Aerosol spectra and new particle formation observed in various seasons in Nanjing

The aerosol number spectrum and gas pollutants were measured and the new particle formation （NPF） events were discussed in Nanjing. The results showed that the size distributions of aerosol number concen- trations exhibited distinct seasonal variations, implying the relations of particle sizes and their sources and sinks. The number concentrations of particles in the nuclei mode （10-30 nm）, Aitken mode （30-100 nm）, accumulation mode （100 -1000 nm） and coarse mode （〉1μm） varied in the order of summer 〉 spring 〉 autumn, summer 〉 autumn 〉 spring, autumn 〉 summer 〉 spring, and spring 〉 autumn 〉summer, re- spectively. The diurnal variation of total aerosol number concentrations showed three peaks in all observed periods, which corresponded to two rush hours and the photochemistry period at noon. In general, the NPF in summer occurred under the conditions of east winds and dominant air masses originating from marine areas with high relative humidity （50%-70%） and strong solar radiations （400 -700 W m-2）. In spring, the NPF were generally accompanied by low relative humidity （14%-30%） and strong solar radiations （400-600 W m-2）. The new particle growth rates （GR） were higher in the summertime in the range of 10- 16 nm h-1. In spring, the GR were 6.8-8.3 nm h-1. Under polluted air conditions, NPF events were seldom captured in autumn in Nanjing. During NPF periods, positive correlations between 10- 30 nm particles and 03 were detected, particularly in spring, indicating that NPF can be attributed to photochemical reactions.     

Aerosol monitoring at multiple locations in China: contributions of EC and dust to aerosol light absorption

This paper reports on the analysis of 24-h aerosol data measured during 2006, at 14 monitoring sites in China. Measurements included seven-wavelength Aethalometers, thermal/optical reflectance analyses of filter samples and determination of dust aerosols. Black (elemental) carbon (BC, EC) is found to be the principal light-absorbing aerosol over many parts of China; however, the fraction of apparent light absorption attributed to dust varied from 14% in winter, to 11% in spring, to 5% in summer to 9% in autumn. Aerosol light absorption in urban areas was larger than in rural areas by factors of 2.4 in winter, 3.1 in spring and 2.5 in both summer and autumn. These differences may lead to contrasts in radiative, thermal and cloud modification effects between urban and rural areas. Absorption 'hotspots' were located in the Sichuan Basin, the provinces south of Beijing, the Pearl Delta River regions and the Guanzhong Plain. The mass absorption coefficient for aerosol BC (σ_BC) based on Aethalometer data is estimated to be 11.7 m² g⁻¹ at 880 nm wavelength (λ) with inverse (λ⁻¹) wavelength scaling, whereas the mass absorption coefficient for dust (σ_dust) is 1.3 m² g⁻¹ on average without significant wavelength dependence.     

Development of particle size and composition distributions with a novel aerosol dynamics model

An aerosol dynamics model, AEROFOR2, is developed in the context of the BIOFOR project focussing on boreal forest aerosol. It is the second version of a Lagrangian type box model AEROFOR for investigating the formation and growth of particles under clear sky atmospheric conditions. Particles can consist of soluble and insoluble material and the particle population can be externally or internally mixed. AEROFOR2 includes gas phase chemistry and aerosol dynamics, and calculates the number and composition distributions of particles as functions of time. Observed growth rates of the nucleation mode particles after a typical nucleation event are 2–3 nm/h. The model simulations predict that 3·10⁷ molecules cm⁻³ of insoluble organic vapour and less than 6·10⁶ molecules cm⁻³ of soluble vapour condensing onto particles are enough to make them grow in good agreement with the observed growth rates. Then the source rate of the organic vapour must be an order of 10⁵ molecules cm⁻³ s⁻¹, and its saturation vapour density should be below 10⁶ molecules cm⁻³. If the aerosol was initially an internal mixture of soluble (70%) and insoluble (30%) constituents it transformed to an externally mixed aerosol during the simulation. By applying the externally‐mixed aerosol based on measured soluble volume fractions, it was concluded that the modelled soluble fraction of the nucleation mode was too low in comparison with the measurements, and thus, a part of the condensable organic vapour must be water soluble.     

