Assessment of Langley and NASA-GISS Calibration Techniques for MFRSR Aerosol Retrieval

Abstract

Sun photometric measurements are an important method of measuring the column amount and optical properties of atmospheric aerosols and are frequently used to better understand the impact of aerosols on the Earth's radiative budget. This paper assesses two calibration techniques used for multifilter rotating shadowband radiometers (MFRSRs) and presents the results obtained at Long Island, NY, during the July 2011 Aerosol Life Cycle Intensive Operational Period (IOP) campaign. The instrument calibration constants are validated internally against each other and against an independent quantitative technique based on the solar irradiance at the top of the atmosphere, convolved with the MFRSR filter response. In addition, the aerosol optical parameters obtained from the MFRSR are assessed against the same parameters retrieved with a recently calibrated CIMEL sun/sky radiometer collocated with the MFRSR instrument. These comparisons indicate generally good agreement between the two instruments for both calibration techniques. The advantages and disadvantages of the two techniques are presented. Additionally, an analysis of the optical and physical properties of aerosols from the MFRSR and their chemical compositions obtained by an in situ high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer, together with back trajectories, indicate that the principal source of high concentrations of fine aerosols observed during July 18-24 was forest fires in western Canada.