The Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2), updates NASA’s previous satellite-era (1980 onward) reanalysis system to include additional observations and ...improvements to the Goddard Earth Observing System, version 5 (GEOS-5), Earth system model. As a major step toward a full Integrated Earth Systems Analysis (IESA), in addition to meteorological observations, MERRA-2 now includes assimilation of aerosol optical depth (AOD) from various ground-and space-based remote sensing platforms. Here, in the first of a pair of studies, the MERRA-2 aerosol assimilation is documented, including a description of the prognostic model (GEOS-5 coupled to the GOCART aerosol module), aerosol emissions, and the quality control of ingested observations. Initial validation and evaluation of the analyzed AOD fields are provided using independent observations from ground, aircraft, and shipborne instruments. The positive impact of the AOD assimilation on simulated aerosols is demonstrated by comparing MERRA-2 aerosol fields to an identical control simulation that does not include AOD assimilation. After showing the AOD evaluation, this paper takes a first look at aerosol–climate interactions by examining the shortwave, clear-sky aerosol direct radiative effect. The companion paper (Part II) evaluates and validates available MERRA-2 aerosol properties not directly impacted by the AOD assimilation (e.g., aerosol vertical distribution and absorption). Importantly, while highlighting the skill of the MERRA-2 aerosol assimilation products, both studies point out caveats that must be considered when using this new reanalysis product for future studies of aerosols and their interactions with weather and climate.
Differences and similarities in aerosol characteristics, for the first time, over two environmentally distinct locations in Indo-Gangetic plain (IGP) – Kanpur (KPR) (urban location) and Gandhi ...College (GC) (rural site) are examined. Aerosol optical depths (AODs) exhibit pronounced seasonal variability with higher values during winter and premonsoon. Aerosol fine mode fraction (FMF) and Ångström exponent (α) are higher over GC than KPR indicating relatively higher fine mode aerosol concentration over GC. Higher FMF over GC is attributed to local biomass burning activities. Analysis of AOD spectra revealed that aerosol size distribution is dominated by wide range of fine mode fractions or mixture of modes during winter and postmonsoon, while during premonsoon and monsoon coarse mode aerosols are more abundant. Single scattering albedo (SSA) is lower over GC than KPR. SSA spectra reveals the abundance of fine mode (coarse mode) absorbing (scattering) aerosols during winter and postmonsoon (premonsoon and monsoon). Spectral SSA features reveal that OC contribution to enhanced absorption is negligible. Analysis shows that absorbing aerosols can be classified as Mostly Black Carbon (BC), and Mixed BC and Dust over IGP. Mixed BC and dust is always higher over KPR, while Mostly BC is higher over GC throughout the year. The amount of long range transported dust exhibits a gradient between KPR (higher) and GC (lower). Results on seasonally varying aerosol types, and absorbing aerosol types and their gradients over an aerosol hotspot are important to tune models and to reduce the uncertainty in radiative and climate impact of aerosols.
•AODs exhibit prominent seasonal variation over Kanpur and Gandhi College in IGP.•Coarse mode aerosol concentration is always higher over Kanpur than Gandhi College.•Fine mode aerosols dominate IGP during winter and postmonsoon.•Absorbing aerosols over IGP are Mostly BC, and Mixed BC and Dust.•Enhanced absorption due to OC aerosols may be negligible over IGP.
Partitioning of mineral dust, pollution, smoke, and mixtures using remote sensing techniques can help improve accuracy of satellite retrievals and assessments of the aerosol radiative impact on ...climate. Spectral aerosol optical depth (τ) and single scattering albedo (ωo) from Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) measurements are used to form absorption (i.e., ωo and absorption Ångström exponent (αabs)) and size (i.e., extinction Ångström exponent (αext) and fine mode fraction of τ) relationships to infer dominant aerosol types. Using the long‐term AERONET data set (1999–2010), 19 sites are grouped by aerosol type based on known source regions to (1) determine the averageωo and αabs at each site (expanding upon previous work), (2) perform a sensitivity study on αabs by varying the spectral ωo, and (3) test the ability of each absorption and size relationship to distinguish aerosol types. The spectral ωo averages indicate slightly more aerosol absorption (i.e., a 0.0 < δωo ≤ 0.02 decrease) than in previous work, and optical mixtures of pollution and smoke with dust show stronger absorption than dust alone. Frequency distributions of αabs show significant overlap among aerosol type categories, and at least 10% of the αabs retrievals in each category are below 1.0. Perturbing the spectral ωo by ±0.03 induces significant αabs changes from the unperturbed value by at least ∼±0.6 for Dust, ∼±0.2 for Mixed, and ∼±0.1 for Urban/Industrial and Biomass Burning. The ωo440nm and αext440–870nmrelationship shows the best separation among aerosol type clusters, providing a simple technique for determining aerosol type from surface‐ and future space‐based instrumentation.