Aerosol modulation of atmospheric and surface solar heating over the tropical Indian Ocean

The major finding of this study is that aerosols over the tropical Indian Ocean enhance clear sky atmospheric solar heating significantly and decrease the surface solar heating by even a larger amount. The results presented here are based on aerosol chemical, microphysical, and optical and radiometric data collected at the island of Kaashidhoo (4.97°N, 73.47°E) during February and March of 1998, as part of the first field phase of the Indian Ocean experiment (INDOEX). The aerosol optical properties were integrated with a multiple scattering Monte Carlo radiative transfer model which was validated at the surface with broadband flux measurements and at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) with the clouds and earth's radiant energy system (CERES) radiation budget measurements. We consider both externally and internally mixed aerosol models with very little difference between the two models in the estimated forcing. For the February–March period, the aerosols increase the monthly mean clear sky atmospheric solar heating by about 12 W/m²(about 15% of the total atmospheric solar heating) and decrease the sea surface clear sky solar heating by about 16 W/m² with a daily range from 5 to 23 W/m². The net aerosol forcing at the top of the atmosphere is about −4 W/m² with a daily range from −2 to −6 W/m². Although the soot contributes only about 10% to the aerosol optical thickness, it contributes more than 50% to the aerosol induced atmospheric solar heating. The fundamental conclusion of this study is that anthropogenic aerosols over the tropical Indian Ocean are altering the clear sky radiation budget of the atmosphere and surface in a major manner.     

Tropospheric carbon dioxide concentrations at a northern boreal site in Finland: basic variations and source areas

Diurnal and annual variations of CO₂, O_3, SO₂, black carbon and condensation nuclei and their source areas were studied by utilizing air parcel trajectories and tropospheric concentration measurements at a boreal GAW site in Pallas, Finland. The average growth trend of CO₂ was about 2.5 ppm yr⁻¹ according to a 4-yr measurement period starting in October 1996. The annual cycle of CO₂ showed concentration difference of about 19 ppm between the summer minimum and winter maximum. The diurnal cycle was most pronounced during July and August. The variation between daily minimum and maximum was about 5 ppm. There was a diurnal cycle in aerosol concentrations during spring and summer. Diurnal variation in ozone concentrations was weak. According to trajectory analysis the site was equally affected by continental and marine air masses. During summer the contribution of continental air increased, although the southernmost influences decreased. During daytime in summer the source areas of CO₂ were mainly located in the northern parts of the Central Europe, while during winter the sources were more evenly distributed. Ozone showed similar source areas during summer, while during winter, unlike CO₂, high concentrations were observed in air arriving from the sea. Sulfur dioxide sources were more northern (Kola peninsula and further east) and CO₂ sources west-weighted in comparison to sources of black carbon. Source areas of black carbon were similar to source areas of aerosols during winter. Aerosol source area distributions showed signs of marine sources during spring and summer.     

北京和邢台新粒子生成的差别及其对CCN活性的影响

基于2016年冬季和2017年夏季在北京、2016年夏季在邢台的三次气溶胶外场观测实验,选取三次观测期间典型的新粒子生成事件,分析其对气溶胶吸湿和云凝结核（CCN）活化特性的影响。两地分别位于华北平原北部超大城市区域和中南部工业化区域,两地不同季节新粒子形成机制不同,对应的凝结汇、生长速率以及气溶胶化学组分也不同。北京站点新粒子生成事件的发生以有机物的生成主导,而邢台站点新粒子生成事件的发生则以硫酸盐和有机物的生成共同主导。邢台站点新粒子生成过程中气溶胶吸湿性及云凝结核活化能力明显强于北京站点,此特点在核模态尺度粒子中表现尤为明显。以上结果表明,在估算新粒子生成对CCN数浓度的影响时,应充分考虑气溶胶吸湿和活化特性的差异。     

