Characterization Of Atmospheric Aerosols Research Articles

Molecular characterization of atmospheric organic aerosols in typical megacities in China

Atmospheric aerosols in megacities impact air quality and public health. However, limited information exists on the detailed molecular composition of organic aerosols in urban areas. This study characterized the molecular composition of organic aerosols (OA) in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, China, during summer and winter of 2021. Liquid chromatography-orbitrap mass spectrometry detected 4536−5560 and 2067− 3489 organic molecular formulas in positive (ESI+) and negative (ESI−) electrospray ionization modes, respectively. CHO and CHON compounds accounted for over 80% and 60% of total abundance in ESI+ and ESI−, respectively, suggesting their significant contribution to urban OA. The number and abundance percentages of CHO showed obvious seasonal variation, with more CHO in summer than in winter, while CHON exhibited the opposite trend in Beijing and Shanghai. Compared with winter, a lower unsaturation degree, reduced aromaticity, and higher oxidation state of OA in summer were observed in Beijing and Shanghai, while these seasonal variations were not as obvious in Guangzhou, likely due to regional climate differences. The number percentage of common compounds between Beijing and Shanghai was higher than that between Guangzhou and Beijing (or Shanghai). Nitroaromatic compounds were more prevalent in winter than in summer. Further analysis of atmospheric formation relevance and precursor-product pairs suggested that CHON compounds are derived from the oxidization or hydrolyzation processes, revealing potential chemical transformations of these aerosols. This study characterized the chemical makeup of organic aerosols, providing insight into their sources and characteristics in these cities.

Amazonian aerosol size distributions in a lognormal phase space: characteristics and trajectories

Abstract. This study introduces a first glance at Amazonian aerosols in the N–Dg–σ phase space. Aerosol data, measured from May 2021 to April 2022 at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO), were fitted by a multi-modal lognormal function and separated into three modes: the sub-50 nm, the Aitken (50–100 nm), and the accumulation modes. The fit results were then evaluated in the N–Dg–σ phase space, which represents a three-dimensional space based on the three lognormal fit parameters. These parameters represent, for a given mode i, the number concentration (Ni), the median geometric diameter (Dg,i), and the geometric standard deviation (σi). Each state of a particle number size distribution (PNSD) is represented by a single dot in this space, while a collection of dots shows the delimitation of all PNSD states under given conditions. The connections in ensembles of data points show trajectories caused by pseudo-forces, such as precipitation regimes and vertical movement. We showed that all three modes have a preferential arrangement in this space, reflecting their intrinsic behaviors in the atmosphere. These arrangements were interpreted as volumetric figures, elucidating the boundaries of each mode. Time trajectories in seasonal and diurnal cycles revealed that fits with the sub-20 nm mode are associated with rainfall events that happen in the morning and in the afternoon. But in the morning they grow rapidly into the Aitken mode, and in the afternoon they remain below 50 nm. Also, certain modes demonstrated well-defined curves in the space, e.g., the seasonal trajectory of the accumulation mode follows an ellipsoid, while the diurnal cycle of the sub-50 nm mode in the dry season follows a linear trajectory. As an effect of the precipitation on the PNSDs and vice versa, N and Dg were found to increase for the sub-50 nm mode and to decrease for the Aitken and accumulation modes after the precipitation peak. Afternoons with precipitation were preceded by mornings with larger particles of the accumulation mode, whose Dg was ∼ 10 nm larger than in days without precipitation. Nevertheless, this large Dg in the morning seems to influence subsequent rainfall only in the dry season, while in the wet season both N and Dg seem to have the same weight of influence. The observed patterns of the PNSDs in the N–Dg–σ phase space showed to be a promising tool for the characterization of atmospheric aerosols, to contribute to our understanding of the main processes in aerosol–cloud interactions, and to open new perspectives on aerosol parameterizations and model validation.

