Aerosol characterization in Northern Africa, Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Basin and Middle East from direct-sun AERONET observations
We provide an atmospheric aerosol characterization for North Africa, Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Middle East based on the analysis of quality-assured direct-sun observations of 39 stations of the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) which include at least an annual cycle within the 1994–20...
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ftnonlinearchiv:oai:noa.gwlb.de:cop_mods_00047543 2023-05-15T13:06:57+02:00 Aerosol characterization in Northern Africa, Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Basin and Middle East from direct-sun AERONET observations Basart, S. Pérez, C. Cuevas, E. Baldasano, J. M. Gobbi, G. P. 2009-11 electronic https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-8265-2009 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00047543 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00047163/acp-9-8265-2009.pdf https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/9/8265/2009/acp-9-8265-2009.pdf eng eng Copernicus Publications Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics -- http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/volumes_and_issues.html -- http://www.bibliothek.uni-regensburg.de/ezeit/?2069847 -- 1680-7324 https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-8265-2009 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00047543 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00047163/acp-9-8265-2009.pdf https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/9/8265/2009/acp-9-8265-2009.pdf uneingeschränkt info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article Verlagsveröffentlichung article Text doc-type:article 2009 ftnonlinearchiv https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-8265-2009 2022-02-08T22:38:24Z We provide an atmospheric aerosol characterization for North Africa, Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Middle East based on the analysis of quality-assured direct-sun observations of 39 stations of the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) which include at least an annual cycle within the 1994–2007 period. We extensively test and apply the recently introduced graphical method of Gobbi and co-authors to track and discriminate different aerosol types and quantify the contribution of mineral dust. The method relies on the combined analysis of the Ångström exponent (α) and its spectral curvature δα. Plotting data in these coordinates allows to infer aerosol fine mode radius (Rf) and fractional contribution (η) to total Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and separate AOD growth due to fine-mode aerosol humidification and/or coagulation from AOD growth due to the increase in coarse particles or cloud contamination. Our results confirm the robustness of this graphical method. Large mineral dust is found to be the most important constituent in Northern Africa and Middle East. Under specific meteorological conditions, its transport to Southern Europe is observed from spring to autumn and decreasing with latitude. We observe "pure Saharan dust" conditions to show AOD>0.7 (ranging up to 5), α<0.3 and δα<0 corresponding to η<40% and (Rf)~0.13 μm. Small pollution particles are abundant in sites close to urban and industrial areas of Continental and Eastern Europe and Middle East, as well as, important contributions of biomass burning are observed in the sub-Sahel region in winter. These small aerosols are associated to AOD<1, α>1.5 and δα~−0.2 corresponding to η>70% and Rf~0.13 μm. Here, dust mixed with fine pollution aerosols shifts the observations to the region α<0.75, in which the fine mode contribution is less than 40%. Article in Journal/Newspaper Aerosol Robotic Network Niedersächsisches Online-Archiv NOA Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 9 21 8265 8282 |
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article Verlagsveröffentlichung |
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article Verlagsveröffentlichung Basart, S. Pérez, C. Cuevas, E. Baldasano, J. M. Gobbi, G. P. Aerosol characterization in Northern Africa, Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Basin and Middle East from direct-sun AERONET observations |
topic_facet |
article Verlagsveröffentlichung |
description |
We provide an atmospheric aerosol characterization for North Africa, Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Middle East based on the analysis of quality-assured direct-sun observations of 39 stations of the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) which include at least an annual cycle within the 1994–2007 period. We extensively test and apply the recently introduced graphical method of Gobbi and co-authors to track and discriminate different aerosol types and quantify the contribution of mineral dust. The method relies on the combined analysis of the Ångström exponent (α) and its spectral curvature δα. Plotting data in these coordinates allows to infer aerosol fine mode radius (Rf) and fractional contribution (η) to total Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and separate AOD growth due to fine-mode aerosol humidification and/or coagulation from AOD growth due to the increase in coarse particles or cloud contamination. Our results confirm the robustness of this graphical method. Large mineral dust is found to be the most important constituent in Northern Africa and Middle East. Under specific meteorological conditions, its transport to Southern Europe is observed from spring to autumn and decreasing with latitude. We observe "pure Saharan dust" conditions to show AOD>0.7 (ranging up to 5), α<0.3 and δα<0 corresponding to η<40% and (Rf)~0.13 μm. Small pollution particles are abundant in sites close to urban and industrial areas of Continental and Eastern Europe and Middle East, as well as, important contributions of biomass burning are observed in the sub-Sahel region in winter. These small aerosols are associated to AOD<1, α>1.5 and δα~−0.2 corresponding to η>70% and Rf~0.13 μm. Here, dust mixed with fine pollution aerosols shifts the observations to the region α<0.75, in which the fine mode contribution is less than 40%. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Basart, S. Pérez, C. Cuevas, E. Baldasano, J. M. Gobbi, G. P. |
author_facet |
Basart, S. Pérez, C. Cuevas, E. Baldasano, J. M. Gobbi, G. P. |
author_sort |
Basart, S. |
title |
Aerosol characterization in Northern Africa, Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Basin and Middle East from direct-sun AERONET observations |
title_short |
Aerosol characterization in Northern Africa, Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Basin and Middle East from direct-sun AERONET observations |
title_full |
Aerosol characterization in Northern Africa, Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Basin and Middle East from direct-sun AERONET observations |
title_fullStr |
Aerosol characterization in Northern Africa, Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Basin and Middle East from direct-sun AERONET observations |
title_full_unstemmed |
Aerosol characterization in Northern Africa, Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Basin and Middle East from direct-sun AERONET observations |
title_sort |
aerosol characterization in northern africa, northeastern atlantic, mediterranean basin and middle east from direct-sun aeronet observations |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-8265-2009 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00047543 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00047163/acp-9-8265-2009.pdf https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/9/8265/2009/acp-9-8265-2009.pdf |
genre |
Aerosol Robotic Network |
genre_facet |
Aerosol Robotic Network |
op_relation |
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics -- http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/volumes_and_issues.html -- http://www.bibliothek.uni-regensburg.de/ezeit/?2069847 -- 1680-7324 https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-8265-2009 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00047543 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00047163/acp-9-8265-2009.pdf https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/9/8265/2009/acp-9-8265-2009.pdf |
op_rights |
uneingeschränkt info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-9-8265-2009 |
container_title |
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
21 |
container_start_page |
8265 |
op_container_end_page |
8282 |
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1766028687122104320 |