On small particles in the Arctic summer boundary layer: observations at two different heights near Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard

Concurrent observations of particle number densities and size distributions observed at two different heights (near ocean level and 475 m above sea level) in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard were studied with respect to the diurnal variation during a summer period in June 2004. The results show that observed variation in particle number density in the Arctic boundary layer may be strongly modulated by vertical mixing and dilution. The particles appeared to be formed in the early morning when solar intensity reached about 30% of the mid-day intensity. Based on differences in the observed number densities at the two heights it appears as if particles are formed in the lower part of the boundary layer. The formation rate of 10 nm diameter particles is estimated to be 0.11 cm⁻³ s⁻¹ and the growth rate is in a range between 1 and 2 nm h⁻¹.     

Chemical composition of the background aerosol at two sites in southwestern and northwestern China: potential influences of regional transport

Concentrations of organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), selected trace elements and water-soluble (WS) ions were determined for samples collected from August 2004 to February 2005 to assess the aerosol background at two remote sites in China. The OC and EC concentrations in PM₁₀ from near the Tibetan Plateau at Zhuzhang (ZUZ) were comparable with other background sites, averaging 3.1 and 0.34 μg m⁻³, respectively, with no pronounced seasonality. At Akdala (AKD) on northern margin of the Zhungaer Basin, the average concentrations were similar (mean OC = 2.9 μg m⁻³ and EC = 0.35 μg m⁻³), but the concentrations were higher in winter. The aerosol mass at both sites was dominated by OC and SO₄²⁻, but a stronger contribution from soil dust was observed at AKD. At ZUZ, NO₃⁻ showed a unique weather-related fluctuation in PM₁₀ with a periodicity of ∼1 week. Anthropogenic sources in the Sichuan Basin and southeastern Yunnan Province evidently influence ZUZ in summer and autumn while pollutants from Russia and the China–Mongolia border affect AKD nearly all year. The identification of these upwind sources demonstrates that transboundary transport needs to be taken into account when assessing air quality in remote parts of China.     

Spectral absorption coefficients and imaginary parts of refractive indices of Saharan dust during SAMUM-1

During the SAMUM-1 experiment, absorption coefficients and imaginary parts of refractive indices of mineral dust particles were investigated in southern Morocco. Main absorbing constituents of airborne samples were identified to be iron oxide and soot. Spectral absorption coefficients were measured using a spectral optical absorption photometer (SOAP) in the wavelength range from 300 to 800 nm with a resolution of 50 nm. A new method that accounts for a loading-dependent correction of fibre filter based absorption photometers, was developed. The imaginary part of the refractive index was determined using Mie calculations from 350 to 800 nm. The spectral absorption coefficient allowed a separation between dust and soot absorption. A correlation analysis showed that the dust absorption coefficient is correlated ( R ² up to 0.55) with the particle number concentration for particle diameters larger than 0.5 μm, whereas the coefficient of determination R ² for smaller particles is below 0.1. Refractive indices were derived for both the total aerosol and a dust aerosol that was corrected for soot absorption. Average imaginary parts of refractive indices of the entire aerosol are 7.4 × 10⁻³, 3.4 × 10⁻³ and 2.0 × 10⁻³ at wavelengths of 450, 550 and 650 nm. After a correction for the soot absorption, imaginary parts of refractive indices are 5.1 × 10⁻³, 1.6 × 10⁻³ and 4.5 × 10⁻⁴.     

