Atmospheric correction of ENVISAT/MERIS data over inland waters: Validation for European lakes

Traditional methods for aerosol retrieval and atmospheric correction of remote sensing data over water surfaces are based on the assumption of zero water reflectance in the near-infrared. Another type of approach which is becoming very popular in atmospheric correction over water is based on the simultaneous retrieval of atmospheric and water parameters through the inversion of coupled atmospheric and bio-optical water models. Both types of approaches may lead to substantial errors over optically-complex water bodies, such as case II waters, in which a wide range of temporal and spatial variations in the concentration of water constituents is expected. This causes the water reflectance in t…

Evaluation of the new ESR network software for the retrieval of direct sun products from CIMEL CE318 and PREDE POM01 sun-sky radiometers

Abstract. The European Skynet Radiometers network (EuroSkyRad or ESR) has been recently established as a research network of European PREDE sun-sky radiometers. Moreover, ESR is federated with SKYNET, an international network of PREDE sun-sky radiometers mostly present in East Asia. In contrast to SKYNET, the European network also integrates users of the CIMEL CE318 sky–sun photometer. Keeping instrumental duality in mind, a set of open source algorithms has been developed consisting of two modules for (1) the retrieval of direct sun products (aerosol optical depth, wavelength exponent and water vapor) from the sun extinction measurements; and (2) the inversion of the sky radiance to derive…

In-situ integrating nephelometer measurements of the scattering properties of atmospheric aerosols at an urban coastal site in western Mediterranean

Abstract Measurements of aerosol scattering properties obtained during the period from March 2006 to December 2010 at Valencia (Spain) have been analyzed. The total aerosol scattering (σsp) and backscattering (σbsp) coefficients were measured using a TSI Model 3563 three-wavelength integrating nephelometer. From the measurements of σsp and σbsp, it was possible to determine also the scattering Angstrom exponent (αs). For the entire measurement period, the mean values (±standard deviation) at 550 nm are: 80 ± 50 Mm−1 for σsp; 8 ± 5 Mm−1 for σbsp; and 1.6 ± 0.3 for αs. These results indicate a moderate polluted atmosphere characterized by fine particles. The daily variation for all seasons sh…

A Comparative Analysis of Aerosol Microphysical, Optical and Radiative Properties during the Spring Festival Holiday over Beijing and Surrounding Regions

ABSTRACT Using ground-based data, meteorological observations, and atmospheric environmental monitoring data, a comparative analysis of the microphysical and optical properties, and radiative forcing of aerosols was conducted between three stations in different developed environments during a severe air pollution episode during the Spring Festival over Beijing. During the most polluted period, the daily peak values of the aerosol optical depth were ~1.62, ~1.73, and ~0.74, which were about 2.6, 2.9, and 2.1 times higher than the background levels at the CAMS, Xianghe, and Shangdianzi sites, respectively. The daily peak values of the single scattering albedo were ~0.95, ~0.96, and ~0.87. The…

Aerosol properties of the Eyjafjallajökull ash derived from sun photometer and satellite observations over the Iberian Peninsula

The Eyjafjallajökull ash that crossed over Spain and Portugal on 6e12 May 2010 has been monitored by a set of operational sun photometer sites within AERONET-RIMA and satellite sensors. The sun photometer observations (aerosol optical depth, coarse mode concentrations) and ash products from IASI and SEVIRI satellite sensors, together with FLEXPART simulations of particle transport, allow identifying the volcanic aerosols. The aerosol columnar properties derived from inversions were investigated, indicating specific properties, especially regarding the absorption. The single scattering albedo was high (0.95 at 440 nm) and nearly wavelength independent, although with slight decrease with wave…

Column-integrated aerosol optical properties in Sodankylä (Finland) during the Solar Induced Fluorescence Experiment (SIFLEX-2002).

[1] A study has been made of the column aerosols using solar irradiance extinction measurements at ground level in a boreal region (Sodankyla, Finland) during spring 2002. The aerosol properties have been related to air mass origin. In general, the aerosol levels were observed to be very low, independent of the air mass origin, with an aerosol optical depth (AOD) value at 500 nm of less than 0.09 ± 0.03. Two characteristic patterns were observed depending on whether the air masses originated in the north and west or from the south and east. In the first case (north and west origins) the aerosol load was very small, with very low optical depths in the range 0.03 ± 0.02 to 0.09 ± 0.03 for 500…

Relationship between UVB and broadband solar radiation in Spain

The daily values of UVB irradiation (290–315 nm), IUVB, and the broadband total irradiation (300–2800 nm), IT, measured on a horizontal plane have been correlated for the period 2000–2008 at 16 measurement sites in Spain. The results have been compared with the daily experimental values registered at the same sites during the period 2009–2011. The coefficients of determination R2 obtained by applying a linear regression are higher than 0.88 for all sites and increase to 0.94 when using a quadratic regression. When all data are considered together, the values of R2 are 0.91 and 0.97 for the linear and quadratic regressions, respectively. Three different clearness indices, which are dimension…

Ten years of measured UV Index from the Spanish UVB Radiometric Network.

