Aerosol Type Identification Using PARASOL Multichannel Polarized Data

PARASOL （Polarization ＆ Anisotropy of Reflectances for Atmospheric Sciences coupled with Ob- servations from a Lidar） multi-channel and mul- ti-directional polarized data for different aerosol types were compared. The PARASOL polarized radiance data at 490 nm, 670 nm, and 865 nm increased with aerosol optical thickness （AOT） for fine-mode aerosols; however, the polarized radiances at 490 nm and 670 nm decreased as AOT increased for coarse dust aerosols. Thus, the vari- ation of the polarized radiance with AOT can be used to identify fine or coarse particle-dominated aerosols. Polar- ized radiances at three wavelengths for fine- and coarse-mode aerosols were analyzed and fitted by linear regression. The slope of the line for 670 nm and 490 nm wavelength pairs is less than 0.35 for dust aerosols. However, the value for fine-mode aerosols is greater than 0.60. The Support Vector Machine method （SVM） based on 12 vector features was used to discriminate clear sky, coarse dust aerosols, fine-mode aerosols, and cloud. Two cases were given and validated by AErosol RObotic NETwork （AERONET） measurements, MODIS （Mod- erate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer） FMF （Fine Mode Fraction at 550 nm） images, PARASOL RGB （Red Green Blue） images, and CALIOP （Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization） VFM （Vertical Feature Mask） data.     

Comparison of column-integrated aerosol optical and physical properties in an urban and suburban site on the North China Plain

The column-integrated optical properties of aerosol in Beijing and Xianghe, two AErosol RObotic NETwork(AERONET)sites situated on the North China Plain(NCP), are investigated based on Cimel sunphotometer measurements from October2004 to June 2012. The outstanding feature found is that the seasonal medians of aerosol optical depth(AOD) at the two stations are in good agreement. The correlation coefficients and the absolute differences between AOD at the two stations are larger than 0.84 and less than 0.05, respectively. Good agreement in AOD at these two sites(one urban and the other suburban; 70 km apart) indicates that aerosol pollution in the Greater Beijing area is regional in nature. However, we find significant differences in the absorption ?Angstr ¨om Exponent(AAE), the real and imaginary part of the refractive index, and thereby the single scattering albedo(SSA), and the difference is seasonally dependent. The feature is found to be more prominent in fall when the fine-mode fraction(FMF) and fine-mode effective radius are significantly different at the two stations,besides the parameters mentioned above. The SSA in Beijing at four wavelengths shows lower values as compared to those in Xianghe, although the difference is not significant in some cases. Significant differences in AAE and fine-mode effective radius indicate that there are differences in aerosol physical and chemical properties in urban and suburban regions on the NCP.     

Analysis and evaluation of the global aerosol optical properties simulated by an online aerosol-coupled non-hydrostatic icosahedral atmospheric model

Aerosol optical properties are simulated using the Spectral Radiation Transport Model for Aerosol Species(SPRINTARS)coupled with the Non-hydrostatic ICosahedral Atmospheric Model(NICAM). The 3-year global mean all-sky aerosol optical thickness(AOT) at 550 nm, the ngstr m Exponent(AE) based on AOTs at 440 and 870 nm, and the single scattering albedo(SSA) at 550 nm are estimated at 0.123, 0.657 and 0.944, respectively. For each aerosol species, the mean AOT is within the range of the Aero Com models. Both the modeled all-sky and clear-sky results are compared with observations from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) and the Aerosol Robotic Network(AERONET). The simulated spatiotemporal distributions of all-sky AOTs can generally reproduce the MODIS retrievals, and the correlation and model skill can be slightly improved using the clear-sky results over most land regions. The differences between clear-sky and all-sky AOTs are larger over polluted regions. Compared with observations from AERONET, the modeled and observed all-sky AOTs and AEs are generally in reasonable agreement, whereas the SSA variation is not well captured. Although the spatiotemporal distributions of all-sky and clear-sky results are similar, the clear-sky results are generally better correlated with the observations. The clear-sky AOT and SSA are generally lower than the all-sky results, especially in those regions where the aerosol chemical composition is contributed to mostly by sulfate aerosol. The modeled clear-sky AE is larger than the all-sky AE over those regions dominated by hydrophilic aerosol, while the opposite is found over regions dominated by hydrophobic aerosol.     