Size‐segregated chemical, gravimetric and number distribution‐derived mass closure of the aerosol in Sagres, Portugal during ACE‐2

During the ACE‐2 field campaign in the summer of 1997 an intensive, ground‐based physical and chemical characterisation of the clean marine and continentally polluted aerosol was performed at Sagres, Portugal. Number size distributions of the dry aerosol in the size range 3–10 000 nm were continuously measured using DMPS and APS systems. Impactor samples were regularly taken at 60% relative humidity (RH) to obtain mass size distributions by weighing the impactor foils, and to derive a chemical mass balance by ion and carbon analysis. Hygroscopic growth factors of the metastable aerosol at 60% RH were determined to estimate the number size distribution at a relative humidity of 60%. A size segregated 3‐way mass closure study was performed in this investigation for the first time. Mass size distributions at 60% RH derived from number size distribution measurements and impactors samples (weighing and chemical analysis) are compared. A good agreement was found for the comparison of total gravimetrically‐determined mass with both number distribution‐derived (slope=1.23/1.09; R²>0.97; depending on the parameters humidity growth and density) and chemical mass concentration (slope=1.02; R²= 0.79) for particles smaller than 3 μm in diameter. Except for the smallest impactor size range relatively good correlations (slope=0.86–1.42) with small deviations (R²=0.76–0.98) for the different size fractions were found. Since uncertainties in each of the 3 methods are about 20% the observed differences in the size‐segregated mass fractions can be explained by the measurement uncertainties. However, the number distribution‐derived mass is mostly higher than the chemically and gravimetrically determined mass, which can be explained by sampling losses of the impactor, but as well with measurement uncertainties as, e.g., the sizing of the DMPS/APS.     

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.     

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.     

Evolution of boundary‐layer aerosol particles due to in‐cloud chemical reactions during the 2nd Lagrangian experiment of ACE‐2

The second Aerosol Characterisation Experiment (ACE‐2) was aimed at investigating the physical, chemical and radiative properties of aerosol and their evolution in the North Atlantic region. In the 2nd "Lagrangian" experiment, an air mass was tracked over a 30‐h period during conditions of extensive stratocumulus cover. Boundary‐layer measurements of the aerosol size distribution obtained with a passive cavity aerosol spectrometer probe (PCASP) during the experiment show a gradual growth in size of particles in the 0.1–0.2 μm diameter mode. Simultaneously, SO₂ concentrations were found to decrease sharply from 800 to 20 ppt. The fraction of sulphate in aerosol ionic mass increased from 0.68±0.07 to 0.82±0.09 for small particles (diameter below 1.7 μm) and from 0.21±0.04 to 0.34±0.03 for large particles (diameter above 1.7 μm). The measurements were compared with a multicyclic parcel model of gas phase diffusion into cloud droplets and aqueous phase chemical reactions. The model was able to broadly reproduce the observed transformation in the aerosol spectra and the timescale for the transformation of SO₂ to sulphate aerosol. The modelled SO₂ concentration in the boundary layer fell to below half its initial value over a 6.5‐h time period due to a combination of the entrainment of cleaner tropospheric air and cloud chemical reactions. NH₃ and HCl gas were also found to play an important rôle in cloud processing in the model.     

Properties of dust aerosol particles transported to Portugal from the Sahara desert

Aerosol properties of mineral particles in the far field of an African desert dust outbreak were investigated that brought Saharan dust over the Mediterranean in different layers to Portugal. The measurements were performed inside the project Desert Aerosols over Portugal (DARPO) which was linked to the Saharan Mineral Dust Experiment (SAMUM). The maximum particle mass concentration was about 150 μg m⁻³ and the corresponding scattering coefficient was 130 M m⁻¹ which results in a mass scattering efficiency of 0.87 m² g⁻¹. The aerosol optical depth reached values up to 0.53 and the lidar ratio was between 45 and 50 in the whole dust loaded column. A comparison between particle size distributions and refractive indices derived from different instruments and models showed a general good agreement but some minor differences could also be observed. Measurements as well as calculations with a particle transport model suggest that there is a relatively higher concentration of very large particles in the upper region of the dust layer than on the surface which is likely connected with meteorological conditions at the observational site (Évora, Portugal).     