Chemical characterization of atmospheric aerosols at a high-altitude mountain site: a study of source apportionment

Abstract. The study of aerosols in high mountain regions is essential because particulate matter can play a role in altering the energy balance of high mountain regions, and aerosols can accelerate glacier melting in high mountain areas by darkening the ice surface, reducing its reflectivity (albedo). Studying aerosols in high mountain areas provides insights into long-range transport of pollutants, atmospheric dynamics, and climate change impacts. These regions can serve as valuable observatories for studying atmospheric processes. The main aim of this paper is to define the main sources of aerosols over an entire year of sampling at the Col Margherita Atmospheric Observatory (MRG; 46°22′0.059′′ N, 11°47′30.911′′ E; 2543 m a.s.l.), a high-altitude background site in the eastern Italian Alps. Here, we discuss the potential origins of more than 100 chemical markers (major ions, water-soluble organic compounds, trace elements, and rare earth elements) using different approaches. Some diagnostic ratios were applied, but source apportionment using positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to define the main inputs of PM10 collected at this high-altitude site, resulting in the identification of four factors: (1) Saharan dust events, (2) long-range marine/anthropogenic influence, (3) biogenic sources, and (4) biomass-burning and anthropogenic emissions. It can be inferred that, despite the distant location of the Col Margherita site, both regional pollution and long-range anthropogenic pollution have discernible effects on this area.

HETEAC-Flex: an optimal estimation method for aerosol typing based on lidar-derived intensive optical properties

Abstract. This study introduces a novel methodology for the characterization of atmospheric aerosol based on lidar-derived intensive optical properties. The proposed aerosol-typing scheme is based on the optimal estimation method (OEM) and allows the identification of up to four different aerosol components of an aerosol mixture, as well as the quantification of their contribution to the aerosol mixture in terms of relative volume. The four aerosol components considered in this typing scheme are associated with the most commonly observed aerosol particles in nature and are assumed to be physically separated from each other and, therefore, can create external mixtures. Two components represent absorbing and less-absorbing fine-mode particles, and the other two components represent spherical and non-spherical coarse-mode particles. These components reflect adequately the most frequently observed aerosol types in the atmosphere: combustion- and pollution-related aerosol, sea salt, and desert dust, respectively. In addition, to consolidate the calibration and validation efforts for the upcoming EarthCARE mission, the typing scheme proposed here is in accordance with the Hybrid End-To-End Aerosol Classification (HETEAC) model of EarthCARE. The lidar-derived optical parameters used in this typing scheme are the lidar ratio and the particle linear depolarization ratio at two distinct wavelengths (355 and 532 nm), the backscatter-related color ratio for the wavelength pair of 532/1064 nm and the extinction-related Ångström exponent for the wavelength pair of 355/532 nm. These intensive optical properties can be combined in different ways, making the methodology flexible, thus allowing its application to lidar systems with different configurations (e.g., single wavelength or multiwavelength, Raman, high spectral resolution). The typing scheme was therefore named HETEAC-Flex due to its compatibility with EarthCARE's HETEAC and its methodological flexibility. The functionality of the typing scheme is demonstrated by its application to three case studies based on layer-averaged optical properties.

Insights into the chemical characteristics of atmospheric aerosols from urban-industrial and rural sites in south-east of Poland during winter

This study focusses on a short-term characterisation of atmospheric aerosols from three locations in south- east of Poland with different land use characteristics, population density and sources of pollution (Katowice: urban-industrial; Strzyżowice near Lublin: rural; Kielce: urban). Twenty-four hour PM2.5 and PM10 samples were collected on the quartz filter and their chemical compositions were monitored and measured using OCEC thermo-optical analysis and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS). The highest concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were measured at the urban-industrial area in Katowice (29.6 µg ∙ m−3 and 31.0 µg ∙ m−3, respectively), whereas the highest organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) levels were observed at the Kielce urban site (23.3 ± 4.2 µg and 3.6 ± 0.3 µg, respectively). The lowest values were obtained at the rural site for PM2.5 (10.4 ± 2.7 µg ∙ m−3) and PM10 (11.8 ± 2.7 µg ∙ m−3) and for OC (17.8 ± 1.6 µg) and EC (1.0 ± 0.1 µg). SEM-EDS analysis of samples from Kielce allows identification of internal chemical mixtures of carbon, silicon, calcium, chlorine, sodium and aluminium.