Evaluation of ACCMIP simulated fine-mode AOD and its implication for aerosol direct forcing

This study examines and evaluates simulated aerosol optical depth (AOD) and fine-mode AOD (fAOD) from the ACCMIP and CMIP5 global model archives. Satellite data nudged to AERONET data are used to construct reliable global observations of AOD and fAOD for validating the simulations. The difference in simulated global average AOD among models is of the order of a factor of 2, and the difference is even larger (～factor of 3) for fAOD. Compared to the observations, the models tend to underestimate AOD and fAOD significantly over eastern China. Another important discrepancy is that the models show larger fAOD over the Indus-Ganga Plain in summer than in winter, whereas the observations display an opposite feature. The models also overestimate the fAOD over the biomass burning regions of central Africa in DJF and underestimate the fAOD over the biomass burning regions of southern Africa in JJA. To evaluate the effect of the discrepancy between modeled and observed fAOD on aerosol direct radiative forcing, an offline radiation model is utilized. Comparing the model-fAODderived fine-mode forcing with the fine-mode forcing derived from the fAOD observation, the models tend to give too large (negative) value. This result implies that the calculated anthropogenic aerosol forcing in ACCMIP and CMIP5 models has a negative bias.     

Assessment of Individual Direct Radiative Effects of Major Aerosol Species in East Asia

To assess individual direct radiative effects of diverse aerosol species on a regional scale,the air quality modeling system RAMS-CMAQ(Regional Atmospheric Modeling System and Community Multiscale Air Quality) coupled with an aerosol optical properties/radiative transfer module was used to simulate the temporal and spatial distributions of their optical and radiative properties over East Asia throughout 2005.Annual and seasonal averaged aerosol direct radiative forcing(ADRF) of all important aerosols and individual components,such as sulfate,nitrate,ammonium,black carbon(BC),organic carbon(OC),and dust at top-of-atmosphere(TOA) in clear sky are analyzed.Analysis of the model results shows that the annual average ADRF of all important aerosols was in the range of 0 to-18 W m?2,with the maximum values mainly distributed over the Sichuan Basin.The direct radiative effects of sulfate,nitrate,and ammonium make up most of the total ADRF in East Asia,being concentrated mainly over North and Southeast China.The model domain is also divided into seven regions based on different administrative regions or countries to investigate detailed information about regional ADRF variations over East Asia.The model results show that the ADRFs of sulfate,ammonium,BC,and OC were stronger in summer and weaker in winter over most regions of East Asia,except over Southeast Asia.The seasonal variation in the ADRF of nitrate exhibited the opposite trend.A strong ADRF of dust mainly appeared in spring over Northwest China and Mongolia.     

Aerosol Optical Properties and Radiative Impacts in the Pearl River Delta Region of China during the Dry Season

Aerosol optical properties and direct radiative effects on surface irradiance were examined using seven years(2006–2012)of Cimel sunphotometer data collected at Panyu—the main atmospheric composition monitoring station in the Pearl River Delta(PRD) region of China. During the dry season(October to February), mean values of the aerosol optical depth(AOD)at 550 nm, the ?ngstr?m exponent, and the single scattering albedo at 440 nm(SSA) were 0.54, 1.33 and 0.87, respectively.About 90% of aerosols were dominated by fine-mode strongly absorbing particles. The size distribution was bimodal, with fine-mode particles dominating. The fine mode showed a peak at a radius of 0.12 μm in February and October(~0.10μm~3μm~(-2)). The mean diurnal shortwave direct radiative forcing at the surface, inside the atmosphere(FATM), and at the top of the atmosphere, was-33.4 ± 7.0, 26.1 ± 5.6 and-7.3 ± 2.7 W m~(-2), respectively. The corresponding mean values of aerosol direct shortwave radiative forcing per AOD were-60.0 ± 7.8, 47.3 ± 8.3 and-12.8 ± 3.1 W m~(-2), respectively. Moreover,during the study period, FATMshowed a significant decreasing trend(p 0.01) and SSA increased from 0.87 in 2006 to 0.91 in 2012, suggesting a decreasing trend of absorbing particles being released into the atmosphere. Optical properties and radiative impacts of the absorbing particles can be used to improve the accuracy of inversion algorithms for satellite-based aerosol retrievals in the PRD region and to better constrain the climate effect of aerosols in climate models.     

