Continental pollution in the Western Mediterranean basin: large variability of the aerosol single scattering albedo and influence on the direct shortwave radiative effect
Pollution aerosols strongly influence the composition of the Western Mediterranean basin, but at present little is known on their optical properties. We report in this study in situ observations of the single scattering albedo (<i>ω</i>) of pollution aerosol plumes measured over the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2016-08-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/10591/2016/acp-16-10591-2016.pdf |
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| author | C. Di Biagio P. Formenti L. Doppler C. Gaimoz N. Grand G. Ancellet J.-L. Attié J.-L. Attié S. Bucci S. Bucci P. Dubuisson F. Fierli M. Mallet F. Ravetta |
| author_facet | C. Di Biagio P. Formenti L. Doppler C. Gaimoz N. Grand G. Ancellet J.-L. Attié J.-L. Attié S. Bucci S. Bucci P. Dubuisson F. Fierli M. Mallet F. Ravetta |
| author_sort | C. Di Biagio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Pollution aerosols strongly influence the composition of the Western
Mediterranean basin, but at present little is known on their optical
properties. We report in this study in situ observations of the single
scattering albedo (<i>ω</i>) of pollution aerosol plumes measured over the
Western Mediterranean basin during the TRAQA (TRansport and Air QuAlity)
airborne campaign in summer 2012. Cases of pollution export from different
source regions around the basin and at different altitudes between
∼ 160 and 3500 m above sea level were sampled during the
flights. Data from this study show a large variability of <i>ω</i>, with
values between 0.84–0.98 at 370 nm and 0.70–0.99 at 950 nm. The single
scattering albedo generally decreases with the wavelength, with some
exception associated to the mixing of pollution with sea spray or dust
particles over the sea surface. The lowest values of <i>ω</i> (0.84–0.70
between 370 and 950 nm) are measured in correspondence of a fresh plume
possibly linked to ship emissions over the basin. The range of variability
of <i>ω</i> observed in this study seems to be independent of the source
region around the basin, as well as of the altitude and aging time of the
plumes. The observed variability of <i>ω</i> reflects in a large
variability for the complex refractive index of pollution aerosols, which is
estimated to span in the large range 1.41–1.77 and 0.002–0.097 for the real
and the imaginary parts, respectively, between 370 and 950 nm.<br><br>
Radiative calculations in clear-sky conditions were performed with the GAME
radiative transfer model to test the sensitivity of the aerosol shortwave
Direct Radiative Effect (DRE) to the variability of <i>ω</i> as observed in
this study. Results from the calculations suggest up to a 50 and 30 %
change of the forcing efficiency (FE), i.e. the DRE per unit of optical
depth, at the surface (−160/−235 W m<sup>−2</sup> <i>τ</i><sup>−1</sup> at 60°
solar zenith angle) and at the Top-Of-Atmosphere
(−137/−92 W m<sup>−2</sup> <i>τ</i><sup>−1</sup>) for <i>ω</i> varying between its
maximum and minimum value. This induces a change of up to an order of
magnitude (+23/+143 W m<sup>−2</sup> <i>τ</i><sup>−1</sup>) for the radiative effect
within the atmosphere. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T19:17:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1107e45ffb8840c48d03f3f3dd3a609e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T19:17:43Z |
| publishDate | 2016-08-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-1107e45ffb8840c48d03f3f3dd3a609e2022-12-22T01:36:33ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242016-08-0116105911060710.5194/acp-16-10591-2016Continental pollution in the Western Mediterranean basin: large variability of the aerosol single scattering albedo and influence on the direct shortwave radiative effectC. Di Biagio0P. Formenti1L. Doppler2C. Gaimoz3N. Grand4G. Ancellet5J.-L. Attié6J.-L. Attié7S. Bucci8S. Bucci9P. Dubuisson10F. Fierli11M. Mallet12F. Ravetta13LISA, UMR CNRS 7583, Université Paris Est Créteil et Université Paris Diderot, Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, Créteil, FranceLISA, UMR CNRS 7583, Université Paris Est Créteil et Université Paris Diderot, Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, Créteil, FranceDeutscher Wetterdienst, Meteorological Observatory Lindenberg, Lindenberg (Tauche), GermanyLISA, UMR CNRS 7583, Université Paris Est Créteil et Université Paris Diderot, Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, Créteil, FranceLISA, UMR CNRS 7583, Université Paris Est Créteil et Université Paris Diderot, Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, Créteil, FranceSorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Université