Chemical Characterization of Atmospheric Aerosols in Monte Fenton, Punta Arenas, Chilean Southern Patagonia

This work addresses the chemical characterization of atmospheric aerosols and precipitation in the period from May to November 2019 at Monte Fenton (53.16° S, 71.05° W, 612 m.a.s.l.), 9 km west of Punta Arenas, to study the contribution and distribution of emission sources and chemical enrichment. The main ions (Ca2+, Cl−, K+, Mg2+, Na+, NH4+, NO3− and SO42−) were studied using ion chromatography, and trace elements (Al, Br, Ca, Cl, Cr, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Se, Si, Ti, V and Zn) using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence. Ions concentration ranged from 5.0 × 10−1 to 2.9 × 104 mg/m3 for Ca2+ and Cl−, respectively; whilst the concentration of elements varied between 8.8 × 10−11 and 2.1 × 10−2 mg/m3, for crZn (crustal Zn) and Fe, respectively. The electrical conductivity (EC, mean = 32.5 µS/cm) and the pH (mean = 6.8), showed the atmosphere of the study site was relatively neutral compared to the standard pH for rain (or snow) without contamination (pH = 5.6), and presented relatively low levels of conductivity compared to the EC standards for distilled water (0.5 to 3 µS/cm) and seawater (30,000 to 60,000 µS/cm). The main contribution to aerosols in the atmosphere of Monte Fenton came from marine and lithospheric sources, followed by local anthropogenic sources such as burning firewood and/or urban waste for heating production, etc., that led to the enrichment of aerosols with high Fe, K, Mn and V content. The results of this study contribute to filling a gap in knowledge of the chemistry of atmospheric aerosols in Southern Patagonia.

Characterization of atmospheric aerosols by SEM-EDX in a rural-continental environment-a seasonal approach

The vital information on the morphology and composition of the atmospheric aerosols over any region is critical to understand their climatic and health effects. This work aims at the physicochemical characteristics of atmospheric aerosols at a rural continental site in northeastern India. We collected the aerosol samples from January to December 2018 and applied a seasonal approach to investigate the physical and elemental characteristics of aerosol particles. A Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) has been used to examine the morphology of particles that, includes shape, size, and structure information. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) is used to investigate the elemental composition information. By using the SEM-EDX, we have noticed a variation in the morphology of particles and elemental composition from season to season. The different particle shapes vary from regular to irregular, including spherical, nearly spherical, triangular, capsule-like, and platy shapes have been observed. We have seen a variety of particle clusters, including chain-like structures, porous textures, soot structures, and irregular structures. A size range of particles with a diameter ranging from 100 nm to 30 µm has been observed. The presence of elements C, Si, O, B, K, Ca, P, S, Fe, Na, N, Cl, Mg, and Al has been examined in different seasons. We have noticed that road dust, crustal origin particles, and carbonaceous particles dominate the study region. We have observed a clear seasonal variation in the percentage of different elements. A small contribution by sea salt origin elements has also been noticed during the pre, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons when winds flow from the marine region, and air mass back trajectory results support this.

Online chemical characterization of atmospheric fine secondary aerosols and organic nitrates in summer Nanjing, China

The mechanisms leading to secondary aerosol pollution in the Yangtze Delta region (such as Nanjing) are still poorly constrained. Here we conducted a field campaign to elucidate the chemical characteristics of fine aerosols, with a focus on variations and formation mechanisms of secondary components in summer Nanjing. The average PM1 mass concentration was 18.88 μg m−3 and was dominated by the secondary species (78%). Secondary inorganic species accounted for 30% of PM1 mass and high PM1 loading was closely relevant with nitrate rather than sulfate. Nitrate was mainly produced from nighttime heterogeneous/aqueous process (production rate of 0.38 g/g H2O) and its variation was driven by thermodynamic equilibrium. On the other hand, sulfate was governed by daytime photochemical production (production rate of 0.013 g/g Ox)(Ox=NO2 + O3) while contribution of aqueous process was minor. Positive matrix factorization identified and quantified a traffic-related hydrocarbon OA (HOA), a cooking OA (COA), and four SOA factors including a local secondary OA (LSOA), a less oxygenated OA (LO-OOA), a moderately oxygenated OA (MD-OOA), and a more-oxidized oxygenated OA (MO-OOA). LSOA was likely from local photochemical conversion of HOA and COA; LO-OOA was semi-volatile thus evaporation/diffusion would offset its weak photochemical production. MO-OOA was very clearly linked with photochemistry, based on its afternoon enhancement and tight positive correlations with Ox (0.029 g/g Ox, occupying ∼60% of photochemical SOA production) and sulfate. MD-OOA was a minor contributor of SOA (∼6%) but it was clearly from aqueous process given the strong positive correlation with aerosol liquid water content (ALWC) and nitrate. Both nitrate and MD-OOA concentrations increased against pH while those of sulfate and MO-OOA decreased. We further investigated the organic nitrate (ON) characteristics, and found that ON was a very minor component of OA in summer Nanjing (0.08–0.14 μg m−3, 0.6–1.1% of OA) and it was predominantly associated with aqueous process. Overall, this work reveals in details formation processes of different secondary species, and therefore is insightful for future air pollution modelling and efficient control in similar regions.