Key Points
Expand upon aerosol absorption climatology at key AERONET sites
Perform a sensitivity study on the Absorption Angstrom Exponent
Examine aerosol absorption and size to determine aerosol classifications
By using observations from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET), aerosol types are classified according to dominant size mode and radiation absorptivity as determined by fine-mode fraction (FMF) and ...single-scattering albedo (SSA), respectively. The aerosol type from anthropogenic sources is significantly different with regard to location and season, while dust aerosol is observed persistently over North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. For four reference locations where different aerosol types are observed, time series and optical properties for each aerosol type are investigated. The results show that aerosol types are strongly affected by their sources and partly affected by relative humidity. The analysis and methodology of this study can be used to compare aerosol classification results from satellite and chemical transport models, as well as to analyze aerosol characteristics on a global scale over land for which satellite observations need to be improved.
Aerosol mixtures composed of coarse mode desert dust combined with fine mode combustion generated aerosols (from fossil fuel and biomass burning sources) were investigated at three locations that are ...in and/or downwind of major global aerosol emission source regions. Multiyear monitoring data at Aerosol Robotic Network sites in Beijing (central eastern China), Kanpur (Indo-Gangetic Plain, northern India), and Ilorin (Nigeria, Sudanian zone of West Africa) were utilized to study the climatological characteristics of aerosol optical properties. Multiyear climatological averages of spectral single scattering albedo (SSA) versus fine mode fraction (FMF) of aerosol optical depth at 675 nm at all three sites exhibited relatively linear trends up to 50% FMF. This suggests the possibility that external linear mixing of both fine and coarse mode components (weighted by FMF) dominates the SSA variation, where the SSA of each component remains relatively constant for this range of FMF only. However, it is likely that a combination of other factors is also involved in determining the dynamics of SSA as a function of FMF, such as fine mode particles adhering to coarse mode dust. The spectral variation of the climatological averaged aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) was nearly linear in logarithmic coordinates over the wavelength range of 440-870 nm for both the Kanpur and Ilorin sites. However, at two sites in China (Beijing and Xianghe), a distinct nonlinearity in spectral AAOD in logarithmic space was observed, suggesting the possibility of anomalously strong absorption in coarse mode aerosols increasing the 870 nm AAOD.
Long-term measurements of aerosol optical depths (AODs) at 440 nm and Aangstrom exponents (AE) between 440 and 870 nm made for CARSNET were compiled into a climatology of aerosol optical properties ...for China. Quality-assured monthly mean AODs are presented for 50 sites representing remote, rural, and urban areas. AODs were 0.14, 0.34, 0.42, 0.54, and 0.74 at remote stations, rural/desert regions, the Loess Plateau, central and eastern China, and urban sites, respectively, and the corresponding AE values were 0.97, 0.55, 0.82, 1.19, and 1.05. AODs increased from north to south, with low values (< 0.20) over the Tibetan Plateau and northwestern China and high AODs (> 0.60) in central and eastern China where industrial emissions and anthropogenic activities were likely sources. AODs were 0.20-0.40 in semi-arid and arid regions and some background areas in northern and northeastern China. AEs were > 1.20 over the southern reaches of the Yangtze River and at clean sites in northeastern China. In the northwestern deserts and industrial parts of northeast China, AEs were lower (< 0.80) compared with central and eastern regions. Dust events in spring, hygroscopic particle growth during summer, and biomass burning contribute the high AODs, especially in northern and eastern China. The AODs show decreasing trends from 2006 to 2009 but increased ~ 0.03 per year from 2009 to 2013.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard both NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites is making near-global daily observations of the earth in a wide spectral range (0.41-15 k m). ...These measurements are used to derive spectral aerosol optical thickness and aerosol size parameters over both land and ocean. The aerosol products available over land include aerosol optical thickness at three visible wavelengths, a measure of the fraction of aerosol optical thickness attributed to the fine mode, and several derived parameters including reflected spectral solar flux at the top of the atmosphere. Over the ocean, the aerosol optical thickness is provided in seven wavelengths from 0.47 to 2.13 k m. In addition, quantitative aerosol size information includes effective radius of the aerosol and quantitative fraction of optical thickness attributed to the fine mode. Spectral irradiance contributed by the aerosol, mass concentration, and number of cloud condensation nuclei round out the list of available aerosol products over the ocean. The spectral optical thickness and effective radius of the aerosol over the ocean are validated by comparison with two years of Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) data gleaned from 132 AERONET stations. Eight thousand MODIS aerosol retrievals collocated with AERONET measurements confirm that one standard deviation of MODIS optical thickness retrievals fall within the predicted uncertainty of Dt = c0.03 c0.05t over ocean and Dt = c0.05 c 0.15t over land. Two hundred and seventy-one MODIS aerosol retrievals collocated with AERONET inversions at island and coastal sites suggest that one standard deviation of MODIS effective radius retrievals falls within Dr eff = c0.11 k m. The accuracy of the MODIS retrievals suggests that the product can be used to help narrow the uncertainties associated with aerosol radiative forcing of global climate.
