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Airborne Sunphotometry of Aerosol Optical Depth and Columnar Water Vapor During ACE-AsiaDuring the Intensive Field Campaign (IFC) of the Aerosol Characterization Experiment - Asia (ACE-Asia), March-May 2001, the 6-channel NASA Ames Airborne Tracking Sunphotometer (AATS-6) operated during 15 of the 19 research flights aboard the NCAR C- 130, while its 14-channel counterpart (AATS- 14) was flown successfully on all 18 research flights of a Twin Otter aircraft operated by the Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS), Monterey, CA. ACE-Asia was the fourth in a series of aerosol characterization experiments and focused on aerosol outflow from the Asian continent to the Pacific basin. Each ACE was designed to integrate suborbital and satellite measurements and models so as to reduce the uncertainty in calculations of the climate forcing due to aerosols. The Ames Airborne Tracking Sunphotometers measured solar beam transmission at 6 (380-1021 nm, AATS-6) and 14 wavelengths (353-1558 nm, AATS-14) respectively, yielding aerosol optical depth (AOD) spectra and column water vapor (CWV). Vertical differentiation in profiles yielded aerosol extinction and water vapor concentration. The wavelength dependence of AOD and extinction indicates that supermicron dust was often a major component of the aerosol. Frequently this dust-containing aerosol extended to high altitudes. For example, in data flights analyzed to date 34 +/- 13% of full-column AOD(525 nm) was above 3 km. In contrast, only 10 +/- 4% of CWV was above 3 km. In this paper, we will show first sunphotometer-derived results regarding the spatial variation of AOD and CWV, as well as the vertical distribution of aerosol extinction and water vapor concentration. Preliminary comparison studies between our AOD/aerosol extinction data and results from: (1) extinction products derived using in situ measurements and (2) AOD retrievals using the Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MISR) aboard the TERRA satellite will also be presented.
Document ID
20020041480
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Redemann, Jens
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Schmid, B.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Russell, P. B.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Livingston, J. M.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Eilers, J. A.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Ramirez, S. A.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Kahn, R.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Hipskind, R. Stephen
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2001
Subject Category
Spacecraft Instrumentation And Astrionics
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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