Overview of sun photometer measurements of aerosol properties in Scandinavia and Svalbard

• Published in: Atmospheric Environment
• Main Authors: TOLEDANO C, CACHORRO V, GAUSA M, STEBEL K, AALTONEN V, BERJÓN A, ORTIZ DE GALISTEO J, DE FRUTOS A, BENNOUNA Y, BLINDHEIM S, MYHRE C, ZIBORDI Giuseppe, WEHRLI C, KRATZER S, HAKANSSON B, CARLUND T, DE LEEUW G, HERBER A, TORRES B.
• Language: English
• Published: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD 2012
• Subjects: Arctic; Ny-Ålesund; Sodankylä; Svalbard; Andenes; IPY; Ny Ålesund; Subarctic
• Online Access: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC64827; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231011010818; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.10.022

An overview of the data of columnar aerosol properties measured in Northern Europe isprovided. Apart from the necessary data gathered in the Arctic, the knowledge of the aerosolloading in nearby areas (e.g. subarctic) is of maximum interest to get a correct analysis ofArctic aerosols and transport patterns. This work evaluates the data from current operationalsites with sun photometer measurements belonging either to national or international networks(AERONET, GAW-PFR) and programs conducted in Scandinavia and Svalbard. We enumerate alist of operational sites, measurement type and periods together with observed aerosol properties.An evaluation and analysis of aerosol data was carried out with a review of previous results, aswell. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ångström exponent (AE) are the current parameters withsucient long-term records for a first evaluation of aerosol properties. AOD (500nm) rangesfrom 0.08 to 0.10 in Arctic and sub-Arctic sites (Ny-Ålesund: 0.09; Andenes: 0.10; Sodankylä:0.08), and it is somewhat higher in more populated areas in Southern Scandinavia (AOD about0.10–0.12 at 500 nm). On the Norwegian coast, aerosols show larger mean size (AE=1.2 atAndenes) than in Finland, with continental climate (AE=1.5 at Sodankylä). Columnar particlesize distributions and related parameters derived from inversion of sun/sky radiances were alsoinvestigated. This work makes special emphasis in the joint and collaborative eort of the variousgroups from dierent countries involved in this study. Part of the measurements presented hereis involved in the IPY projects Polar-AOD and POLARCAT. JRC.H.5 - Land Resources Management