An analysis is made of the UV Index (UVI) obtained from the ultraviolet erythemal solar radiation (UVER) data measured by the Spanish UVB Radiometric Network between the years 2000 and 2009. Previously, the daily UVI has been evaluated using two different criteria: (a) the value corresponding to solar noon; and (b) the daily maximum value. The mean percentage of agreement is 92% if we consider the cases for which the difference is zero or one UVI unit. These results are similar to those obtained in a previous work where only 2 years were analyzed. In all the stations the UVI reaches very high values (8-10) in spring-summer, and the very high and extreme (≥ 11) UVI values are more dependent …

Analysis of a severe pollution episode in Valencia (Spain) and its effect on ground level particulate matter

Abstract This study analyzes the atmospheric particles concentration at ground level during a severe pollution event that took place in Valencia (Spain) from 7 to 12 February 2011. The episode was related to a subtropical anticyclone system that affected the Iberian Peninsula and western Europe. The dominant anticyclone imposed an extended low gradient pressure system and a low mixing layer height in the region that caused the accumulation of pollutants over the western Mediterranean. Moreover, the stagnant conditions led to the formation of the local sea breeze, accompanied by an increase of relative humidity and the decrease of ambient temperature. Our study is mainly focused on the analy…

Analysis of the aerosol radiative forcing over a Mediterranean urban coastal site

Abstract The aerosol radiative forcing for the period 2003–2011 has been analyzed in Burjassot, Spain, an urban coastal site on the western Mediterranean, using measurements of global solar irradiance and aerosol properties, as well as simulated data. The aerosol radiative forcing was calculated at 5 minute intervals, and then integrated over 24 h to obtain daily mean values for 200 complete days under cloud-free skies. The monthly mean values of the aerosol radiative forcing showed a clear variation during the year, associated to the annual variability of the aerosol optical depth at 500 nm, ranging from − 6 to − 29 Wm− 2 at the surface, and from − 1.5 to − 3.9 Wm− 2 at the top of the atmo…

Characterization of the atmosphere during SEN2FLEX 2005 field campaign

The European Space Agency carried out the Sentinel-2 and Fluorescence Experiment (SEN2FLEX) campaign in Barrax (Spain) during the summer of 2005, with the main objective of observe solar induced fluorescence signal using the AirFLEX airborne instrument over different vegetation targets in order to verify signal suitability for observations from space as proposed in the FLEX mission. A highly precise atmospheric correction is mandatory for adequate measurements of the AirFLEX instrument; thus a complete characterization of the atmosphere was programmed in SEN2FLEX in order to document the presence of atmospheric aerosols above the experimental area, as their effects represent the major sourc…

Climatology of the aerosol extinction-to-backscatter ratio from sun-photometric measurements

The elastic lidar equation contains two unknown atmospheric parameters, namely, the particulate optical extinction and backscatter coefficients, which are related through the lidar ratio (i.e., the particulate-extinction-to-backscatter ratio). So far, independent inversion of the lidar signal has been carried out by means of Raman lidars (usually limited to nighttime measurements), high-spectral-resolution lidars, or scanning elastic lidars under the assumption of a homogeneously vertically stratified atmosphere. In this paper, we present a procedure to obtain the lidar ratio at 532 nm by a combined Sunphotometer– aerosol-model inversion, where the viability of the solution is largely reinf…

Determination and analysis of in situ spectral aerosol optical properties by a multi-instrumental approach

Continuous in situ measurements of aerosol optical properties were conducted from 29 June to 29 July 2012 in Granada (Spain) with a seven-wavelength Aethalometer, a Multi-Angle Absorption Photometer, and a three-wavelength integrating nephelometer. The aim of this work is to describe a methodology to obtain the absorption coefficients (babs) for the different Aethalometer wavelengths. In this way, data have been compensated using algorithms which best estimate the compensation factors needed. Two empirical factors are used to infer the absorption coefficients from the Aethalometer measurements: C – the parameter describing the enhancement of absorption by particles in the filter matrix due …

Operational considerations to improve total ozone measurements with a Microtops II ozone monitor

A Microtops II "ozone monitor" with UV channels centered at 305.5, 312.5, and 320 nm has been used routinely in six experimental campaigns carried out in several geographic locations and seasons, covering latitudes from 35 to 68° N during the last ten years (2001–2011). The total ozone content is retrieved by Microtops II by using different combinations (Channel I, 305.5/312.5 nm; Channel II, 312.5/320 nm; and Channel III, 305.5/312.5/320 nm) of the signals at the three ultraviolet wavelengths. The long-term performance of the total ozone content determination has been studied taking into account the sensitivities to the calibration, airmass, temperature and aerosols. When a calibration was…