Spatiotemporal analysis of absorbing aerosols and radiative forcing over environmentally distinct stations in East Africa during 2001–2018

East Africa (EA) suffers from the inadequate characterization of atmospheric aerosols, with far-reaching consequences of its inability to quantify precisely the impacts of these particles on regional climate. The current study aimed at characterizing absorption and radiative properties of aerosols using the long-term (2001–2018) AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) and Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2) data over three environmentally specific sites in EA. The annual mean absorption aerosol optical depth (AAOD440 nm), absorption Angstrom Exponent (AAE440−870 nm), total effective radius (REff), and total volume concentration (μm3/μm2) revealed significant spatial heterogeneity over the domain. The study domain exhibited a significant contribution of fine-mode aerosols compared to the coarse-mode particles. The monthly variation in SSA440 nm over EA explains the strength in absorption aerosols that range from moderate to strong absorbing aerosols. The aerosols exhibited significant variability over the study domain, with the dominance of absorbing fine-mode aerosols over Mbita accounting for ∼40 to ∼50 %, while weakly absorbing coarse-mode particles accounted for ∼8.2 % over Malindi. The study conclusively determined that Mbita was dominated by AAOD mainly from biomass burning in most of the months, whereas Malindi was coated with black carbon. The direct aerosol radiative forcing (DARF) retrieved from both the AERONET and MERRA-2 models showed strong cooling at the top of the atmosphere (TOA; −6 to −27 Wm−2) and the bottom of the atmosphere (BOA, −7 to −66 Wm−2). However, significant warming was noticed within the atmosphere (ATM; +14 to +76 Wm−2), an indication of the role of aerosols in regional climate change. The study contributed to understanding aerosol absorption and radiative characteristics over EA and can form the basis of other related studies over the domain and beyond.

Study of elemental concentration, surface morphology and chemical characterization of atmospheric aerosols and trace gases in an urban environment (India)

The severe harmful impact of atmospheric aerosols over the environment leads to create the diverse human interests and concerns. The increase in population growth, anthropogenic activities, land use pattern, and urbanisation have led to change in the environmental conditions. This study represents the different aspect of elemental concentration, morphology, and chemical composition of particulate matter and trace gases during different time periods of an Indian festival (Diwali) in the Greater Noida region of Uttar Pradesh (India). The average elemental concentration during night period (Diwali days) for PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2 and O3 were 540 ± 162 μg m−3, 343 ± 193 μg m−3, 25 ± 12 μg m−3, 44 ± 13 μg m−3 and 8 ± 5 μg m−3 respectively. The SEM-EDS studies revealed the different pattern and shapes of fine (≤ 2.5 μm), coarse (≤ 10 μm) and total suspended particles (≥ 10 μm) as spherical and uneven shapes, bunches, clusters, biogenic elements in the form of honeycomb structure (Brochosomes) and pollen were observed from different sources. The mineralogical studies showed the presence of quartz, feldspar, kaolinite, calcium aluminium silicate, and organic carbon in the studied region.

