Aerosol radiative forcing is a critical, though variable and uncertain, component of the global climate. Yet climate models rely on sparse information of the aerosol optical properties. In situ measurements, though important in many respects, seldom provide measurements of the undisturbed aerosol in the entire atmospheric column. Here, 8 yr of worldwide distributed data from the AERONET network of ground-based radiometers were used to remotely sense the aerosol absorption and other optical properties in several key locations. Established procedures for maintaining and calibrating the global network of radiometers, cloud screening, and inversion techniques allow for a consistent retrieval of the optical properties of aerosol in locations with varying emission sources and conditions. The multiyear, multi-instrument observations show robust differentiation in both the magnitude and spectral dependence of the absorption—a property driving aerosol climate forcing, for desert dust, biomass burning, urban‐industrial, and marine aerosols. Moreover, significant variability of the absorption for the same aerosol type appearing due to different meteorological and source characteristics as well as different emission characteristics are observed. It is expected that this aerosol characterization will help refine aerosol optical models and reduce uncertainties in satellite observations of the global aerosol and in modeling aerosol impacts on climate.

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Variability of Absorption and Optical Properties of Key Aerosol Types Observed in Worldwide Locations

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Aerosol cloud precipitation interactions. Part 1. The nature and sources of cloud-active aerosols

We discuss the theoretical basis of a recently developed technique to characterize aerosols from space. We show that the interaction between aerosols and the strong molecular scattering in the near ultraviolet produces spectral variations of the backscattered radiances that can be used to separate aerosol absorption from scattering effects. This capability allows identification of several aerosol types, ranging from nonabsorbing sulfates to highly UV-absorbing mineral dust, over both land and water surfaces. Two ways of using the information contained in the near-UV radiances are discussed. In the first method, a residual quantity, which measures the departure of the observed spectral contrast from that of a molecular atmosphere, is computed. Since clouds yield nearly zero residues, this method is a useful way of separately mapping the spatial distribution of UV-absorbing and nonabsorbing particles. To convert the residue to optical depth, the aerosol type must be known. The second method is an inversion procedure that uses forward calculations of backscattered radiances for an ensemble of aerosol models. Using a look-up table approach, a set of measurements given by the ratio of backscattered radiance at 340-380 nm and the 380 nm radiance are associated, within the domain of the candidate aerosol models, to values of optical depth and single-scattering albedo. No previous knowledge of aerosol type is required. We present a sensitivity analysis of various error sources contributing to the estimation of aerosol properties by the two methods.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/98JD00900

Derivation of aerosol properties from satellite measurements of backscattered ultraviolet radiation: Theoretical basis

[1] The International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Program (IGAC) has conducted a series of Aerosol Characterization Experiments (ACE) that integrate in situ measurements, satellite observations, and models to reduce the uncertainty in calculations of the climate forcing due to aerosol particles. ACE-Asia, the fourth in this series of experiments, consisted of two focused components: (1) An intensive field study that sought to quantify the spatial and vertical distribution of aerosol concentrations and properties, the processes controlling their formation, evolution, and fate, and the column-integrated radiative effect of the aerosol (late March through May 2001). (2) A longer-term network of ground stations that used in situ and column-integrated measurements to quantify the chemical, physical, and optical properties of aerosols in the ACE-Asia study area and to assess their spatial and temporal (seasonal and interannual) variability (2000–2003). The approach of the ACE-Asia science team was to make simultaneous measurements of aerosol chemical, physical, and optical properties and their radiative impacts in a variety of air masses, often coordinated with satellite overpasses. Three aircraft, two research ships, a network of lidars, and many surface sites gathered data on Asian aerosols. Chemical transport models (CTMs) were integrated into the program from the start, being used in a forecast mode during the intensive observation period to identify promising areas for airborne and ship observations and then later as tools for integrating observations. The testing and improvement of a wide range of aerosol models (including microphysical, radiative transfer, CTM, and global climate models) was one important way in which we assessed our understanding of the properties and controlling processes of Asian aerosols. We describe here the scientific goals and objectives of the ACE-Asia experiment, its observational strategies, the types of observations made by the mobile platforms and stationary sites, the models that will integrate our understanding of the climatic effect of aerosol particles, and the types of data that have been generated. Eight scientific questions focus the discussion. The intensive observations took place during a season of unusually heavy dust, so we have a large suite of observations of dust and its interaction with air pollutants. Further information about ACE-Asia can be found on the project Web site at http://saga.pmel.noaa.gov/aceasia/.

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An overview of ACE-Asia: Strategies for quantifying the relationships between Asian aerosols and their climatic impacts

Aerosol particles originate from man-made sources such as urban/industrial activities,rurning associated with land use processes, wind-blown dust, and natural sources. Their interaction with sunlight and their effect on cloud microphysics forms a major uncertainty in predicting climate change. Furthermore, the lifetime of only a few days causes high spatial variability in aerosol optical and radiative properties that requires global observations from space. Remote sensing of aerosol properties from space is reviewed both for present and planned national and international satellite sensors. Techniques that are being used to enhance our ability to characterize the global distribution of aerosol properties include well-calibrated multispectral radiometers, multispectral polarimeters, and multi-angle spectroradiometers. Though most of these sensor systems rely primarily on visible to mid-infrared spectral channels, the availability of of thermal channels to aid in cloud screening is an important additional piece of information that is not always incorporated into the sensor design. In this paper we describe the various satellite sensor systems being developed by Europe, Japan, and the U.S., and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each of these systems for aerosol applications. An important underlying theme is that the remote sensing of aerosol properties, especially aerosol size distribution and single scattering albedo, is exceedingly difficult. As a consequence, no one sensor system is capable of providing totally unambiguous information, and hence a careful intercomparison of derived products from different sensors, together with a comprehensive network of ground-based sun-photometer and sky radiometer systems, are required to advance our quantitative understanding of global aerosol characteristics.