Summertime columnar content of atmospheric water vapor from ground-based Sun-sky radiometer measurements through a new in situ procedure

[1] A new in situ technique for the retrieval of atmospheric water vapor content (i.e., precipitable water content) from Sun photometric direct solar irradiance measurements, taken at the 940 nm wavelength during clear‐sky conditions, is presented. The procedure is applied to summer data recorded in 2007, 2008, and 2009 with a Sun‐sky radiometer at the San Pietro Capofiume station in the Po valley, Italy. It is a preliminary development of the retrieval procedure providing the columnar water vapor content from measurements performed with PREDE Sun‐sky radiometers. The technique brings improvement and innovation by retrieving the best values of constants (a and b), characterizing atmospheric…

Aerosol size distributions and air mass back trajectories over a Mediterranean coastal site

In this paper we present the results obtained from ground-based measurements using a CIMEL sunphotometer during selected clear days corresponding to the winter and summer periods of 2002 in Valencia, an urban coastal Mediterranean site. From the direct solar extinction data the spectral aerosol optical depth (AOD) has been retrieved. This spectral AOD has been used to obtain the size distribution function from the King inversion algorithm. The results show the great dependence of the optical aerosol characteristics on the dominant winds in this area. This location is subject to winds which have either a land or Mediterranean origin which frequently mask the aerosols coming from the Atlantic…

Aerosol optical properties and instantaneous radiative forcing based on high temporospatial resolution CARSNET ground-based measurements over eastern China

Abstract. Variations in the optical properties of aerosols and their radiative forcing were investigated based on long-term synchronous observations made at three-minute intervals from 2011 to 2015 over seven adjacent CARSNET (China Aerosol Remote Sensing NETwork) urban (Hangzhou), suburban (Xiaoshan, Fuyang, LinAn, Tonglu, Jiande) and rural (ChunAn) stations in the Yangtze River Delta region, eastern China. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) varied from 0.68 to 0.76, with two peaks in June and September, and decreased from the eastern coast to western inland areas. The ratio of the AOD of fine-mode particles to the total AOD was > 0.90 and the extinction Angström exponent was > 1.20 thr…

Precipitable water vapour content from ESR/SKYNET sun-sky radiometers: validation against GNSS/GPS and AERONET over three different sites in Europe

The estimation of the precipitable water vapour content (W) with high temporal and spatial resolution is of great interest to both meteorological and climatological studies. Several methodologies based on remote sensing techniques have been recently developed in order to obtain accurate and frequent measurements of this atmospheric parameter. Among them, the relative low cost and easy deployment of sun–sky radiometers, or sun photometers, operating in several international networks, allowed the development of automatic estimations of W from these instruments with high temporal resolution. However, the great problem of this methodology is the estimation of the sun-photometric calibration par…

One year of measurements with a POM02 radiometer at an Alpine EuroSkyRad statio

Analysis of a strong wildfire event over Valencia (Spain) during Summer 2012 – Part 1: Aerosol microphysics and optical properties

Abstract. The most intense wildfire experienced in Eastern Spain since 2004 happened in Valencia during summer 2012. Although the fire was mostly active during days 29–30 June, a longer temporal period (from 24 June to 4 July) was selected for this analysis. Column-integrated, vertical resolved and surface aerosol observations were performed continuously at the Burjassot station throughout the studied period. The aerosol optical depth at 500 nm shows values larger than 2 for the most intense part of the wildfire and an extremely high maximum of 8 was detected on 29 June. The simultaneous increase of the Ångström exponent was also observed, indicating the important contribution of small part…

Intercomparison of spectroradiometers and Sun photometers for the determination of the aerosol optical depth during the VELETA-2002 field campaign

In July 2002 the VELETA-2002 field campaign was held in Sierra Nevada (Granada) in the south of Spain. The main objectives of this field campaign were the study of the influence of elevation and atmospheric aerosols on measured UV radiation. In the first stage of the field campaign, a common calibration and intercomparison between Licor-1800 spectroradiometers and Cimel-318 Sun photometers was performed in order to assess the quality of the measurements from the whole campaign. The intercomparison of the Licor spectroradiometers showed, for both direct and global irradiances, that when the comparisons were restricted to the visible part of the spectrum the deviations were within the instrum…

The influence of ozone and aerosols on the experimental values of UV erythemal radiation at ground level in Valencia

Ultraviolet erythemal radiation (UVER) values have been simulated for different values of column ozone and aerosol optical depth (AOD) using a multiple scattering model: SBDART. The results show that UVER decreased when atmospheric ozone and aerosols increased, with the ozone having greater influence than AOD. To quantify these dependencies the influence of aerosols on the simulated values of UVER has been analysed for different ozone values. This dependence was linear. Similarly, to quantify the influence of ozone on the UVER values this was simulated for fixed values of AOD while varying the column ozone. The expression of this dependence was found to be a second-order polynomial. We also…

