A study of aerosol particle sizes in the atmosphere of Athens,Greece, retrieved from solar spectral measurements

This work aims at determining the aerosol particle radii in the atmosphere of Athens. Such a work is carried out in Athens for the first time. For this purpose, solar spectral direct-beam irradiance measurements were used in the spectral range 310–575 nm. To estimate the particle radius from aerosol optical depth retrieval, a minimization technique was employed based on the golden-section search of the difference between experimental and theoretical values of the aerosol optical depth. The necessary Mie computations were performed based on the algorithm LVEC.In this study, the mean particle radius of a given distribution was calculated every 30 min during cloudless days in the period November 1996 to September 1997. The largest particles were observed in the summer and the smallest during winter. The result was verified by the increased values of the aerosol optical depth and the turbidity factors calculated in the summer. The differences in the diurnal variation from season to season are attributed to the prevailing wind regime, pollutant emission and sink rates in the atmosphere of Athens.     

A study of aerosol particle sizes in the atmosphere of Athens, Greece, retrieved from solar spectral measurements

This work aims at determining the aerosol particle radii in the atmosphere of Athens. Such a work is carried out in Athens for the first time. For this purpose, solar spectral direct-beam irradiance measurements were used in the spectral range 310–575 nm. To estimate the particle radius from aerosol optical depth retrieval, a minimization technique was employed based on the golden-section search of the difference between experimental and theoretical values of the aerosol optical depth. The necessary Mie computations were performed based on the algorithm LVEC.In this study, the mean particle radius of a given distribution was calculated every 30 min during cloudless days in the period November 1996 to September 1997. The largest particles were observed in the summer and the smallest during winter. The result was verified by the increased values of the aerosol optical depth and the turbidity factors calculated in the summer. The differences in the diurnal variation from season to season are attributed to the prevailing wind regime, pollutant emission and sink rates in the atmosphere of Athens.     

Retrospective cloud determinations from surface solar radiation measurements

Surface solar radiation measurements have been made at many meteorological sites for long periods. These data potentially provide higher temporal resolution cloud amount information than traditional estimations of cloud amount recorded in eighths of the sky obscured (oktas). To utilise existing solar radiation datasets for this, two quantities are derived from the surface measurements of global (G) and diffuse (D) solar irradiance, and top of atmosphere solar irradiance (E) — the Diffuse Fraction (DF = D/G) and the Opaqueness (Op = 1 - G/E). These are compared with subjective cloud observations made at Reading daily during 1997 to 2006. This shows that DF measurements are sensitive to cloud amount, particularly for low and moderate cloud coverage. Complimentary information is available in Op, which is particularly sensitive to cloud amount in moderate to overcast cloud coverage. In overcast conditions, DF = 1, during which Op provides a measure of overcast cloud thickness. As well as cloud amount, the variability in DF and Op provides a basis for discriminating between cumuliform and stratiform cloud: large variability indicates convective cloud whereas only small variability occurs under stratiform cloud.     

On the evaluation of natural illumination from radiometric measurements of solar radiation

Summary A new method is described for deriving values of the natural illumination of direct solar radiation from measurements of the latter, integrally with regard to wavelength and, simultaneously, in well-defined spectral regions. The basic equations are presented and graphical comparisons between data so computed and observed analyzed. The degree of prediction of individual short-period values of direct illumination flux (e. g. half-hourly intervals), established for wide ranges of solar height and turbidity, is of the same order as the accuracy generally expected in such series of carefully conducted measurement programs. This technique of employing radiometric rather than photometric measurements is thus shown to have a general application.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird eine neue Methode zur Berechnung von Werten der natürlichen Beleuchtungsst?rke durch die direkte Sonnenstrahlung aus Messungen der letzteren abgeleitet, und zwar gleichzeitig für das gesamte Spektrum und für genau abgegrenzte Spektralbereiche. Es werden die Grundgleichungen angegeben und graphische Vergleiche zwischen den so berechneten und den beobachteten Werten durchgeführt. Einzelwerte des direkten Lichtstromes über kurze Zeiten (z. B. Halbstundenintervalle), die für gro?e Bereiche von Sonnenh?he und Trübung berechnet wurden, haben denselben Genauigkeitsgrad, wie man ihn bei sorgf?ltig ausgeführten Me?programmen gew?hnlich erwartet. Damit ist erwiesen, da? die Methode, Strahlungsmessungen statt Lichtmessungen zu verwenden, allgemein angewendet werden kann.

