Effects of data assimilation on the global aerosol key optical properties simulations

• Published in: Atmospheric Research
• Main Authors: Yin, Xiaomei, Dai, Tie, Schutgens, Nick A. J., Goto, Daisuke, Nakajima, Teruyuki, Shi, Guangyu
• Other Authors: Dai, T (reprint author), Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Atmospher Phys, Beijing 100029, Peoples R China., Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Atmospher Phys, State Key Lab Numer Modeling Atmospher Sci & Geop, Beijing 100029, Peoples R China., Nanjing Univ Informat Sci & Technol, Collaborat Innovat Ctr Forecast & Evaluat Meteoro, Nanjing, Jiangsu, Peoples R China., Peking Univ, Coll Environm Sci & Engn, State Key Joint Lab Environm Simulat & Pollut Con, Beijing 100871, Peoples R China., Univ Oxford, Atmosphere Ocean & Planetary Phys, Oxford OX1 2JD, England., Natl Inst Environm Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan., Japan Aerosp Explorat Agcy, Earth Observat Res Ctr, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan., Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Atmospher Phys, Beijing 100029, Peoples R China.
• Format: Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH 2016
• Subjects: Aerosol optical properties; Assimilation system; Global aerosol model; AERONET; RESOLUTION IMAGING SPECTRORADIOMETER; ICOSAHEDRAL ATMOSPHERIC MODEL; TRANSFORM KALMAN FILTER; TRANSPORT MODEL; DEPTH RETRIEVALS; AIR-QUALITY; MODIS; AEROCOM; DUST; Moe; Aerosol Robotic Network
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11897/437042; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2016.03.016

We present the one month results of global aerosol optical properties for April 2006, using the Spectral Radiation Transport Model for Aerosol Species (SPRINTARS) coupled with the Non-hydrostatic ICosahedral Atmospheric Model (NICAM), by assimilating Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol optical depth (AOD) with Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (LETKF). The simulated AOD, Angstrom Exponent (AE) and single scattering albedo (SSA) are validated by independent Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) observations over the global sites. The data assimilation has the strongest positive effect on the AOD simulation and slight positive influences on the AE and SSA simulations. For the time-averaged globally spatial distribution, the data assimilation increases the model skill score (S) of AOD, AE, and SSA from 0.55, 0.92, and 0.75 to 0.79, 0.94, and 0.80, respectively. Over the North Africa (NAF) and Middle East region where the aerosol composition is simple.(mainly dust), the simulated AODs are best improved by the data assimilation, indicating the assimilation correctly modifies the wrong dust burdens caused by the uncertainties of the dust emission parameterization. Assimilation also improves the simulation of the temporal variations of the aerosol optical properties over the AERONET sites, with improved S at 60 (62%), 45 (55%) and 11 (50%) of 97, 82 and 22 sites for AOD, AE and SSA. By analyzing AOD and AE at five selected sites with best S improvement, this study further indicates that the assimilation can reproduce short duration events and ratios between fine and coarse aerosols more accurately. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. National Natural Science Funds of China [41475031, 41571130024, 41130104]; Public Meteorology Special Foundation of MOST [GYHY201406023]; State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control [15K02ESPCP]; JAXA/EarthCARE; MEXT/VL for Climate System Diagnostics; MOE/Global Environment Research Fund [14426634]; NIES/GOSAT; NIES/CGER; MEXT/RECCA/SALSA; [A-1101] SCI(E) EI ARTICLE [e-mail] 175-186 178