Columnar aerosol properties in Valencia (Spain) by ground-based Sun photometry

In this paper, we present a climatological study of atmospheric aerosols in coastal eastern Spain, by means of experimental measurements using a Cimel CE318-2 Sun photometer. The aerosol optical depth, Ångström wavelength exponent, size distribution, complex refractive index, asymmetry parameter, and single scattering albedo have been retrieved from these measurements. The columnar water content, as an important parameter for understanding aerosol growth, has also been retrieved. Statistical results of the annual and seasonal variability analysis, mainly related to the usual summer maximum turbidity found in the Mediterranean and European regions, are also shown. The results are linked to t…

Factors for inconsistent aerosol single scattering albedo between SKYNET and AERONET

SKYNET and Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) retrieved aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA) values of four sites, Chiba (Japan), Pune (India), Valencia (Spain), and Seoul (Korea), were compared to understand the factors behind often noted large SSA differences between them. SKYNET and AERONET algorithms are found to produce nearly same SSAs for similarity in input data, suggesting that SSA differences between them are primarily due to quality of input data due to different calibration and/or observation protocols as well as difference in quality assurance criteria. The most plausible reason for high SSAs in SKYNET is found to be underestimated calibration constant for sky radiance (ΔΩ). T…

Incorporation of aerosol effects in a clear-sky semi-empirical model of UVER radiation for Valencia, Spain

The study develops a simple but physically based model for estimating erythemal irradiance [(UV erythemal radiation (UVER)] for cloudless urban regions with substantial aerosol load, such as that of the Valencia environment in Spain. The model estimates direct and diffuse UVER for cloudless aerosol-free conditions using the LibRadtran model with a DISORT algorithm. Aerosol optical thickness for UVER (τaER) is obtained as a residual term by comparing measured direct UVER against modelled direct UVER in the absence of aerosol load. On average, τaER is 18% higher than τ data extrapolated to 305 nm using the CIMEL CE-318. Comparison of measured direct and diffuse UVER with model estimates provi…

Measurement and analysis of broadband UVB solar radiation in Spain.

Measurements of broadband UVB irradiance (290-315 nm) at 14 locations in Spain for the period 2000-2009 have been used to generate instantaneous, hourly and daily values of irradiance (W m(-2)) and radiant exposure (kJ m(-2)). These measurements, and its statistical indices, have been analyzed. For the UVB irradiance, the values corresponding to July (maximum) and December (minimum) have been analyzed as representative of the year during the whole period for all locations. For the UVB radiant exposure, the temporal evolution of daily values has been evaluated for all locations to estimate an average yearly behavior. The accumulated radiant exposure for an average year has also been studied …

Proposal of a simple model for the characterization of aerosols in relation to the dominant air masses

In this work, we present a simple model that allows us to easily obtain the character of the dominant air mass for any location in the Northern Hemisphere at any time. Specifically, in this article the model has been tested at Valencia, Spain, for the years from 2006 to 2009. The classification of the air masses is performed analysing their trajectories over pre-defined source regions in the Northern Hemisphere. Daily trajectories were simulated by the hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory model HYSPLIT and then classified by our model. In order to verify our classification results, those cases identified as African were compared with the Saharan dust intrusions reported f…

Assessment and application of MODIS ocean and land algorithms for the characterization of aerosol properties over a Mediterranean coastal site

Abstract The aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Angstrom exponent (α) obtained from MODIS Terra and Aqua over the coastal urban site of Burjassot (Spain) during the period 2002–2011 have been compared with retrievals from AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) and ESR (European Skynet Radiometers) in order to investigate the performance of MODIS algorithms over land and ocean, respectively. The comparison of the MODIS aerosol products C051 over both land and ocean has been performed for a window size of 50 km × 50 km centred on the monitoring site. The correlation coefficients obtained from the comparison of the AOD from MODIS with that from ground-based measurements are 0.85 and 0.87 over land for…

Autonomous marine hyperspectral radiometers for determining solar irradiances and aerosol optical properties

We have developed two hyperspectral radiometer systems which require no moving parts, shade rings or motorised tracking, making them ideally suited for autonomous use in the inhospitable remote marine environment. Both systems are able to measure direct and diffuse hyperspectral irradiance in the wavelength range 350–1050 nm at 6 nm (Spectrometer 1) or 3.5 nm (Spectrometer 2) resolution. Marine field trials along a 100° transect (between 50° N and 50° S) of the Atlantic Ocean resulted in close agreement with existing commercially available instruments in measuring (1) photosynthetically available radiation (PAR), with both spectrometers giving regression slopes close to unity (Spectrometer …

A comparison of Microtops II and satellite ozone measurements in the period 2001-2011