Observations of the evolution of the aerosol, cloud and boundary‐layer characteristics during the 1st ACE‐2 Lagrangian experiment

During the 1st Lagrangian experiment of the North Atlantic Regional Aerosol Characterisation Experiment (ACE‐2), a parcel of air was tagged by releasing a smart, constant level balloon into it from the Research Vessel Vodyanitskiy . The Meteorological Research Flight's C‐130 aircraft then followed this parcel over a period of 30 h characterising the marine boundary layer (MBL), the cloud and the physical and chemical aerosol evolution. The air mass had originated over the northern North Atlantic and thus was clean and had low aerosol concentrations. At the beginning of the experiment the MBL was over 1500 m deep and made up of a surface mixed layer (SML) underlying a layer containing cloud beneath a subsidence inversion. Subsidence in the free troposphere caused the depth of the MBL to almost halve during the experiment and, after 26 h, the MBL became well mixed throughout its whole depth. Salt particle mass in the MBL increased as the surface wind speed increased from 8 m s⁻¹ to 16 m s⁻¹ and the accumulation mode (0.1μm to 3.0 μm) aerosol concentrations quadrupled from 50 cm⁻³ to 200 cm⁻³. However, at the same time the total condensation nuclei (>3 nm) decreased from over 1000 cm⁻³ to 750 cm⁻³. The changes in the accumulation mode aerosol concentrations had a significant effect on the observed cloud microphysics. Observational evidence suggests that the important processes in controlling the Aitken mode concentration which, dominated the total CN concentration, included, scavenging of interstitial aerosol by cloud droplets, enhanced coagulation of Aitken mode aerosol and accumulation mode aerosol due to the increased sea salt aerosol surface area, and dilution of the MBL by free tropospheric air.     

Observation of new particle formation and growth under cloudy conditions at Gosan Climate Observatory,Korea

Under cloudy conditions at the Gosan Climate Observatory (GCO), Korea, we observed distinct new particle formation and growth (NPF) events from simultaneous co-located measurements of aerosol and cloud profiles, cloud cover, shortwave radiation, and the number concentration and size distribution of aerosols. The high frequency of NPF was observed at GCO under decreased downwelling solar radiation caused by clouds. Although we observed about 15 and 40 % decreases in downwelling surface shortwave radiations, in the presence of thick mid-level (low-level) clouds, on January 28 and 30, 2012, respectively, distinct NPFs with a growth rate of 3.3 (3.9) nm h^?1 were observed. We examined a 4-year series (May 2008 to April 2012) of continuous measurements of the size distribution of aerosol numbers and visually observed cloud cover. We found that approximately 13 % (i.e., 35 days out of 280 days) of total NPF events were observed under cloud-free conditions (i.e., cloud cover of 0/10). About 20 % (i.e., 57 days out of 280 days) of total NPF events occurred under mostly overcast conditions (i.e., cloud cover of 9/10–10/10). Although NPF events occurring under cloudy conditions were also found elsewhere, the frequency of NPF occurring at GCO seems much higher. The average value of relative humidity for the strong-NPF event days is lower than that of the weak and non-NPF event days for all cloud categories. No significant difference in the condensation sink was found among strong-, weak-, and non-NPF days, but the condensation sink showed a slight decreasing tendency with increasing cloudiness. Further investigations on precursor gases and preexisting aerosols under cloudy conditions are needed.     

Vertical fluxes and micrometeorology during aerosol particle formation events

Fluxes of aerosol particles with sizes larger than 10 nm together with fluxes of momentum, sensible and latent heat and CO₂ were measured 10 m above a Scots pine forest with the eddy covariance method. During days when nucleation events were observed particle size distribution measurements showed particle growth from 3 nm sizes to the Aitken mode. Analysis of the experimental data showed systematic differences in fluxes during the days when new particle production was observed compared to other days. During the nucleation events the particle flux measurements showed downward aerosol particle transport, i.e., indicating an elevated source, with respect to the measurement level, of particles larger than 10 nm. Furthermore the turbulence intensity and the heat fluxes were observed to be significantly higher. Evidences of mesoscale circulation were observed in wind speed records as well as in turbulent fluxes on nucleation days. The measurement results show that micrometeorology, the synoptic scale conditions and the particle formation are closely related.     

