Comparison of Observed and Modeled Regional Scale Aerosol Characteristics for ACE-ASIA and TRACE-P
Abstract
During spring of 2001 we measured aerosol physical, chemical and optical properties for Asian aerosol with our similar instrument sets [University of Hawaii] from two aircraft - the NASA P3-B (TRACE-P) and NSF C-130 (ACE-ASIA). Observed aerosol characteristics included aerosol number concentration, measured with Ultrafine Condensation Nuclei counter (UCN) and CN counters; size distributions, obtained from a radial differential mobility analyzer (RDMA), a laser optical particle counter (OPC), aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) and wing mounted probes; aerosol light scattering and absorption obtained from nephelometers and a Particle Soot Absorption Photometers (PSAP). On the C-130 a dry and humidified nephelometer was operated to measure humidity dependence of aerosol light scattering, f(RH). Size distributions and number concentrations were measured with thermal aerosol volatilization to infer particles volatility and refractory properties linked to dust and soot aerosol components. Here we compare these observations to results from the University of Iowa CFORS/STEM model of related aerosol characteristics during these measurement periods. This model includes a wide variety of aerosol chemical and optical properties - black and organic carbon (BC and OC), dust, sulfate concentrations and calculated aerosol optical depth. This comparison is based not only on case studies bur also on regional scale air mass characterization. To facilitate this comparison a set of scatter "signature" plots of measured aerosol parameters like f(RH) vs. fractional submicron aerosol surface area or submicron refractory volume vs. total aerosol absorption is used. This approach generates clusters of data characteristics for different air masses. The model shows a high degree of consistency in identifying the main features of biomass burning, urban/industrial pollution, and dust events. This combination of measured and modeled aerosol parameters is shown to be valuable in quantifying the nature and scale of airmass physical, chemical and optical properties.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2002
- Bibcode:
- 2002AGUFM.A11A0061K
- Keywords:
-
- 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345;
- 4801);
- 0322 Constituent sources and sinks;
- 0345 Pollution: urban and regional (0305);
- 0360 Transmission and scattering of radiation;
- 0365 Troposphere: composition and chemistry