Daily average total ozone Microtops measurements obtained during several campaigns conducted from 2001 to 2011 at latitudes from 31 to 68N and in different seasons are compared with satellite observations. The Microtops ozone is derived using different wavelength combinations (Channel I, 305.5/312.5. nm; Channel II, 312.5/320. nm; and Channel III, 305.5/312.5/320. nm). Satellite data from TOMS, OMI, GOME, and GOME-2 are used in the comparison. The three Microtops channels show a high correlation with the satellite retrievals. Channel I shows the best results and produces a mean bias deviation (MBD) less than 2.14% with respect to TOMS, OMI and GOME. The MBD increases to 3% in the comparison…

Measurements of integrated direct, diffuse and global ultraviolet-B radiation

Abstract We present the first multiyear set of simultaneous measurements of the global ultraviolet-B radiation and its two components: direct and diffuse. The measurements have been taken with four YES-UVB-1 radiometers: two radiometers to measure the diffuse radiation, one provided with a shadow band and the other with a shadow disk on a Sun tracker; a radiometer to measure the global horizontal radiation; and a Sun-tracking radiometer to measure the direct radiation with an especially designed radiance collimator. The diffuse minute-values measured with both instruments agree within a coefficient correlation of 1.00. The diffuse component represents at least 50% of the global UVB (ultravi…

Influence of air mass history on the columnar aerosol properties at Valencia, Spain

[1] The physical and radiative properties of atmospheric aerosols have been obtained in Valencia (latitude 39.508°, longitude −0.418°, 60 m a. s. l.), a city of the Spanish Mediterranean coast, by the inversion of direct solar irradiance and diffuse sky irradiance measurements made with a CIMEL CE318 system, from January 2002 to July 2005. The data acquired by the CE318 were used to determine the instantaneous values of the aerosol optical depth (AOD), the columnar water vapor content (w) and the Angstrom wavelength exponent (α). The SKYRAD code was used to obtain the size distribution, the asymmetry parameter, the complex refractive index and the single scattering albedo of the aerosols. B…

An overview and issues of the sky radiometer technology and SKYNET

Abstract. This paper overviews the progress in the sky radiometer technology and development of the network called SKYNET. It is found that the technology has produced useful on-site calibration methods, retrieval algorithms, and data analyses from the sky radiometer observation of aerosol, cloud, water vapor and ozone. Increasing collaborations of users in the SKYNET community are becoming a useful platform for research and operation. The paper also presents issues of the technology for future development.

Diffuse ultraviolet erythemal irradiance on inclined planes: a comparison of experimental and modeled data.

Values of measured and modeled diffuse UV erythemal irradiance (UVER) for all sky conditions are compared on planes inclined at 40 degrees and oriented north, south, east and west. The models used for simulating diffuse UVER are of the geometric-type, mainly the Isotropic, Klucher, Hay, Muneer, Reindl and Schauberger models. To analyze the precision of the models, some statistical estimators were used such as root mean square deviation, mean absolute deviation and mean bias deviation. It was seen that all the analyzed models reproduce adequately the diffuse UVER on the south-facing plane, with greater discrepancies for the other inclined planes. When the models are applied to cloud-free con…

Performance of a FieldSpec spectroradiometer for aerosol optical depth retrieval: method and preliminary results

The performance of a FieldSpec spectroradiometer for retrieving aerosol optical depth (AOD) has been assessed after modifying its basic configuration in order to measure direct solar irradiance at ground level. The FieldSpec measurements were obtained during four summertime days in the years 2004 and 2005, over a Spanish agricultural site in Barrax, Albacete (30 degrees 3(') N, 2 degrees 6(') W, 700 m a.s.l.), in the framework of two European Space Agency mission remote sensing field campaigns. From the whole FieldSpec spectral domain (350-2500 nm) the AOD was extracted for channels within atmospheric windows. The instrument was calibrated by means of the standard Langley plot method, perfo…

Advances in understanding mineral dust and boundary layer processes over the Sahara from Fennec aircraft observations

Abstract. The Fennec climate programme aims to improve understanding of the Saharan climate system through a synergy of observations and modelling. We present a description of the Fennec airborne observations during 2011 and 2012 over the remote Sahara (Mauritania and Mali) and the advances in the understanding of mineral dust and boundary layer processes they have provided. Aircraft instrumentation aboard the UK FAAM BAe146 and French SAFIRE (Service des Avions Français Instrumentés pour la Recherche en Environnement) Falcon 20 is described, with specific focus on instrumentation specially developed for and relevant to Saharan meteorology and dust. Flight locations, aims and associated met…

Impact of dust and smoke mixing on column-integrated aerosol properties from observations during a severe wildfire episode over Valencia (Spain)

The most destructive wildfire experienced in Spain since 2004 occurred close to Valencia in summer 2012. A total of 48.500ha were affected by two wildfires, which were mostly active during 29-30 June. The fresh smoke plume was detected at the Burjassot measurement station simultaneously to a severe dust episode. We propose an empirical method to evaluate the dust and smoke mixing and its impact on the microphysical and optical properties. For this, we combine direct-sun measurements with a Cimel CE-318 sun-photometer with an inversion methodology, and the Mie theory to derive the column-integrated size distribution, single scattering albedo (SSA) and asymmetry parameter (g). The mixing of d…

