Comprehensive Study of Optical, Physical, Chemical, and Radiative Properties of Total Columnar Atmospheric Aerosols over China: An Overview of Sun–Sky Radiometer Observation Network (SONET) Measurements

Abstract

An overview of Sun–Sky Radiometer Observation Network (SONET) measurements in China is presented. Based on observations at 16 distributed SONET sites in China, atmospheric aerosol parameters are acquired via standardization processes of operational measurement, maintenance, calibration, inversion, and quality control implemented since 2010. A climatology study is performed focusing on total columnar atmospheric aerosol characteristics, including optical (aerosol optical depth, ÅngstrÖm exponent, fine-mode fraction, single-scattering albedo), physical (volume particle size distribution), chemical composition (black carbon; brown carbon; fine-mode scattering component, coarse-mode component; and aerosol water), and radiative properties (aerosol radiative forcing and efficiency). Data analyses show that aerosol optical depth is low in the west but high in the east of China. Aerosol composition also shows significant spatial and temporal variations, leading to noticeable diversities in optical and physical property patterns. In west and north China, aerosols are generally affected by dust particles, while monsoon climate and human activities impose remarkable influences on aerosols in east and south China. Aerosols in China exhibit strong light-scattering capability and result in significant radiative cooling effects.

Two decades of satellite observations of AOD over mainland China using ATSR-2, AATSR and MODIS/Terra: data set evaluation and large-scale patterns

“…It is noted that the BTH, PRD and YRD regions host three major urban clusters that constitute huge spatial sources of anthropogenic aerosols . This brief discussion clearly illustrates the seasonal variation of the AOD, as well as the regional differences in the seasonal variation as earlier shown by, e.g., Song et al (2009), Luo et al (2014 and Li et al (2017).…”

Validation and Accuracy Analysis of the Collection 6.1 MODIS Aerosol Optical Depth Over the Westernmost City in China Based on the Sun‐Sky Radiometer Observations From SONET

“…The ground-based aerosol data for this research are not publicly available due to without the permission of the research group who developed the SONET and provided the ground-based aerosol data. Data are stored in this in-text data citation reference: Li et al (2018). The authors would like to express sincere gratitude to the above groups for providing the research data and the principle investigators for establishing and maintaining the SONET sites.…”

Spatial and seasonal variations of aerosols over China from two decades of multi-satellite observations – Part 1: ATSR (1995–2011) and MODIS C6.1 (2000–2017)

“…Spatial variation, seasonal variability and time series have been observed from the analysis of ground-based networks measuring aerosol optical properties using sun photometers in, e.g., the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET, Holben et al, 1998), the China Aerosol Remote Sensing Network (CARSNET, Che et al, 2015), the Campaign on Atmospheric Aerosol Research network of China (CARE-China, Xin et al, 2015) and the Sun-sky radiometer Observation NETwork (SONET, Li et al, 2018) or hand-held sun photometers in the Chinese Sun Hazemeter (CSHNET, networks. These networks provide point measurements, which are representative for a limited area, and the coverage across China still leaves large gaps.…”