Elemental characterization and morphological analysis of atmospheric aerosols in a rural-continental environment of Northeast India

Elemental characterization and morphological analysis of atmospheric aerosols in a rural-continental environment of Northeast India

Single-particle Mineralogy of Asbestos Mineral Particles by the Combined Use of Low-Z Particle EPMA and ATR-FTIR Imaging Techniques

In this work, two single particle analytical techniques such as a quantitative energy-dispersive electron probe X-ray microanalysis (ED-EPMA), called low-Z particle EPMA, and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform-Infrared (ATR-FTIR) imaging were applied in combination for the characterization and distinction of six standard asbestos and one non-asbestos Mg-silicate minerals of micrometer size. Asbestos fibers have been reported as a natural carcinogen which causes some serious illness like mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. Atmospheric aerosols are heterogeneous mixtures and airborne asbestos fibers would be present due to their extensive industrial uses for various purposes. The fibers could also be airborne from natural and anthropogenic sources. As different asbestos fibers have different carcinogenic properties, it is important to determine different types of individual asbestos and non-asbestos Mg-silicate mineral particles and their sources for the public health management. In our previous works, the speciation of individual aerosol particles was performed by the combined use of the two single-particle analytical techniques, which demonstrated that the combined use of the two analytical techniques is powerful for detailed characterization of externally heterogeneous aerosol particle samples and has great potential for characterization of atmospheric aerosols. In this work, it is demonstrated that the identification and differentiation of asbestiform and non-asbestiform Mg-silicate mineral particles is clearly performed using the two single particle analytical techniques in combination than using either technique individually. Especially, anthophyllite and talc can be differentiated using this analytical approach, which has not been easy up until now.

Evaluation of the Sources, Precursors, and Processing of Aerosols at a High-Altitude Tropical Site.

This work presents the results from a set of aerosol- and gas-phase measurements collected during the BIO-MAÏDO field campaign in Réunion between March 8 and April 5, 2019. Several offline and online sampling devices were installed at the Maïdo Observatory (MO), a remote high-altitude site in the Southern Hemisphere, allowing the physical and chemical characterization of atmospheric aerosols and gases. The evaluation of short-lived gas-phase measurements allows us to conclude that air masses sampled during this period contained little or no anthropogenic influence. The dominance of sulfate and organic species in the submicron fraction of the aerosol is similar to that measured at other coastal sites. Carboxylic acids on PM10 showed a significant contribution of oxalic acid, a typical tracer of aqueous processed air masses, increasing at the end of the campaign. This result agrees with the positive matrix factorization analysis of the submicron organic aerosol, where more oxidized organic aerosols (MOOAs) dominated the organic aerosol with an increasing contribution toward the end of the campaign. Using a combination of air mass trajectories (model predictions), it was possible to assess the impact of aqueous phase processing on the formation of secondary organic aerosols (SOAs). Our results show how specific chemical signatures and physical properties of air masses, possibly affected by cloud processing, can be identified at Réunion. These changes in properties are represented by a shift in aerosol size distribution to large diameters and an increased contribution of secondary sulfate and organic aerosols after cloud processing.

Aerosol characterisation in the subtropical eastern North Atlantic region using long-term AERONET measurements