The spatial–temporal variations in optical properties of atmosphere aerosols derived from AERONET dataset over China

The spatial–temporal properties of aerosol types over China are studied using the radiance measurements and inversions data at four Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) stations in China. Based on a cluster analysis, five aerosol classes were identified including a coarse-sized dominated aerosol type (presumably dust) and four fine-sized dominated aerosol types ranging from non-absorbing to highly absorbing fine aerosols. The optical properties and seasonal variations of these aerosol types are investigated. The results of analysis show that: (1) the highly absorbing aerosols usually occur in winter, (2) non-absorbing aerosols are frequently observed in summer; (3) coarse-sized dominated aerosols are frequently occurred in spring.     

Short-wave aerosol radiative efficiency over the global oceans derived from satellite data

Using 5 yr (December 2000–November 2005) of satellite data from the clouds and the earths radiant energy system (CERES) and moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), we examine the instantaneous short-wave radiative efficiency ( E_τ ) of aerosols during the morning Terra satellite overpass time over the global oceans (60°N–60°S). We calculate E_τ using two commonly used methods. The first method uses the MODIS aerosol optical thickness (AOT) at 0.55 μm with radiative transfer calculations, whereas the second method utilizes the same AOT values along with a new generation of aerosol angular distribution models to convert the CERES-measured broad-band radiances to fluxes. Over the 5 yr, the global mean instantaneous E_τ between the methods is remarkably consistent and within 5 W m⁻²τ⁻¹ with a mean value of –70 W m⁻²τ⁻¹. The largest differences between the methods occur in high-latitude regions, primarily in the Southern Hemisphere, where AOT is low. In dust dominated regions, there is an excellent agreement between the methods with differences of <3 W m⁻²τ⁻¹. These differences are largely due to assumptions in aerosol models and definition of clear sky backgrounds. Independent assessments of aerosol radiative effects from different satellite sensors and methods are extremely valuable and should be used to verify numerical modelling simulations.     

中国大气气溶胶辐射特性参数的观测与研究进展

长期系统的气溶胶辐射特性观测资料是定量研究气溶胶辐射和气候效应的重要基础.本文综合介绍中国大气气溶胶辐射特性观测与研究现状和成果,重点包括以下内容:地面太阳光度计联网观测气溶胶光学厚度、单次散射反照率、尺度谱;从全波段太阳辐射反演气溶胶光学厚度、单次散射反照率;浊度计和黑碳仪测量地面气溶胶散射系数和吸收系数;地基/星载激光雷达观测气溶胶(后向散射系数)垂直分布;极轨/静止卫星遥感反演气溶胶光学特性.     

Absorption properties of urban/suburban aerosols in China

The broadband diffuse radiation method is improved to retrieve the aerosol refractive index imaginary part （AIP） and broadband （400-1000 nm mean） single scattering albedo （SSA）. In this method, four sets of SSA selection criteria are proposed for quality control. The method is used to retrieve AIP, SSA and absorptive optical thickness （AbOT） from routine hourly-exposed pyrheliometer and paranometer measurements over 11 sites （meteorological observatories） in China during 1998-2003. Apart from one suburban site （Ejin Qi）, the other urban sites are all located around big or medium cities. As shown in the retrieval results, annual mean SSA during 1998-2003 changes from 0.941 （Wuhan） to 0.849 （Lanzhou）, and AIP from 0.0054 to 0.0203. The 11-site average annual mean SSA and AIP are 0.898 and 0.0119, respectively. SSA during winter is smaller for most sites. There is an evidently positive correlation between SSA and aerosol optical thickness （AOT） for all sites. There is also a positive correlation between SSA and relative humidity for most sites, but a negative correlation for a few sites, such as Kashi and ǚrǚmqi in Northwest China.     

