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Separating Real and Apparent Effects of Cloud, Humidity, and Dynamics on Aerosol Optical Thickness near Cloud EdgesAerosol optical thickness (AOT) is one of aerosol parameters that can be measured on a routine basis with reasonable accuracy from Sun-photometric observations at the surface. However, AOT-derived near clouds is fraught with various real effects and artifacts, posing a big challenge for studying aerosol and cloud interactions. Recently, several studies have reported correlations between AOT and cloud cover, pointing to potential cloud contamination and the aerosol humidification effect; however, not many quantitative assessments have been made. In this study, various potential causes of apparent correlations are investigated in order to separate the real effects from the artifacts, using well-maintained observations from the Aerosol Robotic Network, Total Sky Imager, airborne nephelometer, etc., over the Southern Great Plains site operated by the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program. It was found that aerosol humidification effects can explain about one fourth of the correlation between the cloud cover and AOT. New particle genesis, cloud-processed particles, atmospheric dynamics, and aerosol indirect effects are likely to be contributing to as much as the remaining three fourth of the relationship between cloud cover and AOT.
Document ID
20110013406
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Jeong, Myeong-Jae
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Li, Zhanqing
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 2010
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres
Publisher: American Geophysical Union
Volume: 115
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Report/Patent Number
GSFC.JA.4380.2011
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NCC5-494
CONTRACT_GRANT: DE-FG02-01ER63166
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX08AH71G
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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