Long term analysis of the columnar and surface aerosol relationship at an urban European coastal site

Abstract Simultaneous PM2.5, PM10 and columnar (ground and satellite based) AOD measurements have been analyzed at Burjassot site in the metropolitan area of Valencia (Spain) during the period 2007–2016. The site is representative of a south European city in the Western Mediterranean coastal area, influenced by local urban pollution but also from frequent Saharan dust events. First, multiannual statistics were performed to characterize the main aerosol burden characteristics. The averages and standard deviations resulted 18 ± 9 μg m−3, 25 ± 19 μg m−3, 0.15 ± 0.11, 0.23 ± 0.17, 0.19 ± 0.15 and 1.2 ± 0.3 for PM2.5, PM10, AERONET AOD, MODIS Terra AOD, MODIS Aqua AOD, and AERONET Angstrom expon…

Multiyear in-situ measurements of atmospheric aerosol absorption properties at an urban coastal site in western Mediterranean

Abstract In-situ aerosol absorption properties measured in Valencia (Spain) for four years, from February 2011 to February 2015, have been analysed. Spectral absorption properties have been obtained using a seven-wavelength Aethalometer AE-31 which covers the range from UV (370 nm) to IR (950 nm). In order to obtain the absorption coefficients, compensation parameters have been calculated for the Aethalometer considering seasonal and spectral differences. For this multiyear measurement period, seasonal site-specific calibration parameters have been obtained. Furthermore, estimations of the absorption Angstrom Exponent (α abs ) have been calculated using the seven Aethalometer wavelengths. T…

Application of aerosol optical properties to estimate aerosol type from ground-based remote sensing observation at urban area of northeastern China

Abstract Aerosol optical properties were derived from ground-based sunphotometer observations between 2009-2013 at three urban sites of Shenyang, Anshan, Fushun in northeastern China. The annual means for extinction aerosol optical depths (EAOD) at 500 nm were 0.57±0.38, 0.52±0.35, and 0.41±0.31 at Shenyang, Anshan, Fushun, respectively. The corresponding annual means for the extinction Angstrom exponents (EAE) computed for the wavelengths of 440 and 870 nm were 0.86±0.32, 0.86±0.34 and 0.91±0.35, respectively, indicating that urban area of Northeast China were affected by both coarse and fine particles. Hygroscopic growth in summer and incursions of dust aerosols in spring were evidently r…

An overview of and issues with sky radiometer technology and SKYNET

This paper is an overview of the progress in sky radiometer technology and the development of the network called SKYNET. It is found that the technology has produced useful on-site calibration methods, retrieval algorithms, and data analyses from sky radiometer observations of aerosol, cloud, water vapor, and ozone. A formula was proposed for estimating the accuracy of the sky radiometer calibration constant F0 using the improved Langley (IL) method, which was found to be a good approximation to observed monthly mean uncertainty in F0, around 0.5 % to 2.4 % at the Tokyo and Rome sites and smaller values of around 0.3 % to 0.5 % at the mountain sites at Mt. Sarasw…

Comparison of aerosol size distributions measured at ground level and calculated from inversion of solar radiances

Ground-based sunphotometry measurements can be used to investigate atmospheric aerosol optical properties, such as the volume size distribution, an important parameter in the study of the effect of aerosol on atmospheric processes. Most inversion algorithms assume constant aerosol optical characteristics over the whole air column. In this work we present observational evidence of the limitations of this simplifying assumption in cases where the aerosol vertical structure is highly inhomogeneous. During the field campaign VELETA 2002, carried out in Granada (Spain), a quite complete characterization of the atmospheric aerosol was obtained by simultaneously measuring the columnar aerosol char…

Altitude-resolved shortwave and longwave radiative effects of desert dust in the Mediterranean during the GAMARF campaign: Indications of a net daily cooling in the dust layer

Desert dust interacts with shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) radiation, influencing the Earth radiation budget and the atmospheric vertical structure. Uncertainties on the dust role are large in the LW spectral range, where few measurements are available and the dust optical properties are not well constrained. The first airborne measurements of LW irradiance vertical profiles over the Mediterranean were carried out during the Ground-based and Airborne Measurements of Aerosol Radiative Forcing (GAMARF) campaign, which took place in spring 2008 at the island of Lampedusa. The experiment was aimed at estimating the vertical profiles of the SW and LW aerosol direct radiative forcing (ADRF) and …

Columnar aerosol properties in a Northeastern Atlantic site (Plymouth, United Kingdom) by means of ground based skyradiometer data during years 2000-2008

Between 2000 and 2008, columnar optical and radiative properties were measured at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), UK (50° 21.95'N, 4° 8.85'W) using an automatic Prede POM01L sun-sky photometer. The database was analyzed for aerosol optical properties using the SKYRAD radiative inversion algorithm and calibrated using the in situ SKYIL calibration method. Retrievals include aerosol optical depth, ångström wavelength exponent, aerosol volume distribution, refractive index and single scattering albedo. The results show that the Plymouth site is characterized by low values of aerosol optical depth with low variability (0.18 ± 0.08 at 500 nm) and a mean annual ångström exponent of 1.03 ± 0…

