence of the extinction, scattering, and absorption coefficients as well as the asymmetry parameter and single scattering albedo. For wavelengths (300–950 nm) and dry dust volume fractions (0–1), aerosol optical properties as a function of relative humidity (RH = 0–90%) can be calculated from tabulated parameters. For instance, at a wavelength of 550 nm, a volume fraction of 0.5 of dust on the total particle volume (dry conditions) and a RH of 90%, the enhancements for the scattering, extinction and absorption coefficients are 2.55, 2.46 and 1.04, respectively, while the enhancements for the asymmetry parameter and single scattering albedo are 1.11 and 1.04.
- ItemEstimated desert-dust ice nuclei profiles from polarization lidar: Methodology and case studies(München : European Geopyhsical Union, 2015) Mamouri, R.E.; Ansmann, A.A lidar method is presented that permits the estimation of height profiles of ice nuclei concentrations (INC) in desert dust layers. The polarization lidar technique is applied to separate dust and non-dust backscatter and extinction coefficients. The desert dust extinction coefficients σd are then converted to aerosol particle number concentrations APC280 which consider particles with radius > 280 nm only. By using profiles of APC280 and ambient temperature T along the laser beam, the profile of INC can be estimated within a factor of 3 by means of APC-T-INC parameterizations from the literature. The observed close relationship between σd at 500 nm and APC280 is of key importance for a successful INC retrieval. We studied this link by means of AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) sun/sky photometer observations at Morocco, Cabo Verde, Barbados, and Cyprus during desert dust outbreaks. The new INC retrieval method is applied to lidar observations of dust layers with the spaceborne lidar CALIOP (Cloud Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization) during two overpasses over the EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network) lidar site of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), Limassol (34.7° N, 33° E), Cyprus. The good agreement between the CALIOP and CUT lidar retrievals of σd, APC280, and INC profiles corroborates the potential of CALIOP to provide 3-D global desert dust APC280 and INC data sets.
- ItemOn the abundance and source contributions of dicarboxylic acids in size-resolved aerosol particles at continental sites in central Europe(München : European Geopyhsical Union, 2014) van Pinxteren, D.; Neusüß, C.; Herrmann, H.Dicarboxylic acids (DCAs) are among the most abundant organic compounds observed in atmospheric aerosol particles and have been extensively studied at many places around the world. The importance of the various primary sources and secondary formation pathways discussed in the literature is often difficult to assess from field studies, though. In the present study, a large data set of size-resolved DCA concentrations from several inland sites in Germany is combined with results from a recently developed approach of statistical back-trajectory analysis and additional data. Principal component analysis is then used to reveal the most important factors governing the abundance of DCAs in different particle size ranges. The two most important sources revealed are (i) photochemical formation during intense radiation days in polluted air masses, likely occurring in the gas phase on short timescales (gasSOA), and (ii) secondary reactions in anthropogenically influenced air masses, likely occurring in the aqueous phase on longer timescales (aqSOA). While the first source strongly impacts DCA concentrations mainly in small and large particles, the second one enhances accumulation mode DCAs and is responsible for the bulk of the observed concentrations. Primary sources were found to be minor (sea salt, soil resuspension) or non-existent (biomass burning, traffic). The results can be regarded as representative for typical central European continental conditions.
- ItemA parameterization of low visibilities for hazy days in the North China Plain(München : European Geopyhsical Union, 2012) Chen, J.; Zhao, C.S.; Ma, N.; Liu, P.F.; Göbel, T.; Hallbauer, E.; Deng, Z.Z.; Ran, L.; Xu, W.Y.; Liang, Z.; Liu, H.J.; Yan, P.; Zhou, X.J.; Wiedensohler, A.Visibility degradation is a pervasive and urgent environmental problem in China. The occurrence of low visibility events is frequent in the North China Plain, where the aerosol loading is quite high and aerosols are strongly hygroscopic. A parameterization of light extinction (Kex) for low visibilities on hazy days is proposed in this paper, based on visibility, relative humidity (RH), aerosol hygroscopic growth factors and particle number size distributions measured during the Haze in China (HaChi) Project. Observational results show that a high aerosol volume concentration is responsible for low visibility at RH <90%; while for RH >90%, decrease of visibility is mainly influenced by the increase of RH. The parameterization of Kex is developed on the basis of aerosol volume concentrations and RH, taking into accounts the sensitivity of visibility to the two factors and the availability of corresponding data. The extinction coefficients calculated with the parameterization schemes agree well with the directly measured values.