In Situ Samplings and Remote Sensing Measurements to Characterize Aerosol Properties over Southeast Italy

Bellantone, Vincenzo; Carofalo, I.; Tomasi, F. De; Perrone, M. R.; Santese, M.; Tafuro, A. M.; Turnone, Annarita

doi:10.1175/2007jtecha958.1

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…This fact is suggested by the relatively high Angström exponent (α) values -measured after medium-long range dust transport in comparison with those obtained in source areas -and confirmed by analyses of chemical composition of ground-collected particles (e.g. Bellantone et al, 2008;Carofalo et al, 2008). Thus, several authors have pointed out the importance of taking into account the influence of anthropogenic particles on the direct radiative forcing associated with African desert dust intrusions over the Mediterranean basin and continental Europe (e.g., Gerasopoulos et al, 2003;Perrone and Bergamo, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Aerosol radiative forcing during African desert dust events (2005–2010) over Southeastern Spain

et al. 2012

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Abstract. The daily (24 h) averages of the aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) at the surface and the top of the atmosphere (TOA) were calculated during desert dust events over Granada (southeastern Spain) from 2005 to 2010. A radiative transfer model (SBDART) was utilized to simulate the solar irradiance values (0.31-2.8 µm) at the surface and TOA, using as input aerosol properties retrieved from CIMEL sun photometer measurements via an inversion methodology that uses the sky radiance measurements in principal plane configuration and a spheroid particle shape approximation. This inversion methodology was checked by means of simulated data from aerosol models, and the derived aerosol properties were satisfactorily compared against well-known AERONET products. Good agreement was found over a common spectral interval (0.2-4.0 µm) between the simulated SBDART global irradiances at surface and those provided by AERONET. In addition, simulated SBDART solar global irradiances at the surface have been successfully validated against CM-11 pyranometer measurements. The comparison indicates that the radiative transfer model slightly overestimates (mean bias of 3 %) the experimental solar global irradiance. These results show that the aerosol optical properties used to estimate ARF represent appropriately the aerosol properties observed during desert dust outbreak over the study area. The ARF mean monthly values computed during desert dust events ranged from −13 ± 8 W m −2 to −34 ± 15 W m −2 at surface, from −4 ± 3 W m −2 to −13 ± 7 W m −2 at TOA and from +6 ± 4 to +21 ± 12 W m −2 in the atmosphere. We have checked if the differences found in aerosol optical properties among desert dust sectors translate to differences in ARF. The mean ARF at surface (TOA) were −20 ± 12 (−5 ± 5) W m −2 , −21 ± 9 (−7 ± 5) W m −2 and −18 ± 9 (−6 ± 5) W m −2 for sector A (northern Morocco; northwestern Algeria), sector B (western Sahara, northwestern Mauritania and southwestern Algeria), and sector C (eastern Algeria, Tunisia), respectively. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistical test revealed that daily ARF values at TOA for sector A were significantly different from the other two sectors, likely as a result of the lower values of single scattering albedo obtained for sector A. The mean values of aerosol radiative forcing efficiency at surface (TOA) were −74 ± 12 W m −2 (−17 ± 7 W m −2 ) for sector A, −70 ± 14 W m −2 (−20 ± 9 W m −2 ) for sector B, and −65 ± 16 W m −2 (−22 ± 10 W m −2 ) for sector C, and thus comparable between the three sectors in all seasons.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Aerosol radiative forcing during African desert dust events (2005–2010) over Southeastern Spain

et al. 2012

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“…The underestimate of sulfate and carbon particle concentrations representing the main anthropogenic aerosol components of local origin and/or long-range transported from industrialized areas (e.g. Bellantone et al, 2008;Santese et al, 2008) may also be responsible for the underestimation of AODs mainly at sites far away from dust sources. In this respect, it is worth noting from Fig.…”

Section: Overview Of July 2003 African Dust Intrusion Episodesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pavese et al, 2008). The underestimate of the anthropogenic aerosol amount also may represent a contributing factor: morphological and elemental analyses on particulate matter samples collected at Lecce show that the anthropogenic fine mode aerosol, mainly composed of nitrate, sulfate, and carbon particles, can represent more than 50% of the aerosol load even during dust outbreaks (Bellantone et al, 2008).…”