Abstract. A comprehensive characterisation of atmospheric aerosols in the subtropical eastern North Atlantic has been carried out using long-term ground-based Aerosol Robotic NETwork (AERONET) photometric observations over the period 2005–2020 from a unique network made up of four stations strategically located from sea level to 3555 m on the island of Tenerife. This site can be considered a sentinel for the passage of airmasses going to Europe from Africa, and therefore the aerosol characterisation performed here adds important information for analysing their evolution during their path toward Northern Europe. Two of these stations (Santa Cruz de Tenerife – SCO – at sea level and La Laguna – LLO – at 580 m a.s.l.) are located within the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL), and the other two (Izaña – IZO – at 2373 m a.s.l. and Teide Peak – TPO – at 3555 m a.s.l.) are high mountain stations within the free troposphere (FT). Monthly climatology of the aerosol optical depth (AOD), Ångström exponent (AE), aerosol concentration, size distribution and aerosol optical properties has been obtained for the MABL and FT. Measurements that are quite consistent across the four sites have been used to categorise the main atmospheric scenarios, and these measurements confirm an alternation between predominant background conditions and predominant dust-loaded Saharan air mass conditions caused by seasonal dust transport over the subtropical North Atlantic. Background conditions prevail in the MABL and FT for most of the year, while dust-laden conditions dominate in July and August. The MABL under background conditions appears as a well-mixed layer with a low aerosol concentration (the volume concentration, VolCon, ranges from 0.02 ± 0.01 to 0.04 ± 0.02 µm3 µm−2), a predominance of coarse-mode marine aerosols (the effective radius, Reff, changes from 1.60 ± 0.19 to 1.91 ± 0.34 µm), and a volume contribution of the fine-mode fraction Vf/Vt <0.35. The clean FT is characterised by remarkably low aerosol loading and a predominant impact of fine-mode aerosols throughout the year (Vf/Vt has a maximum value of 0.93 ± 0.13), with an average Reff of 0.16 ± 0.02 µm. However, under dust-laden conditions and mainly in summer, we observe a predominance of coarse-mode aerosols with maximum VolCon values of 0.26 ± 0.23 µm3 µm−2 for the MABL and 0.16 ± 0.12 (0.06 ± 0.05) µm3 µm−2 for IZO (TPO), and a similar and quite consistent fine-mode fraction of 0.12 ± 0.03 in the vertical within the MABL and FT. Similarities in micro-physical and optical intensive aerosol properties confirm that the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) is a well-mixed layer in terms of the particulate composition. An estimation of the difference in the aerosol loading in the 1 km layer between IZO and TPO (in terms of VolCon and AOD) is performed in this study, and this shows that aerosol loading at IZO is double that at TPO, but they have similar fine-mode fractions, effective radii and intensive optical properties. The long-term trend analysis at SCO shows a significant negative trend in the fine-mode AOD between 2005 and 2020 (−1.8 ± 0.5) × 10−5 yr−1, which might be linked to the large reduction in oil-refining SO2 emissions from the SCO refinery in 2012.

Properties of aerosol and surface derived from OLCI/Sentinel-3A using GRASP approach: Retrieval development and preliminary validation

The Ocean and Land Color Instrument (OLCI) onboard the Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite is a medium-resolution and multi-spectral push-broom imager acquiring radiance in 21 spectral bands covering from the visible to the far near-infrared. These measurements are primary dedicated to land & ocean color applications, but actually include also reliable information for atmospheric aerosol and surface brightness characterization. In the framework of the EUMETSAT funded study to support the Copernicus Program, we describe the retrieval of aerosol and surface properties from OLCI single-viewing multi-spectral Top-Of-Atmosphere (TOA) radiances based on the Generalized Retrieval of Atmosphere and Surface Properties (GRASP) algorithm. The high potential of the OLCI/GRASP configuration stems from the attempt to retrieve both aerosol load and surface reflectance simultaneously using a globally consistent high-level approach. For example, both over land and ocean surfaces OLCI/GRASP uses 9 spectral channels (albeit with different weights), strictly the same prescribed aerosol models and globally the same a priori constraints (though with some differences for observations over land and ocean). Due to the lack of angular multi-viewing information, the directional properties of underlying surface are strongly constrained in the retrieval: over ocean the Fresnel reflection together with foam/whitecap albedo are exclusively computed using a priori wind speed; over land, the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) is slightly adjusted from a priori values of climatological Ross-Li volumetric and geometric terms. Meanwhile, the isotropic reflectance is retrieved globally under mild spectral smoothness constraints. It should be noticed that OLCI/GRASP configuration employs innovative multi-pixel concept (Dubovik et al., 2011) that enhance retrieval by simultaneously inverting large group of pixels. The concept allows for benefiting from knowledge about natural variability of the retrieved parameters.The obtained OLCI/GRASP products were validated with the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and Maritime Aerosol Network (MAN) and intercompared with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol and surface products. The overall performance is quite comparable to the community-referenced MODIS. Over ocean the OLCI/GRASP results are encouraging with 67% of the AOD (550 nm) satisfying the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) requirement using AERONET coastal sites and 74% using MAN deep ocean measurements, and an AOD (550 nm) bias 0.01 with AERONET and nearly zero bias with MAN. Over land, 48% of OLCI/GRASP AOD (550 nm) satisfy the GCOS requirement and a bias within ±0.01 for total and AOD < 0.2. Key challenges are identified and discussed: adequate screening of cloud contaminations, retrieval of aerosol over bright surfaces and in the regions containing complex mixtures of aerosol.