Empirical estimates of the radiative impact of an unusually extreme dust and wildfire episode on the performance of a photovoltaic plant in Western Mediterranean

Abstract We have estimated the radiative impact produced by an unusually extreme dust and wildfire episode on the performance of a photovoltaic (PV) plant. The dust and wildfire events were mostly active on 26–28 and 29–30 June 2012, respectively. We took advantage of the consecutiveness of both events to separate and derive empirically the radiative effect of dust and smoke aerosols. With this purpose, we employed measurements of aerosol load, radiation and PV power output from a collocated atmospheric station and PV plant located at Burjassot (Valencia, Spain). The empirical estimates were obtained by direct comparison with a summer background day, happened right before the two consecutiv…

Application of the SKYRAD Improved Langley plot method for the in situ calibration of CIMEL Sun-sky photometers

The in situ procedure for determining the solar calibration constants, originally developed for the PREDE Sun-sky radiometers and based on a modified version of the Langley plot, was applied to a CIMEL instrument located in Valencia, Spain, not integrated into AERONET. Taking into account the different mechanical and electronic characteristics of the two radiometers, the method was adapted to the characteristics of the CIMEL instrument. The iterative procedure for the determination of the solar calibration constants was applied to a 3-year data set. The results were compared with the two sets of experimental calibration constants determined during this period using the standard Langley plot…

Diffuse UV erythemal radiation experimental values

[1] Measurements of diffuse UV erythemal radiation (UVER) using a shadowband have been corrected using the models proposed by Drummond (1956), LeBaron et al. (1990), and Batlles et al. (1995). Two different methods were used to validate these models: intercomparison with an Optronic OL754 spectroradiometer and comparison with the values simulated by two radiative transfer codes, SMARTS and SBDART. For this comparison only clear days have been used. The corrected experimental values were analyzed in order to study the average values of the diffuse UVER fraction in relation to the clearness index kt. These varied between 62%, for kt close to 0.8, and 93% for kt of 0.2–0.3. Finally, a study of…

Atmospheric components determination from ground-level measurements during the spectra Barax Campaigns (SPARC) field campaigns

The Surface Processes and Ecosystem Changes Through Response Analysis (SPECTRA) Barrax Campaigns were validation campaigns developed in the framework of the SPECTRA mission in order to verify that the geophysical data products provided by satellite imagery are consistent with the measurements made by independent means. Two campaigns took place in Barrax, Spain, during the summers of 2003 and 2004. This paper presents the results of the characterization of the atmospheric composition from solar radiation, radiosoundings, and lidar measurements. Several potentially interesting situations involving atmospheric layers with different types of aerosols and water content are discussed. The presenc…

Column aerosol characterization in a semi‐arid region around Marrakech during the WATERMED 2003 campaign

In the framework of the WATERMED (WATer use efficiency in natural vegetation and agricultural areas by Remote sensing in the MEDiterranean basin) project, an experimental field campaign was carried out in a semi‐arid region near Marrakech, Morocco, during March 2003. This work focused on the columnar aerosol characterization from spectroradiometric and photometric measurements of direct solar irradiance and sky radiance at ground level. The results show a high dependence of the aerosol optical properties on the air masses present in the area. Two periods with different aerosol loads were observed in the campaign. In the first, Atlantic‐origin aerosols showed a marine particle accumulation m…

Spectral calibration and atmospheric correction of ultra-fine spectral and spatial resolution remote sensing data. Application to CASI-1500 data

Imaging spectrometers operating in the solar spectrum measure the upwelling reflected solar radiation, and are an important tool in the bio/geochemical characterization of the Earth system. Surface reflectance is usually the starting point for the retrieval of biophysical parameters from remote measurements. Reliable radiometric and spectral calibrations and accurate atmospheric correction are mandatory in the interpretation of the surface reflectance. A complete surface reflectance retrieval scheme specifically designed for ultra-fine spectral resolution (bandwidth from 10 to 2 nm) and spatial resolution (pixel size less than 10 m) imaging spectrometers is presented in this work. The asses…

Studies on mineral dust using airborne lidar, ground-based remote sensing, and in situ instrumentation

In August 2015, the AER-D campaign made use of the FAAM research aircraft based in Cape Verde, and targeted mineral dust. First results will be shown here. The campaign had multiple objectives: (1) lidar dust mapping for the validation of satellite and model products; (2) validation of sunphotometer remote sensing with airborne measurements; (3) coordinated measurements with the CATS lidar on the ISS; (4) radiative closure studies; and (5) the validation of a new model of dustsonde.