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Résumé Les auteurs exposent ici une nouvelle méthode permettant de calculer l'intensité lumineuse naturelle du rayonnement solaire direct au moyen de la mesure de ce dernier. Cette méthode permet le calcul aussi bien pour la totalité du spectre que pour certaines bandes délimitées. Les auteurs indiquent les équations de base et donnent des comparaisons graphiques entre des valeurs observeés et calculées de cette manière. Les valeurs isolées du flux lumineux direct regu en des laps de temps brefs (par exemple dúne demie-heure), valeurs calculées pour de grands intervalles aussi bien de la hauteur du soleil que du trouble atmosphérique, donnent le même degré déxactitude que celui quón peut attendre de mesures directés effectées soigneusement. On a ainsi démontré que la méthode qui consiste à utiliser des mesures du rayonnement au lieu de la luminosité peut être utilisée de fa?on trés g&&ale.

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With 3 Figures

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Dedicated to Dr.W. M?rikofer on the occasion of his 70th birthday.     

Field experiment on studying solar radiation passing through aerosol layers

Results of a field experiment on studying solar radiation passing in the visible wavelength range are described with the model aerosol media created in the surface atmosphere. High-efficiency thermocondensation generators were used for creating model aerosol media. The index of refraction and an average size of the aerosol particles formed are close to those characteristic of the natural stratospheric aerosol. The composition and technical characteristics of the equipment complex used in the experiments to control aerosol optical and microphysical parameters and meteorological conditions of the experiment are considered. The Gaussian model of impurity dispersion in the boundary layer is used for the analysis and interpretation of measurement results. It is found that with a number concentration of aerosol particles of ～10²–10³ cm^?3 (which corresponds to the aerosol density in the deposited layer of about 1–10 mg/m² with the layer thickness along the ray path of about 100 m) the solar radiation attenuation with artificial aerosol layers accounts for 1 to 10%. Model estimates are in satisfactory agreement with the measurement results.     

Measurements of the spectral aerosol optical depth using a sun photometer

Summary A sun photometer fitted with 9 narrowband interference filters from 368 nm to 1024 nm was used to determine the aerosol optical depth at 8 measuring stations in Europe. Of the 9 filters, 4 were not included in the standard equipment of the sun photometer. Given the temporal instabilities of the calibration factors of these 4 filters, meaningful results for the aerosol optical depth can be achieved only if calibration and measurements follow each other closely. Calibration was performed using the Langley plot method. For wavelengths < 500 nm, the measured aerosol optical depths were compared with the results of a high resolution spectrometer. Broadband aerosol optical depths, centred at 427 nm, were determined with an actinometer and were also used for comparison. Generally, there was good agreement of the results. To characterize the aerosol optical depths, the Ångström parameters and were used. The individual measuring stations showed a clustered distribution of and values.With 6 Figures     

Modulation of decadal ENSO-like variation by effective solar radiation

Prediction of the Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly in the coming decades is a challenge as the SST anomaly changes over time due to natural and anthropogenic climate forcing. The climate changes in the mid-1970s and late-1990s were related to the decadal Pacific SST variability. The changes in the mid-1970s were associated with the positive phase of decadal El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-like SST variation, and the changes in the late-1990s were related to its negative phase. However, it is not clear whether this decadal SST variability is related to any external forcing. Here, we show that the effective solar radiation (ESR), which includes the net solar radiation and the effects of volcanic eruption, has modulated this decadal ENSO-like oscillation. The eastern Pacific warming (cooling) associated with this decadal ENSO-like oscillation over the past 139 years is significantly related to weak (strong) ESR. The weak ESR with strong volcanic eruption is found to strengthen the El Niño, resulting in an El Niño-like SST anomaly on the decadal time scale. The strong eruptions of the El Chicho’n (1982) and Pinatubo (1991) volcanoes reduced the ESR during the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. The radiation reduction weakened the Walker circulation due to the “ocean thermostat” mechanism that generates eastern Pacific warming associated with a decadal El Niño-like SST anomaly. This mechanism has been confirmed by the millennium run of ECHO-G model, in which the positive eastward gradient of SST over the equatorial Pacific was simulated under the weak ESR forcing on the decadal time scale. We now experience a reversal of the trend in the ESR. The strong solar radiation and lack of strong volcanic eruptions over the past 15 years have resulted in strong ESR, which should enhance the Walker circulation, leading to a La Niña-like SST anomaly.     