Comparison of Aerosol Single Scattering Albedo Derived from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument with Aerosol Robotic Network Observations

The single-scattering albedo (SSA), which quantifies radiative absorption capability, is an important optical property of aerosols. Ground-based methods have been extensively exploited to determine aerosol SSA but there were no satellite-based SSA measurements available until the advent of advanced remote sensing techniques, such as the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). Although the overall accuracy of OMI SSA is estimated to approach 0.1, its regional availability is unclear. Four-year SSA daily measurements from three Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites in China (Xianghe, Taihu, and Hong Kong) are chosen to determine the accuracy of OMI SSA in specific locations. The results show that on a global scale, the OMI SSA is systematically higher (with a mean relative bias of 3.5% and a RMS difference of ~0.06) and has poor correlation with the AERONET observations. In the Xianghe, Taihu, and Hong Kong sites, the correlation coefficients are 0.16, 0.47, and 0.44, respectively, suggesting that the distinct qualities of OMI SSA depend on geographic locations and/or dominant aerosol environments. The two types of SSA data yield the best agreement in Taihu and the worst in Hong Kong; the differing behavior is likely caused by varying levels of cloud contamination. The good consistency of the aerosol variation between the two SSA datasets on a seasonal scale is promising. These findings suggest that the current-version OMI SSA product can be applied to qualitatively characterize climatological variations of aerosol properties despite its limited accuracy as an instantaneous measurement.     

A study of aerosol properties over Lahore (Pakistan) by using AERONET data

It is well established that aerosols affect the climate in a variety of ways. In order to understand these effects, we require an insight into the properties of aerosols. In this paper we present a study of aerosol properties such as aerosol optical depth (AOD), single scattering albedo (SSA) and aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) over mega city of Lahore (Pakistan). The data from Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) have been used for the period December 2009 to October 2011. The seasonal average values of AOD, asymmetry parameter (ASY) and volume size distribution in coarse mode were observed to be highest in summer. On the other hand, the average values of Angstrom exponent (AE) and imaginary part of refractive index (RI) were found to be maximum in winter. The average value of real part of RI was found to be higher in spring than in all other seasons. The SSA exhibited an increasing trend with wavelength in the range 440 nm–1020 nm in spring, summer and fall indicating the dominance of coarse particles (usually dust). However, a decreasing trend was found in winter in the range 675 nm–1020 nm pointing towards the dominance of biomass and urban/industrial aerosols. As far as aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) is concerned, we have found that during the spring season ARF was lowest at the surface of Earth and highest at top of the atmosphere (TOA). This indicates that the atmosphere was warmer in spring than in all the remaining seasons.     

近十年北京气溶胶光学特性及直接辐射强迫研究

利用SBDART（Santa Barbara DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer）辐射传输模式,结合AERONET（Aerosol Robotic Network）北京站观测的气溶胶光学特性数据,评估北京地区近十年气溶胶以及黑碳气溶胶的辐射强迫,主要研究结果如下:北京近十年气溶胶平均光学厚度（aerosol optical depth, AOD_440nm）为0.61±0.56,?ngstr?m波长指数均值为1.09,单次散射反照率（single scattering albedo, SSA_440nm）的均值为0.888±0.045;AOD呈现下降趋势,SSA呈上升趋势,表明该区域气溶胶污染有所改善。晴空条件下,大气层顶、地面和大气的气溶胶直接辐射强迫多年均值分别为?24.91±19.80 W m?2、?65.52±43.78 W m?2、40.61±28.62 W m?2,即气溶胶对大气层顶和地表为冷却效应,对大气产生加热作用。气溶胶和黑碳气溶胶的直接辐射强迫绝对值的年际变化表现为微弱的下降趋势,季节变化特征为春夏季高,冬季低,这与AOD的变化规律一致。并且黑碳气溶胶的直接辐射强迫下降趋势与SSA的上升趋势呈现较好的反位相关系。     