Versailles St-Quentin, CNRS/INSU, LATMOS-IPSL, Paris, FranceLaboratoire d'Aérologie, University of Toulouse, UMR 5560 CNRS, Toulouse, FranceCNRM UMR 3589, Météo-France/CNRS, Toulouse, FranceInstitute for Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the National Research Council (ISAC-CNR), Rome, 00133, ItalySc. Dept. of Physics, Ferrara University, Ferrara, 44121, ItalyLaboratoire d'Optique Atmosphérique, Université Lille, Villeneuve d'Ascq, 59655 CEDEX, FranceInstitute for Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the National Research Council (ISAC-CNR), Rome, 00133, ItalyCNRM UMR 3589, Météo-France/CNRS, Toulouse, FranceSorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Université Versailles St-Quentin, CNRS/INSU, LATMOS-IPSL, Paris, FrancePollution aerosols strongly influence the composition of the Western Mediterranean basin, but at present little is known on their optical properties. We report in this study in situ observations of the single scattering albedo (<i>ω</i>) of pollution aerosol plumes measured over the Western Mediterranean basin during the TRAQA (TRansport and Air QuAlity) airborne campaign in summer 2012. Cases of pollution export from different source regions around the basin and at different altitudes between ∼ 160 and 3500 m above sea level were sampled during the flights. Data from this study show a large variability of <i>ω</i>, with values between 0.84–0.98 at 370 nm and 0.70–0.99 at 950 nm. The single scattering albedo generally decreases with the wavelength, with some exception associated to the mixing of pollution with sea spray or dust particles over the sea surface. The lowest values of <i>ω</i> (0.84–0.70 between 370 and 950 nm) are measured in correspondence of a fresh plume possibly linked to ship emissions over the basin. The range of variability of <i>ω</i> observed in this study seems to be independent of the source region around the basin, as well as of the altitude and aging time of the plumes. The observed variability of <i>ω</i> reflects in a large variability for the complex refractive index of pollution aerosols, which is estimated to span in the large range 1.41–1.77 and 0.002–0.097 for the real and the imaginary parts, respectively, between 370 and 950 nm.<br><br> Radiative calculations in clear-sky conditions were performed with the GAME radiative transfer model to test the sensitivity of the aerosol shortwave Direct Radiative Effect (DRE) to the variability of <i>ω</i> as observed in this study. Results from the calculations suggest up to a 50 and 30 % change of the forcing efficiency (FE), i.e. the DRE per unit of optical depth, at the surface (−160/−235 W m<sup>−2</sup> <i>τ</i><sup>−1</sup> at 60° solar zenith angle) and at the Top-Of-Atmosphere (−137/−92 W m<sup>−2</sup> <i>τ</i><sup>−1</sup>) for <i>ω</i> varying between its maximum and minimum value. This induces a change of up to an order of magnitude (+23/+143 W m<sup>−2</sup> <i>τ</i><sup>−1</sup>) for the radiative effect within the atmosphere.https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/10591/2016/acp-16-10591-2016.pdf |
| spellingShingle | C. Di Biagio P. Formenti L. Doppler C. Gaimoz N. Grand G. Ancellet J.-L. Attié J.-L. Attié S. Bucci S. Bucci P. Dubuisson F. Fierli M. Mallet F. Ravetta Continental pollution in the Western Mediterranean basin: large variability of the aerosol single scattering albedo and influence on the direct shortwave radiative effect Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Continental pollution in the Western Mediterranean basin: large variability
of the aerosol single scattering albedo and influence on the direct
shortwave radiative effect |
| title_full | Continental pollution in the Western Mediterranean basin: large variability
of the aerosol single scattering albedo and influence on the direct
shortwave radiative effect |
| title_fullStr | Continental pollution in the Western Mediterranean basin: large variability
of the aerosol single scattering albedo and influence on the direct
shortwave radiative effect |
| title_full_unstemmed | Continental pollution in the Western Mediterranean basin: large variability
of the aerosol single scattering albedo and influence on the direct
shortwave radiative effect |
| title_short | Continental pollution in the Western Mediterranean basin: large variability
of the aerosol single scattering albedo and influence on the direct
shortwave radiative effect |
| title_sort | continental pollution in the western mediterranean basin large variability of the aerosol single scattering albedo and influence on the direct shortwave radiative effect |
| url | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/16/10591/2016/acp-16-10591-2016.pdf |
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