Section: Comparison Of Simulated and Measurement-based Vertical Profimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, it is very important to use a model where the contribution of different aerosol components is considered even during dust events. Recent studies at a South-East Italian site (Bellantone et al, 2008) clearly revealed that carbonaceous and sulphate particles were the main components of fine-mode aerosols during dust outbreaks, representing more than 50% of the total aerosol burden.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Modeling of Saharan dust outbreaks over the Mediterranean by RegCM3: case studies

et al. 2010

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Abstract. The regional climate model RegCM3 coupled with a radiatively active aerosol model with online feedback is used to investigate direct and semi-direct radiative aerosol effects over the Sahara and Europe in a test case of July 2003. The aerosol model includes dust particles in addition to sulfates, hydrophobic and hydrophilic black carbon and organic carbon. The role of the aerosol online feedback on the radiation budget and the direct radiative forcing (short-wave and long-wave) by dust particles are investigated by intercomparing results from three experiments: REF, including all interactive aerosol components, Exp1, not accounting for the aerosol radiative feedback, and Exp2 not accounting for desert dust particles. The comparison of results in the REF experiment with satellite observations, sun/sky radiometer measurements, and lidar profiles at selected Central Mediterranean sites reveals that the spatio-temporal evolution of the aerosol optical depth is reasonably well reproduced by the model during the entire month of July. Results for the dust outbreaks of 17 and 24 July, averaged over the simulation domain, show that the daily-mean SW direct radiative forcing by all particles is −24 Wm −2 and −3.4 Wm −2 on 17 July and −25 Wm −2 and −3.5 Wm −2 on 24 July at the surface and top of the atmosphere, respectively. This is partially offset by the LW direct radiative forcing, which is 7.6 Wm −2 and 1.9 Wm −2 on 17 July and 8.4 Wm −2 and 1.9 Wm −2 on 24 July at the surface and top of the atmosphere, respectively. Hence, the daily-mean SW forcing is offset by the LW forcing of ∼30% at the surface and of ∼50% at the ToA. It is also shown that atmospheric dynamics and hence dust production and advection processes are dependent on the simulation assumptions and may significantly change within few tens of kilometers. The comparison of REF and Exp1 shows that the Correspondence to: M. Santese (monica.santese@le.infn.it) aerosol online feedback on the radiation budget decreases the domain-average daily-mean value of the 2 m-temperature, aerosol column burden (CB), and short-wave (SW) atmospheric forcing by −0.52 • C, 14%, and 0.9%, respectively on 17 July and by −0.39 • C, 12% and 12%, respectively on 24 July. The comparison of REF and Exp2 reveals that on 17 July, radiatively-active dust particles decrease the dailymean 2 m-temperature averaged over the whole simulation domain by 0.4% even if are responsible for 99.8% and 97% of the daily-mean aerosol column burden and SW atmospheric forcing, respectively.

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“…In fact, a recent Sahara dust event study by complementary remote sensing measurements and ground observations revealed that the anthropogenic fine mode aerosol was over south-east Italy more than 50% of the total aerosol load during a dust outbreak (Bellantone et al, 2008). η values smaller than 0.5 were generally retrieved both at Lampedusa and Crete during dust outbreaks.…”

Section: Analysis Of Aod Andå Data For All Sectorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advection patterns and aerosol optical and microphysical properties by AERONET over south-east Italy in the central Mediterranean

2008

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Abstract.Aerosol products by AERONET sun-sky radiometer measurements combined with air-mass backtrajectories were analyzed to identify source regions and pathways of air masses carrying aerosols to south-east Italy, and to determine the dependence of aerosol mean optical properties on advection patterns. Aerosol optical depth (AOD), fine mode fraction (η), single scattering albedo (SSA), asymmetry factor (g), and lidar ratio (Lr) at 440 nm were used to characterize aerosol properties. The analysis of 5-day-backtrajectories ending in Lecce on south-east Italy and referring to 240 measurement days of the 2003-2004 years revealed that 32% of the measurement days were characterized by air masses coming from all continental European sources with the exception of Spain. 3% of the measurement days were characterized by air masses coming from both the Southern Mediterranean Sea and the Africa continent, and the Western Mediterranean, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Atlantic Ocean. 62% of the measurement days were characterized by mixed advection patterns. We found that AOD, SSA and g average values were not significantly dependent on air mass source regions. In contrast, η and Lr average values were quite affected by the air mass source region. AOD, η, SSA, g, and Lr average values, which were equal to 0.29±0.15, 0.93±0.03, 0.93±0.03, 0.67±0.03, and 72±20 sr, respectively indicated that the aerosol advected from all continental European sources with the exception of Spain, could be considered representative of "continental average aerosol", mostly made of water soluble and a small amount of soot and insoluble components. Polluted-desert dust particles characterized by AOD=0.29±0.05, η=0.72±0.05, SSA=0.94±0.03, g=0.69±0.02, Lr=56±13 sr, were advected over south-east Italy from the Southern Mediterranean Sea and the Africa continent. The Western Mediterranean, Correspondence to: M. Santese

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In Situ Samplings and Remote Sensing Measurements to Characterize Aerosol Properties over Southeast Italy

Cited by 12 publications

References 42 publications

Aerosol radiative forcing during African desert dust events (2005–2010) over Southeastern Spain

Aerosol radiative forcing during African desert dust events (2005–2010) over Southeastern Spain

Modeling of Saharan dust outbreaks over the Mediterranean by RegCM3: case studies

Advection patterns and aerosol optical and microphysical properties by AERONET over south-east Italy in the central Mediterranean

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