Direct Radiative Forcing and Climatic Effects of Aerosols over East Asia by RegCM3

The authors used a high-resolution regional climate model(RegCM3) coupled with a chemistry/aerosol module to simulate East Asian climate in 2006 and to test the climatic impacts of aerosols on regionalscale climate.The direct radiative forcing and climatic effects of aerosols(dust,sulfate,black carbon,and organic carbon) were discussed.The results indicated that aerosols generally produced negative radiative forcing at the top-of-the-atmosphere(TOA) over most areas of East Asia.The radiative forcing induced by aerosols exhibited significant seasonal and regional variations,with the strongest forcing occurring in summer.The aerosol feedbacks on surface air temperature and precipitation were clear.Surface cooling dominated features over the East Asian continental areas,which varied in the approximate range of-0.5 to-2°C with the maximum up to-3-C in summer over the deserts of West China.The aerosols induced complicated variations of precipitation.Except in summer,the rainfall generally varied in the range of-1 to 1 mm d-1 over most areas of China.     

Model analysis of influences of aerosol mixing state upon its optical properties in East Asia

The air quality model system RAMS (Regional Atmospheric Modeling System)-CMAQ (Models-3 Community Multi-scale Air Quality) coupled with an aerosol optical/radiative module was applied to investigate the impact of different aerosol mixing states (i.e., externally mixed, half externally and half internally mixed, and internally mixed) on radiative forcing in East Asia. The simulation results show that the aerosol optical depth (AOD) generally increased when the aerosol mixing state changed from externally mixed to internally mixed, while the single scattering albedo (SSA) decreased. Therefore, the scattering and absorption properties of aerosols can be significantly affected by the change of aerosol mixing states. Comparison of simulated and observed SSAs at five AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) sites suggests that SSA could be better estimated by considering aerosol particles to be internally mixed. Model analysis indicates that the impact of aerosol mixing state upon aerosol direct radiative forcing (DRF) is complex. Generally, the cooling effect of aerosols over East Asia are enhanced in the northern part of East Asia (Northern China, Korean peninsula, and the surrounding area of Japan) and are reduced in the southern part of East Asia (Sichuan Basin and Southeast China) by internal mixing process, and the variation range can reach 5 W m－2. The analysis shows that the internal mixing between inorganic salt and dust is likely the main reason that the cooling effect strengthens. Conversely, the internal mixture of anthropogenic aerosols, including sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, black carbon, and organic carbon, could obviously weaken the cooling effect.     

A Modeling Study of Seasonal Variation of Atmospheric Aerosols over East Asia

In this study, a regional air quality model system (RAQMS) was applied to investigate the spatial distributions and seasonal variations of atmospheric aerosols in 2006 over East Asia. Model validations demonstrated that RAQMS was able to reproduce the evolution processes of aerosol components reasonably well. Ground-level PM₁₀ (particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm) concentrations were highest in spring and lowest in summer and were characterized by three maximum centers: the Taklimakan Desert (～1000 μg m^-3), the Gobi Desert (～400 μg m^-3), and the Huabei Plain (～300 μm^-3) of China. Vertically, high PM₁₀ concentrations ranging from 100 μg m^-3 to 250 μg m^-3 occurred from the surface to an altitude of 6000 m at 30^o--45^oN in spring. In winter, the vertical gradient was so large that most aerosols were restricted in the boundary layer. Both sulfate and ammonium reached their highest concentrations in autumn, while nitrate reached its maximum level in winter. Black carbon and organic carbon aerosol concentrations reached maximums in winter. Soil dust were strongest in spring, whereas sea salt exerted the strongest influence on the coastal regions of eastern China in summer. The estimated burden of anthropogenic aerosols was largest in winter (1621 Gg) and smallest in summer (1040 Gg). The sulfate burden accounted for ～42% of the total anthropogenic aerosol burden. The dust burden was about twice the anthropogenic aerosol burden, implying the potentially important impacts of the natural aerosols on air quality and climate over East Asia.     

