Ground-based High Spectral Resolution Lidar observation of aerosol vertical distribution in the summertime Southeast United States ...

• Main Authors: Reid, Jeffrey S., Kuehn, Ralph E., Holz, Robert E., Eloranta, Edwin W., Kaku, Kathleen C., Kuang, Shi, Newchurch, Michael J., Thompson, Anne M., Trepte, Charles R., Zhang, Jianglong, Atwood, Samuel A., Hand, Jenny L., Holben, Brent N., Minnis, Patrick, Posselt, Derek J.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: AGU 2017
• Subjects: aerosol; convection; lidar; pollution; SEAC4RS; Southeast United States; Aerosol Robotic Network
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.13016/m2urus-kbcw; https://mdsoar.org/handle/11603/34733

As part of the Southeast United States-based Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC4RS), and collinear with part of the Southeast Atmosphere Study, the University of Wisconsin High Spectral Resolution Lidar system was deployed to the University of Alabama from 19 June to 4 November 2013. With a collocated Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sun photometer, a nearby Chemical Speciation Network (PM2.5) measurement station, and near daily ozonesonde releases for the August–September SEAC4RS campaign, the site allowed the region's first comprehensive diurnal monitoring of aerosol particle vertical structure. A 532 nm lidar ratio of 55 sr provided good closure between aerosol backscatter and AERONET (aerosol optical thickness, AOT). A principle component analysis was performed to identify key modes of variability in aerosol backscatter. “Fair weather” days exhibited classic planetary boundary layer structure of a mixed layer accounting for 50% of AOT ...