In January 2013, North China Plain experienced several serious haze events. Cimel sunphotometer measurements at seven sites over rural, suburban and urban regions of North China Plain from 1 to 30 ...January 2013 were used to further our understanding of spatial-temporal variation of aerosol optical parameters and aerosol radiative forcing (ARF). It was found that Aerosol Optical Depth at 500 nm (AOD500 nm) during non-pollution periods at all stations was lower than 0.30 and increased significantly to greater than 1.00 as pollution events developed. The Angstrom exponent (Alpha) was larger than 0.80 for all stations most of the time. AOD500 nm averages increased from north to south during both polluted and non-polluted periods on the three urban sites in Beijing. The fine mode AOD during pollution periods is about a factor of 2.5 times larger than that during the non-pollution period at urban sites but a factor of 5.0 at suburban and rural sites. The fine mode fraction of AOD675 nm was higher than 80% for all sites during January 2013. The absorption AOD675 nm at rural sites was only about 0.01 during pollution periods, while ~0.03–0.07 and 0.01–0.03 during pollution and non-pollution periods at other sites, respectively. Single scattering albedo varied between 0.87 and 0.95 during January 2013 over North China Plain. The size distribution showed an obvious tri-peak pattern during the most serious period. The fine mode effective radius in the pollution period was about 0.01–0.08 μm larger than during non-pollution periods, while the coarse mode radius in pollution periods was about 0.06–0.38 μm less than that during non-pollution periods. The total, fine and coarse mode particle volumes varied by about 0.06–0.34 μm3, 0.03–0.23 μm3, and 0.03–0.10 μm3, respectively, throughout January 2013. During the most intense period (1–16 January), ARF at the surface exceeded −50 W m−2, −180 W m−2, and −200 W m−2 at rural, suburban, and urban sites, respectively. The ARF readings at the top of the atmosphere were approximately −30 W m−2 in rural and −40–60 W m−2 in urban areas. Positive ARF at the top of the atmosphere at the Huimin suburban site was found to be different from others as a result of the high surface albedo due to snow cover.
Aerosol optical depths (τa) are derived operationally for the first time from the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) measurements over vegetated and partially vegetated land at ...0.47 and 0.66 μm wavelengths. The extensive validation made during July – September 2000 encompasses 315 co‐located τa in space and time derived by MODIS and AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) from more than 30 AERONET sites. The lack of AERONET measurements in East Asia, India and Australia makes this validation unavailable for those regions. The MODIS aerosol retrievals, except in coastal zones, are found within the retrieval errors of Δτa = ±0.05 ±0.2 τa. The root mean square (RMS) errors are ≤ 0.1 in the continental inland regions and up to 0.3 in the coastal regions (attributed mainly to water contaminated signals). With this validation we believe that MODIS aerosol products can be used quantitatively in many applications with caution for possible residual clouds, snow/ice, and water contamination.
Persistent high aerosol loadings together with extremely high population densities have raised serious air quality and public health concerns in many urban centers in East Asia. However, ground-based ...air quality monitoring is relatively limited in this area. Recently, satellite-retrieved Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at high resolution has become a powerful tool to characterize aerosol patterns in space and time. Using ground AOD observations from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and the Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observation Networks (DRAGON)-Asia Campaign, as well as from handheld sunphotometers, we evaluated emerging aerosol products from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP), the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) aboard the Communication, Ocean, and Meteorology Satellite (COMS), and Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (Collection 6) in East Asia in 2012 and 2013. In the case study in Beijing, when compared with AOD observations from handheld sunphotometers, 51% of VIIRS Environmental Data Record (EDR) AOD, 37% of GOCI AOD, 33% of VIIRS Intermediate Product (IP) AOD, 26% of Terra MODIS C6 3km AOD, and 16% of Aqua MODIS C6 3km AOD fell within the reference expected error (EE) envelope (+/-0.05/+/- 0.15 AOD). Comparing against AERONET AOD over the JapanSouth Korea region, 64% of EDR, 37% of IP, 61% of GOCI, 39% of Terra MODIS, and 56% of Aqua MODIS C6 3km AOD fell within the EE. In general, satellite aerosol products performed better in tracking the day-to-day variability than tracking the spatial variability at high resolutions. The VIIRS EDR and GOCI products provided the most accurate AOD retrievals, while VIIRS IP and MODIS C6 3km products had positive biases.
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