Profiles of cloud fraction and water content deduced from ground-based solar radiation measurements

Ground-based measured solar radiation fluxes are used to derive simultaneously cloud water content and cloud fraction cover. In this paper we present a new method for prognostically inferring cloud microphysical properties based on previous work of Chou and Suarez. A look up table method combined with simulated annealing process is associated with the Chou and Suarez radiation transfer model called CLIRAD-SW. This model which is of great sensitivity has been validated for several atmospheres. Calculations here are conducted for an equivalent period of one year of measurement realized by the MINREST-LRE program for the Yaoundé meteorological station during the year 1984 and are focused on the previously derived average solar days similar to those proposed by Klein and more representative of the monthly solar radiation profile. In order to reduce computational time, mean values of liquid, mixed phase and ice cloud effective radius are used according to those proposed by Chou M.D. As part of our retrieving method, diffuse and global fluxes calculated for each set of cloud and aerosol microphysical characteristics are compared with the fluxes measured during the corresponding period. The obtained results are in very good agreement with those fluxes with relative errors ranging from 0.001% to 1.9% for diffuse flux and from 0.0009% to 2% for global flux. Mean cloud fraction profile obtained was generally well correlated with seasons whereas the correlation of cloud water content with seasons was not very good. However, the characteristic trend was in good agreement with the change in seasons. The overall agreement observed suggests that the method is capable of characterizing cloud water content and fraction for the given period of the day and the year although the lack of in situ measurements was a limitation for a valuable verification of the accuracy of the method.     

Trends in spectral UV radiation from long-term measurements at Hoher Sonnblick, Austria

High-quality long-term records of spectral UV irradiance from the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change-affiliated Bentham spectroradiometer at the high-mountain site Hoher Sonnblick (47.05° N, 12.95° E, 3,106?m above sea level) from the period 1997?C2011 have been investigated for the existence of trends. Throughout the year, significant upward trends are found at wavelengths of 315?nm and longer. The magnitudes at 315?nm range from +9.3?±?4.5?%/dec at 45° solar zenith angle (SZA) to +14.2?±?3.7?%/dec at SZA 65° for all-sky conditions. The trend estimates at 305?nm are considerably smaller and less significant, yielding between +5.1?±?6.5 and +7.9?±?7.3?%/dec, depending on SZA. Seasonally, the largest trends are found during winter and spring. Total ozone has significantly increased by year-round +1.9?±?1.3?%/dec since 1997 and therefore cannot explain these significant increases. They are rather attributed to decreases in total cloud cover and aerosol optical depth.     

A small thermoelectric pyranometer for measurements of solar radiation in field crops

Summary The design of a small pyranometer for measurements in field crops is described. Results of a series of laboratory tests with the instrument are given and discussed in relation to the use of the instrument in field crops.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird eine Konstruktion eines kleinen Pyranometers für Messungen in Getreidefeldern beschrieben. Ergebnisse einer Serie von Laboratoriumsprüfungen des Instruments werden wiedergegeben und hinsichtlich der Eignung des Geräts für die erwähnten Feldmessungen diskutiert.

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Résumé On décrit ici la construction d'un petit pyranomètre destiné à la mesure du rayonnement dans des champs de céréales. On indique les résultats de séries d'observations comparatives faites en laboratoire au moyen du dit instrument. On les discute enfin en tenant compte des possibilités d'utiliser ce pyranomètre pour des mesures dans les champs.

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With 8 Figures     

Cloud cover classification through simultaneous ground-based measurements of solar and infrared radiation