Optical and microphysical characterization of atmospheric aerosol in the Central Mediterranean during simultaneous volcanic ash and desert dust transport events

Volcanic plume aerosol following the paroxysmal event of Mount Etna (Italy) in February 21st - 26th, 2021 was detected in Naples area (Italy), together with transport of Saharan dust aerosol, combining lidar, sunphotometer and satellite observations with back-trajectories and dispersion models simulations. Lidar data allowed to clearly distinguish the two main aerosol components, to investigate the spectral dependence of the aerosol optical properties and to retrieve their microphysical properties, essential for a detailed aerosol characterization. A new Monte Carlo algorithm, capable of retrieving the particle size distribution from lidar measurements, was applied. Lidar results are in good agreement with columnar integrated sunphotometer data. This combination of novel lidar observations of the vertically-resolved aerosol microphysics, column observations and modelling allows for a more complete description of multi-layered aerosol conditions.

Aerosol Opto-physical Properties: Temporal Variation, Aerosol Type Discrimination and Source Identification

Atmospheric aerosol characterization experiments were conducted, for the first time, over AC-Ahmednagar, a semi-urban location in south-west India, using a multi-spectral solar radiometer from January 2016 to May 2018. The MODIS/Terra retrieved Level-2 daily swath AOD550 nm data sets during 2011-2021 were also used to infer long-term behaviour of columnar aerosols at AC-Ahmednagar. The daily-averaged, Microtops II Sun photometer measured AOD500 nm and AOD1020 nm and MODIS retrieved AOD550 nm reveal a discernible wide spectrum of variability in their magnitudes. Magnitude-wise, AODs at both the wavelengths depict an increasing trend of about 0.05 year–1 (AOD500 nm) and 0.03 year–1 (AOD1020 nm). However, MODIS AOD550 nm illustrates statistically insignificant increasing trend of about 0.007 year–1. Microtops II Sun photometer derived Angstrom exponent (AE) depicts a noticeable day-to-day variability with respect to its overall mean value (1.06 ± 0.30) indicating the presence of diverse-sized aerosols. The AOD500 nm against AE440-870 nm contour density map analysis qualitatively characterizes different aerosol types prevalent in the atmospheric column. The weighted PSCF (WPSCF) analysis for AOD performed on a seasonal basis reveals the presence of possible contribution of long-range transported plumes of varied aerosols on different scales and types from a variety of emission sources from different regions.

Chemical and morpho-structural characterization of atmospheric aerosol (PM10 and PM2.5) in a city of São Paulo state, Brazil.

To access the sources of air pollutants is crucial to control atmospheric pollution in urban areas, minimizing human exposure. Particulate matter is a pollutant of great concern making its chemical and morpho-structural characterization of enormous importance. The present work aims at the characterization of atmospheric PM10 and PM2.5. Data of the aerosol mass concentration was correlated by multivariate analysis with water-soluble ion fraction composition accessed by ion chromatography (IC), as well as with meteorological information and air mass backward trajectories. The gravimetric analysis presented average values 3 to 4 times higher than the guide values recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). A morpho-structural analysis by SEM/FEG coupled to EDS was also carried out identifying the coarse fraction elements from minerals and from soil resuspension organic spherical particles that originated from combustion processes as well as Ti, associated with long-distance transportation. In the fine fraction, Zn with origin probably in tires and vehicle brakes was found. These origins were confirmed by the air masses' backward trajectories obtained by the HYSPLIT model (NOAA). This study contributes to a better understanding of the complex composition of the particulate material in the atmosphere of Araraquara City, resulting from the combination of local and long-distance sources, and serves as a basis for the comparison with future studies related to the air quality at this and other regions in Brazil and in the world.

