Optical Properties of Aerosols over an Urban Coastal Site in France and its Effect on Direct Radiative Forcing
Abstract
Continuous measurements of aerosol physical and optical properties were carried over Toulon, an urban coastal location in south France, for one complete seasonal cycle during 2005-2006. Columnar aerosol optical depth (AOD), black carbon (BC), absorption and scattering coefficients, number-size distributions of fine and coarse particles were measured, along with the surface meteorological parameters. Monthly-mean aerosol optical depth at 440 nm ranged between 0.1 and 0.34, with high Angstrom coefficient (á >1.2). The single scattering albedo (SSA) estimated at the surface at 525 nm ranged between 0.7 and 0.8, indicating significant absorption. The presence of aerosols over the Mediterranean zone during summer decreases the shortwave radiation reaching the surface by as much as 26 ± 3.9 W/m2, and increases the top of the atmosphere reflected radiation by as much as 5.2 ± 1.0 W/m2. The shortwave atmospheric absorption translates to an atmospheric heating of 2.5 to 4.6 K/day.
- Publication:
-
AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009AGUSM.A33C..12S
- Keywords:
-
- 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345;
- 4801;
- 4906)