Aerosol remote sensing over land: A comparison of satellite retrievals using different algorithms and instruments

An inter-comparison study of the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) at 0.55 μm retrieved using different satellite instruments and algorithms based on the analysis of backscattered solar light is presented for a single scene over central Europe on October 13th, 2005. For the first time comparisons have been performed for as many as six instruments on multiple satellite platforms. Ten different algorithms are briefly discussed and inter-compared. It was found that on the scale of a single pixel there can be large differences in AOT retrieved over land using different retrieval techniques and instruments. However, these differences are not as pronounced for the average AOT over land. For instance, the average AOT at 0.55 μm for the area 7–12E, 49–53N was equal to 0.14 for MISR, NASA MODIS and POLDER algorithms. It is smaller by 0.01 for the ESA MERIS aerosol product and larger by 0.04 for the MERIS BAER algorithm. AOT as derived using AATSR gives on average larger values as compared to all other instruments, while SCIAMACHY retrievals underestimate the aerosol loading. These discrepancies are explained by uncertainties in a priori assumptions used in the different algorithms and differences in the sensor characteristics. Validation against AERONET shows that MERIS provides the most accurate AOT retrievals for this scene.     

Episode Simulation of Asian Dust Storms with an Air Quality Modeling System

A dust deflation module was developed and coupled with the air quality modeling system RAMS-CMAQ to simultaneously treat all the major tropospheric aerosols（i.e.,organic and black carbons,sulfate,nitrate, ammonia,soil dust,and sea salt）.Then the coupled system was applied to East Asia to simulate Asian dust aerosol generation,transport and dry/wet removal processes during 14-25 March 2002 when two strong dust storms occurred consecutively.To evaluate model performance and to analyze the observed features of dust aerosols over the East Asian region,model results were compared to concentrations of suspended particulate matter of 10μm or less(PM₁₀;1-h intervals) at four remote Japanese stations and daily air pollution index （API） values for PM₁₀ at four large Chinese cities.The modeled values were generally in good agreement with observed data,and the model reasonably reproduced two dust storm outbreaks and generally predicted the dust onset and cessation times at each observation site.In addition,hourly averaged values of aerosol optical thickness（AOT） were calculated and compared with observations at four Aerosol Robotic Network （AERONET） stations to assess the model’s capability of estimating dust aerosol column burden.Analysis shows that modeled and observed AOT values were generally comparable and that the contribution of dust aerosols to AOT was significant only with regard to their source regions and their transport paths.     

Grid-cell Aerosol Direct Shortwave Radiative Forcing Calculated Using the SBDART Model with MODIS and AERONET Observations:An Application in Winter and Summer in Eastern China

Taking winter and summer in eastern China as an example application, a grid-cell method of aerosol direct radiative forcing(ADRF) calculation is examined using the Santa Barbara DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer(SBDART) model with inputs from MODIS and AERONET observations and reanalysis data. Results show that there are significant seasonal and regional differences in climatological mean aerosol optical parameters and ADRF. Higher aerosol optical depth(AOD)occurs in summer and two prominent high aerosol loading centers are observed. Higher single scattering albedo(SSA) in summer is likely associated with the weak absorbing secondary aerosols. SSA is higher in North China during summer but higher in South China during winter. Aerosols induce negative forcing at the top of the atmosphere(TOA) and surface during both winter and summer, which may be responsible for the decrease in temperature and the increase in relative humidity.Values of ADRF at the surface are four times stronger than those at the TOA. Both AOD and ADRF present strong interannual variations; however, their amplitudes are larger in summer. Moreover, patterns and trends of ADRF do not always correspond well to those of AOD. Differences in the spatial distributions of ADRF between strong and weak monsoon years are captured effectively. Generally, the present results justify that to calculate grid-cell ADRF at a large scale using the SBDART model with observational aerosol optical properties and reanalysis data is an effective approach.