Seasonal Variation in Chemical Composition of Size-Segregated Aerosols Over the Northeastern Arabian Sea

Water-soluble species constitute a significant fraction (up to 60–70%) of the total aerosol loading in the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL). The “indirect” effects, that is, climate forcing due to modification of cloud properties depend on the water-soluble composition of aerosols. Thus, the characterization of aerosols over the MABL is of greater relevance. Here, we present 1-year long aerosol chemical composition data of PM10 and PM2.5 at a costal location in the northeastern Arabian Sea (Goa; 15.45°N, 73.20°E, 56 m above the sea level). Average water-soluble ionic concentration (sum of anion and cation) is highest (25.5 ± 6.9 and 19.6 ± 5.8 μg·m−3 for PM10 and PM2.5, respectively) during winter season and lowest during post-monsoon (17.3 ± 9.1 and 14.4 ± 8.1 μg·m−3 for PM10 and PM2.5, respectively). Among water-soluble ionic spices, SO42- ion was found to be dominant species in anions and NH4+ is dominant in cations, for both PM10 and PM2.5 during all the seasons. These observations clearly hint to the contribution from anthropogenic emission and significant secondary inorganic species formation. Sea-salt (calculated based on Na+ and Cl−) concentration shows significant temporal variability with highest contribution during summer seasons in both fractions. Sea-salt corrected Ca2+, an indicator of mineral dust is found mostly during summer months, particularly in PM10 samples, indicates contribution from mineral dust emissions from arid/semiarid regions located in the north/northwestern India and southwest Asia. These observations are corroborated with back-trajectory analyses, wherein air parcels were found to derive from the desert area in summer and Indo-Gangetic Plains (a hot spot for anthropogenic emissions) during winter. In addition, we also observe the presence of nss-K+ (sea-salt corrected), for PM2.5, particularly during winter months, indicating influence of biomass burning emissions. The impact on aerosol chemistry is further assessed based on chloride depletion. Chloride depletion is observed very significant during post-monsoon months (October and November), wherein more than 80 up to 100% depletion is found, mediated by excess sulfates highlighting the role of secondary species in atmospheric chemistry. Regional scale characterization of atmospheric aerosols is important for their better parameterization in chemical transport model and estimation of radiative forcing.

Polarization measurement accuracy analysis and improvement methods for the directional polarimetric camera.

The directional polarimetric camera (DPC) is a remote-sensing instrument for the characterization of atmospheric aerosols and clouds by simultaneously conducting spectral, angular, and polarimetric measurements. Polarization measurement accuracy is an important index to evaluate the performance of the DPC and mainly related to the calibration accuracy of instrumental parameters. In this paper, firstly, the relationship between the polarization measurement accuracy of DPC and the parameter calibration errors caused by the nonideality of the components of DPC are analyzed, and the maximum polarization measurement error of DPC in the central field of view and edge field of view after initial calibration is evaluated respectively. Secondly, on the basis of the radiometric calibration of the DPC onboard the GaoFen-5 satellite in an early companion paper [Opt. Express2813187 (2020)10.1364/OE.391078], a series of simple and practical methods are proposed to improve the calibration accuracy of the parameters-the diattenuation of the optics, absolute azimuth angle, and relative transmission corresponding to each pixel, thereby improving the polarization measurement accuracy of DPC. The calibration results show that, compared with the original methods, the accuracy of the diattenuation of the optics, relative azimuth angle, and relative transmission of three polarized channels obtained with the improved methods are improved from ±1%, 0.1 degree and ±2% to ±0.4%, 0.05 degree and ±0.2%, respectively. Finally, two verification experiments based on a non-polarized radiation source and a polarizing system were carried out in the laboratory respectively to verify the improvement of the parameters modified by the proposed methods on the polarization measurement accuracy of the DPC to be boarding the GaoFen-5 (02) satellite. The experimental results show that when the corrected parameters were employed, the average error in measuring the degree of linear polarization of non-polarized light source for all pixels in the three polarized bands and the maximum deviation of the degree of linear polarization between the values set by the polarizing system and the values measured by the DPC at several different field of view angles for each polarized spectral band are obviously reduced. Both the mean absolute errors and the root mean square errors of the degree of linear polarization obtained with the corrected parameters are much lower than those obtained with the original parameters. All of these prove the effectiveness of the proposed methods.