感应电机矢量控制系统的仿真研究

根据2008年4—7月黄山大气气溶胶观测资料,研究了气溶胶粒子的数浓度、谱分布特征及其与气象因子的关系,探讨了雾天和非雾天气溶胶颗粒物时间和尺度分布特点。分析发现,黄山光明顶春、夏季大气气溶胶数浓度的平均值分别为3.14×103个/cm3和1.80×103个/cm3,其中超细粒子（粒径小于0.1μm的粒子）在春夏季分别约占总粒子数浓度的79%和68%;高数浓度值集中在粒径0.04～0.12μm;积聚模态气溶胶粒子（0.1～1.0μm）在体积浓度分布和表面积分布中占很大比例。结合气象资料比较了雾天与非雾天气溶胶分布的差异,发现细粒子浓度非雾天大于雾天,而气溶胶数浓度与温度呈正相关,与相对湿度成反相关。结果还发现,黄山在春季以西北风和偏南风为主,西北风时气溶胶数浓度较高,在夏季主要以偏南风,特别是西南风为主,但是气溶胶数浓度的高值多发生在偏东风的条件下。     

北京PM1中的化学组成及其控制对策思考

通过分析北京城区2007年夏季和秋季、2008年冬季和春季4个季节PM₁中硫酸盐、硝酸盐、铵盐、有机物和黑碳等气溶胶化学组成,结合对我国及全球主要区域PM₁₀中上述气溶胶组分及矿物气溶胶组成的评估,发现因受干旱区产生的沙尘和城市逸散性粉尘的共同影响,整个亚洲大陆,尤其是我国的矿物气溶胶浓度与欧美国家城市区域气溶胶总和的平均值相当或更高。我国在重视控制PM_2.5等细粒子污染的同时,不应忽视对PM_2.5~PM₁₀之间粗粒子的控制力度;北京城区春、夏、秋、冬的PM₁平均质量浓度分别约为94,74,66 μg·m-3和91 μg·m-3,全年平均约为81 μg·m-3,其中有机物气溶胶约占41%,硫酸盐占16%,硝酸盐占13%,铵盐占8%,黑碳和氯化物分别占11%和3%,细矿物气溶胶约贡献7%。对于PM_2.5污染的控制,关键是消减PM₁中主要气溶胶粒子的排放与转化,其中对有机物的控制更为重要,尽管对于北京而言进一步污染控制的难度已经很大。从科学上来说,即使我国的控制措施能百分之百实现,也很难稳定地达到欧美国家的空气质量水平,因为我国本底矿物气溶胶的浓度较高。应进一步评估各项控制措施的适用性,并制定考虑我国人群健康状况的PM_2.5空气质量标准。     

Saharan dust absorption and refractive index from aircraft-based observations during SAMUM 2006

During the Saharan Mineral Dust Experiment (SAMUM) conducted in summer 2006 in southeast Morocco, the complex refractive index of desert dust was determined from airborne measurements of particle size distributions and aerosol absorption coefficients at three different wavelengths in the blue (467 nm), green (530 nm) and red (660 nm) spectral regions. The vertical structure of the dust layers was analysed by an airborne high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL). The origin of the investigated dust layers was estimated from trajectory analyses, combined with Meteosat 2nd Generation (MSG) scenes and wind field data analyses. The real part n of the dust refractive index was found almost constant with values between 1.55 and 1.56, independent of the wavelength. The values of the imaginary part k varied between the blue and red spectral regions by a factor of three to ten depending on the dust source region. Absolute values of k ranged from 3.1 × 10⁻³ to 5.2 × 10⁻³ at 450 nm and from 0.3 × 10⁻³ to 2.5 × 10⁻³ at 700 nm. Groupings of k values could be attributed to different source regions.