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Remote Sensing of Tropospheric Aerosols from Space: Past, Present, and Future.

Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) and Thematic Mapper (TM) data, with 80 and 30 m spatial resolution, respectively, have been employed to study the spatial structure of boundary-layer and intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) clouds The probability distributions of cloud areas and cloud perimeters are found to approximately follow a power-law, with a different power (ie, fractal dimension) for each cloud type They are better approximated by a double power-law behavior, indicating a change in the fractal dimension at a characteristic size which depends upon cloud type The fractal dimension also changes with threshold The more intense cloud areas are found to have a higher perimeter fractal dimension, perhaps indicative of the increased turbulence at cloud top A detailed picture of the inhomogeneous spatial structure of various cloud types will contribute to a better understanding of basic cloud processes, and also has implications for the remote sensing of clouds, for their effects on remote sensing of other parameters, and for the parameterization of clouds in general circulation models, all of which rely upon plane-parallel radiative transfer algorithms

Fractal Statistics of Cloud Fields

https://www.tau.ac.il/~pinhas/papers/2004/Alpert_et_al_AR_2004.pdf

Vertical distribution of Saharan dust based on 2.5-year model predictions

[1] We proposed to identify the sources of desert dust aerosols with local maxima of the TOMS aerosol index distribution averaged for the long period Being simpler than the approach based on a dusty days occurrence, our method gives the same results It was first shown that in spring-summer, the flux of dust from the sources located at latitude � 16� N and longitude � 16� E and around latitude � 19� N and longitude � 6� W exceed the sinks due to settling and transport As a result the atmosphere over North Africa is almost permanently loaded with a significant amount of mineral desert dust in spring and in summer It is also shown that the Chad basin source located around latitude 16� N and longitude 16� E is relatively more stable with a maximum activity around April The region around latitude 19� N and longitude 6� Wappears as a more variable source with maximum in July Low pressure systems, called Sharav cyclones, mobilize the already suspended mineral dust and transport it eastward and northward along the Mediterranean basin A new method for description of dust plumes propagation was applied to the study of dust events in the Mediterranean Sea and enabled us to follow their dynamics Identifiable dust plumes appear first in the western sector of the sea and then move eastward with a speed of about 7 to 8 degrees per day In spring, this motion continues at least up to the eastern coast of the Mediterranean In summer the dustplume is prevented from penetrating further east of about 15� E INDEX TERMS: 0305 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801); 0322 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Constituent sources and sinks; 4801 Oceanography: Biological and Chemical: Aerosols (0305); KEYWORDS: Aerosols, desert dust, dust storms, dust sources, Mediterranean Citation: Israelevich, P L, Z Levin, J H Joseph, and E Ganor, Desert aerosol transport in the Mediterranean region as inferred from the TOMS aerosol index, J Geophys Res, 107(D21), 4572, doi:101029/2001JD002011, 2002

http://www.tau.ac.il/~zevlev/pub_files/Israelvich-et-al-2002.pdf

Desert aerosol transport in the Mediterranean region as inferred from the TOMS aerosol index

Simultaneous measurements of optical depth and Size distribution in a dust storm are presented. The measured and derived properties of the aerosol are compared with each other and with other results published in the scientific literature. We observe some global commonality in the measured size spectra of desert aerosols especially for post-frontal conditions. On the other hand, during the passage of the front itself, high aerosol concentrations with a sharp peak in radius at −1 μm were observed. Generally, these were not similar to other size distributions reported in the literature. The imaginary part of the refractive index in the spectral region 0.3-1.7 μm was found to be similar to that found in other deserts. Comparison of the optical measurements with the direct sampling data suggests that the general time trends of the size distributions, as measured in situ, are followed by the optical depth and its variations with wavelength. On the other hand, detailed short-term fluctuations detected b...

Properties of Sharav (Khamsin) Dust–Comparison of Optical and Direct Sampling Data

A procedure is developed for calculating atmospheric extinction characteristics (optical thickness, scattering height, single scattering albedo) and surface albedo from radiometric images made at satellite altitudes. The procedure - a fast, computerized method - is suitable for the high-volume processing of satellite imagery data and thus can be used to map temporal and spatial distributions of aerosol parameters. Based on an analytical approximate solution to the equation of radiative transfer in a plane parallel atmosphere, the procedure is primarily applicable to the 0.4-micron to 0.8-micron wavelength range for solar zenith angles from 10 deg to 60 deg, surface albedos between 0.03 and about 0.5, and atmospheric optical thicknesses from 0.2 to 2. With a step-like change in the surface albedo (for example, a seashore or river bank or other similar change of terrain), both surface reflectivity and atmospheric optical thickness can be derived from radiance measurements. In this case, the resultant optical thickness is not based on a known surface reflectivity and is in essence independent of the radiometer calibration.

Joachim H. Joseph

Papers

Fractal Statistics of Cloud Fields

Vertical distribution of Saharan dust based on 2.5-year model predictions

Desert aerosol transport in the Mediterranean region as inferred from the TOMS aerosol index

Properties of Sharav (Khamsin) Dust–Comparison of Optical and Direct Sampling Data

Determination of surface albedos and aerosol extinction characteristics from satellite imagery