Spectral particle absorption coefficients, single scattering albedos and imaginary parts of refractive indices from ground based in situ measurements at Cape Verde Island during SAMUM-2

Abstract

During the SAMUM-2 experiment, spectral absorption coefficients, single scattering albedos and imaginary parts of refractive indices of mineral dust particles were investigated at the Cape Verde Islands. Main absorbing constituents of airborne samples were mineral dust and soot. PM10 spectral absorption coefficients were measured using a Spectral Optical Absorption Photometer (SOAP) covering the wavelength range from 300 to 960 nm with a resolution of 25 nm. From SOAP, also information on the particle scattering coefficients could be retrieved. Spectral single scattering albedos were obtained in the wavelength range from 350 to 960 nm. Imaginary parts of the refractive index were inferred from measured particle number size distributions and absorption coefficients using Mie scattering theory. Imaginary parts for a dust case were 0.012, 0.0047 and 0.0019 at the wavelengths 450, 550 and 950 nm, respectively, and the single scattering albedos were 0.91, 0.96 and 0.98 at the same wavelengths. During a marine case, the imaginary parts of the refractive indices were 0.0045, 0.0040 and 0.0036 and single scattering albedos were 0.93, 0.95 and 0.96 at the wavelengths given above.