Simultaneous measurements of downwelling short-wave solar irradiance and incoming total radiation flux were performed at the Reeves Nevè glacier station (1200 m MSL) in Antarctica on 41 days from late November 1994 to early January 1995, employing the upward sensors of an albedometer and a pyrradiometer. The downwelling short-wave radiation measurements were analysed following the Duchon and O'Malley [J. Appl. Meteorol. 38 (1999) 132] procedure for classifying clouds, using the 50-min running mean values of standard deviation and the ratio of scaled observed to scaled clear-sky irradiance. Comparing these measurements with the Duchon and O'Malley rectangular boundaries and the local human observations of clouds collected on 17 days of the campaign, we found that the Duchon and O'Malley classification method obtained a success rate of 93% for cirrus and only 25% for cumulus. New decision criteria were established for some polar cloud classes providing success rates of 94% for cirrus, 67% for cirrostratus and altostratus, and 33% for cumulus and altocumulus.The ratios of the downwelling short-wave irradiance measured for cloudy-sky conditions to that calculated for clear-sky conditions were analysed in terms of the Kasten and Czeplak [Sol. Energy 24 (1980) 177] formula together with simultaneous human observations of cloudiness, to determine the empirical relationship curves providing reliable estimates of cloudiness for each of the three above-mentioned cloud classes. Using these cloudiness estimates, the downwelling long-wave radiation measurements (obtained as differences between the downward fluxes of total and short-wave radiation) were examined to evaluate the downwelling long-wave radiation flux normalised to totally overcast sky conditions. Calculations of the long-wave radiation flux were performed with the MODTRAN 3.7 code [Kneizys, F.X., Abreu, L.W., Anderson, G.P., Chetwynd, J.H., Shettle, E.P., Berk, A., Bernstein, L.S., Robertson, D.C., Acharya, P., Rothman, L.S., Selby, J.E.A., Gallery, W.O., Clough, S.A., 1996. In: Abreu, L.W., Anderson, G.P. (Eds.), The MODTRAN 2/3 Report and LOWTRAN 7 MODEL. Contract F19628-91-C.0132, Phillips Laboratory, Geophysics Directorate, PL/GPOS, Hanscom AFB, MA, 261 pp.] for both clear-sky and cloudy-sky conditions, considering various cloud types characterised by different cloud base altitudes and vertical thicknesses. From these evaluations, best-fit curves of the downwelling long-wave radiation flux were defined as a function of the cloud base height for the three polar cloud classes. Using these relationship curves, average estimates of the cloud base height were obtained from the three corresponding sub-sets of long-wave radiation measurements. The relative frequency histograms of the cloud base height defined by examining these three sub-sets were found to present median values of 4.7, 1.7 and 3.6 km for cirrus, cirrostratus/altostratus and cumulus/altocumulus, respectively, while median values of 6.5, 1.8 and 2.9 km were correspondingly determined by analysing only the measurements taken together with simultaneous cloud observations.     

太阳光度计反演气溶胶参数的方法比较

气溶胶光学厚度(AOD)、一次散射反射比(ω_0)、粒子谱分布和散射相函数是表征气溶胶光学微物理特征的重要参数。利用CE318太阳光度计的直接测量数据与平纬圈测量数据基于Skyrad.pack算法可以用于反演这些气溶胶参数。结合光度计标定结果以及针对观测数据的严格去云方案和质量控制措施,利用该算法对几种不同的大气混浊度状况计算了上述气溶胶参数。计算结果与基于Dubovik算法的AERONET业务产品进行了比较,发现两种方法得到的结果大部分比较一致。虽然在大气混浊度较小的情况,Skyrad反演的ω_0和谱分布中的小粒子体积浓度与Dubovik结果相比有很大差异,同时Skyrad的计算误差较大,说明在实际AOD较小时,Skyrad算法的稳定性较低,但其反演结果依然能够在一定程度上表征气溶胶的光学特征。基本分析表明,基于Skyrad.pack算法的等天顶角观测反演结果在一定的大气混浊度和合适的太阳天顶角条件下是合理的,能够用于未纳入AERONET体系的光度计观测的气溶胶光学微物理参数研究。     

Evaluation and estimation of daily global solar radiation from the estimated direct and diffuse solar radiation

Active layer plays a key role in regulating the dynamics of hydrothermal processes and ecosystems that are sensitive to the changing climate in permafrost regions. However, little is known about the hydrothermal dynamics during freeze-thaw processes in permafrost regions with different vegetation types on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). In the present study, the freezing and thawing processes at four sites (QT01, 03, 04, and 05) with different vegetation types on the QTP was analyzed. The results indicated that the impact on the soil water and heat during the summer thawing process was markedly greater than that during the autumn freezing process. Furthermore, the thermal-orbit regression slopes for all sites exhibited a homologous variation as the depth increased, with the slowest attenuation for the meadow sites (QT01 and QT03) and a slightly faster attenuation for the desert steppe site (QT05). The air and ground surface temperatures were similar in winter, but the ground surface temperature was significantly higher than the air temperature in summer in the radiation-rich environment at all sites on the QTP. The results also indicated that the n-factors were between 0.36 and 0.55 during the thawing season, and the annual mean temperature near the permafrost table was between − 1.26 and − 1.84 °C. In the alpine desert steppe region, the thermal conditions exhibited to show a warming trend, with a current permafrost table temperature of − 0.22 °C. The annual changing amplitude of the ground temperature at the permafrost table was different for different vegetation types.