Polar Aerosol Vertical Structures and Characteristics Observed with a High Spectral Resolution Lidar at the ARM NSA Observatory

Abstract

Aerosol vertical distributions impact both the direct and indirect radiative effects of aerosols. High Spectra Resolution Lidar (HSRL) separates between atmospheric molecular signals and aerosol particle signals and therefore can provide reliable measurements of aerosol properties. Six years of HSRL measurements between 2014 and 2019 from the Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) North Slope of Alaska (NSA) atmospheric observatory at Utqiaġvik are used to statistically analyze Arctic aerosol vertical distributions. The annual cycle of aerosol vertical distributions in terms of aerosol particulate backscatter coefficient (βp), lidar scattering ratio (SR), and aerosol particulate depolarization ratio (δp) profiles at the wavelength of 532 nm shows that Arctic Haze events are prevalent in later winter and spring at the NSA site. Mineral dust is frequently presented in strong aerosol layers in the spring, fall, and winter seasons. Over the summer season, the NSA site has large aerosol loadings that are dominated by small spherical aerosol particles.