Comparison of AERONET and SKYRAD4.2 inversion products retrieved from a Cimel CE318 sunphotometer

SKYNET is an international research network of ground based sky – sunphotometers for the observation and monitoring of columnar aerosol properties. The algorithm developed by SKYNET is called SKYRAD.pack, and it is used on Prede instruments only. In this study, we have modified the SKYRAD.pack software in order to adapt it to Cimel sunphotometers. A one month database of Cimel data obtained at Burjassot (Valencia, Spain) has been processed with this program and the obtained inversion products have been compared with AERONET retrievals. In general, the differences found were consistent with the individual error assessments for both algorithms. Although the aerosol optical depth com…

Results from the Fourth WMO Filter Radiometer Comparison for aerosol optical depth measurements

Abstract. This study presents the results of the Fourth Filter Radiometer Comparison that was held in Davos, Switzerland, between 28 September and 16 October 2015. Thirty filter radiometers and spectroradiometers from 12 countries participated including reference instruments from global aerosol networks. The absolute differences of all instruments compared to the reference have been based on the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) criterion defined as follows: 95% of the measured data has to be within 0.005 ± 0.001∕m (where m is the air mass). At least 24 out of 29 instruments achieved this goal at both 500 and 865 nm, while 12 out of 17 and 13 out of 21 achieved this at 368 and 412 nm,…

Long-term (1995-2018) aerosol optical depth derived using ground based AERONET and SKYNET measurements from aerosol aged-background sites

Abstract We examined long-term aerosol optical depth (AOD) trends over 53 sites across the globe which comprise 49 sites from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and 4 sites from the Sky radiometer Network (SKYNET) during 1995–2018. Most of these sites are located in remote and isolated aged-background regions, and few are in urban/semi-urban sites having averaged AOD ∼0.1 at 500 nm. These selected sites have a global distribution including tropical, mid-latitudes, high-latitudes and Polar regions. Among them, there are 14 high-altitude stations (∼1028–5050 m amsl), including Himalayan and Polar regions. The main objective of the present work is to evaluate the AOD trends over the aged-ba…

Contrast in column-integrated aerosol optical properties during heating and non-heating seasons at Urumqi — Its causes and implications

Abstract Aerosol optical properties were retrieved from two years' worth of Sunphotometer measurements at Urumqi, an urban station in western China. Distinct seasonal variations of aerosol optical properties were revealed. During the heating season, mean aerosol optical depth at 550 nm (τ a ), Angstrom exponent calculated from aerosol optical depth at wavelength of 440 and 870 nm (α) as well as PM 2.5 concentration were 0.58 ± 0.33, 1.11 ± 0.34 and 79.5 ± 69.6 μg m − 3 , respectively, which contrasted their counterparts during the non-heating season of 0.32 ± 0.22, 0.79 ± 0.26, and 35.0 ± 20.1 μg m − 3 . Seasonal variations of τ a and PM 2.5 at Urumqi contrasted with corresponding values in…

Study of the correlation between columnar aerosol burden, suspended matter at ground and chemical components in a background European environment

Although routinely monitored by ground based air quality networks, the particulate matter distribution could be eventually better described with remote sensing techniques. However, valid relationships between ground level and columnar ground based quantities should be known beforehand. In this study we have performed a comparison between particulate matter measurements at ground level at different cut sizes (10, 2.5 and 1.0 mm), and the aerosol optical depth obtained by means of a ground based sunphotometer during a multiinstrumental field campaign held in El Arenosillo (Huelva, Spain) from 28 June to 4 July 2006. All the PM fractions were very well correlated with AOD with correlation coef…

Unexpected vertical structure of the Saharan Air Layer and giant dust particles during AER-D

The Saharan Air Layer (SAL) in the summertime eastern Atlantic is typically well mixed and 3–4 km deep, overlying the marine boundary layer (MBL). In this paper, we show experimental evidence that at times a very different structure can be observed. During the AERosol properties – Dust (AER-D) airborne campaign in August 2015, the typical structure described above was observed most of the time, and was associated with a moderate dust content yielding an aerosol optical depth (AOD) of 0.3–0.4 at 355 nm. In an intense event, however, an unprecedented vertical structure was observed close to the eastern boundary of the basin, displaying an uneven vertical distribution and a very …

Aerosol columnar properties retrieved from CIMEL radiometers during VELETA 2002

During the 2002 summer, the VELETA 2002 field campaign has been carried out at the Sierra Nevada Massif, close to Granada in South-Eastern Spain. During the campaign, CIMEL CE-318 robotic radiometer has been one of the key instruments in the characterization of the atmospheric aerosol columnar properties. This kind of radiometers have been operated at Motril, a coastal location at sea level, Pitres (1200 m a.s.l.), located in the South slope of Sierra Nevada Massif, Las Sabinas (2200m a.s.l.), located on the north slope of the mountain range, and Armilla (680m a.s.l.), located in the valley. The principal feature of the locations is that they provide a strong altitudinal gradient. This work…