Vertically-resolved profiles of mass concentrations and particle backscatter coefficients of Asian dust plumes derived from lidar observations of silicon dioxide.
This study presents a method to retrieve vertically-resolved profiles of dust mass concentrations by analyzing Raman lidar signals of silicon dioxide (quartz) at 546nm. The observed particle plumes consisted of mixtures of East Asian dust with anthropogenic pollution. Our method for the first time allows for extracting the contribution of the aerosol component "pure dust" contained in the aerosol type "polluted dust". We also propose a method that uses OPAC (Optical Properties of Aerosols and Clouds) and the mass concentrations profiles of dust in order to derive profiles of backscatter coefficients of pure dust in mixed dust/pollution plumes. The mass concentration of silicon dioxide (quartz) in the atmosphere can be estimated from the backscatter coefficient of quartz. The mass concentration of dust is estimated by the weight percentage (38-77%) of mineral quartz in Asian dust. The retrieved dust mass concentrations are classified into water soluble, nucleation, accumulation, mineral-transported and coarse mode according to OPAC. The mass mixing ratio of 0.018, 0.033, 0.747, 0.130 and 0.072, respectively, is used. Dust extinction coefficients at 550nm were calculated by using OPAC and prescribed number concentrations for each of the 5 components. Dust backscatter coefficients were calculated from the dust extinction coefficients on the basis of a lidar ratio of 45±3sr at 532nm. We present results of quartz-Raman measurements carried out on the campus of the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (35.10°N, 126.53°E) on 15, 16, and 21 March 2010.
The International Environmental Research Center, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 1 Oryong dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712, Republic of Korea.
Youngmin
Y
Noh
University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts AL10 9AB, United Kingdom. Electronic address: d.mueller@herts.ac.uk.
Detlef
D
Müller
Advanced Environmental Monitoring Research Center, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea.
Sung-Kyun
SK
Shin
Air Quality Forecasting Centre, Climate and Air Quality Research Department, National Institute of Environmental Research, Republic of Korea.
Dongho
D
Shin
Advanced Environmental Monitoring Research Center, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea.
Young J
YJ
Kim
D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001272:Atmosphere; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005202:Asia, Eastern; D007834:Lasers; D008903:Minerals; D011791:Quartz / Q000737:chemistry; D011825:Radar; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D004391:Dust; D008903:Minerals; D011791:Quartz; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
Dust; Mass concentration; OPAC; Profiles; Quartz; Raman lidar