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  • Investigating The Spectral Dependence of Biomass Burning Aerosol Optical Properties

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    Audrey Odwuor, Rice University - Abstract: Aerosol optical properties, such as light absorption and scattering, are important for understanding how aerosols affect the global radiation budget and for comparison with data gathered from remote sensing. It has been established that the optical properties of aerosols are wavelength dependent, although the importance of this wavelength dependence is not well understood. Here, airborne measurements of these optical properties were used to calculate the Angstrom absorption exponent, a parameter that characterizes the wavelength dependence of light absorption by aerosols, and single scattering albedo, which represents the relative magnitude of light scattering to total optical depth (scattering and absorption combined). Aerosols produced by biomass burning in Saskatchewan, Canada in July 2008 and a forest fire in Southern California, U.S. in June 2016 were included in this analysis. These wildfires were sampled by the NASA Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) and NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) missions. Aerosol absorption was measured using a particle soot photometer (PSAP) at 470, 532 and 660 nm. Scattering was measured using a 3-wavelength (450, 550 and 700 nm) nephelometer. Angstrom absorption exponents were calculated at 470 and 660 nm and single scattering albedos were calculated at 450 and 550 nm. Results of this study indicate that disregarding the wavelength dependence of aerosol light absorption, as is routinely done in remote sensing measurements of aerosol optical properties, can understate the role of organic carbon components of aerosols.

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    Investigating the Spectral Dependence of Biomass Burning Aerosol Optical Properties

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    Audrey Odwuor, Rice University - Abstract: Aerosol optical properties, such as light absorption and scattering, are important for understanding how aerosols affect the global radiation budget and for comparison with data gathered from remote sensing. It has been established that the optical properties of aerosols are wavelength dependent, although the importance of this wavelength dependence is not well understood. Here, airborne measurements of these optical properties were used to calculate the Angstrom absorption exponent, a parameter that characterizes the wavelength dependence of light absorption by aerosols, and single scattering albedo, which represents the relative magnitude of light scattering to total optical depth (scattering and absorption combined). Aerosols produced by biomass burning in Saskatchewan, Canada in July 2008 and a forest fire in Southern California, U.S. in June 2016 were included in this analysis. These wildfires were sampled by the NASA Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) and NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) missions. Aerosol absorption was measured using a particle soot photometer (PSAP) at 470, 532 and 660 nm. Scattering was measured using a 3-wavelength (450, 550 and 700 nm) nephelometer. Angstrom absorption exponents were calculated at 470 and 660 nm and single scattering albedos were calculated at 450 and 550 nm. Results of this study indicate that disregarding the wavelength dependence of aerosol light absorption, as is routinely done in remote sensing measurements of aerosol optical properties, can understate the role of organic carbon components of aerosols.

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    176 views22 pages

    Investigating The Spectral Dependence of Biomass Burning Aerosol Optical Properties

    Uploaded by

    jpeterson1
    Audrey Odwuor, Rice University - Abstract: Aerosol optical properties, such as light absorption and scattering, are important for understanding how aerosols affect the global radiation budget and for comparison with data gathered from remote sensing. It has been established that the optical properties of aerosols are wavelength dependent, although the importance of this wavelength dependence is not well understood. Here, airborne measurements of these optical properties were used to calculate the Angstrom absorption exponent, a parameter that characterizes the wavelength dependence of light absorption by aerosols, and single scattering albedo, which represents the relative magnitude of light scattering to total optical depth (scattering and absorption combined). Aerosols produced by biomass burning in Saskatchewan, Canada in July 2008 and a forest fire in Southern California, U.S. in June 2016 were included in this analysis. These wildfires were sampled by the NASA Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) and NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) missions. Aerosol absorption was measured using a particle soot photometer (PSAP) at 470, 532 and 660 nm. Scattering was measured using a 3-wavelength (450, 550 and 700 nm) nephelometer. Angstrom absorption exponents were calculated at 470 and 660 nm and single scattering albedos were calculated at 450 and 550 nm. Results of this study indicate that disregarding the wavelength dependence of aerosol light absorption, as is routinely done in remote sensing measurements of aerosol optical properties, can understate the role of organic carbon components of aerosols.

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    of 22

    Investigating the Spectral Dependence of

    Biomass Burning Aerosol Optical Properties


    Audrey Odwuor | Rice University
    Dr. Sally Pusede | University of Virginia
    Dr. Chelsea Corr | NASA Langley Research Center
    Alex Kotsakis | University of Houston

    Image credit: Glenn Beltz

    Motivation
    2

    Understand how aerosols affect the global radiation budget


    Interpret remote sensing measurements of aerosol optical
    properties

    Objectives
    Relate variation in the spectral dependence of biomass
    burning aerosol optical properties to fuel type
    Investigate the controls on this spectral dependence

    Lewis et al (2008)

    Angstrom absorption exponent b(405/870)

    Angstrom absorption exponent b(405/870)

    Spectral dependence of biomass burning aerosol


    optical properties can be used to classify fuel type

    single scattering albedo (405 nm)

    single scattering albedo (405 nm)

    Global radiation budget


    5

    Amount of solar energy received by Earth and the amount of


    energy radiated back into space by Earth
    absorbed and re-emitted energy

    incident solar energy

    reflected solar energy

    Aerosols
    6

    Colloid of small particles suspended in the atmosphere


    Affect climate in two major ways:
    1.
    2.

    By absorbing light
    By scattering light

    aerosol optical properties

    *not to scale

    Global radiation budget


    7

    Radiative forcing ability of a forcing agent to affect the global


    radiation budget
    ! Positive

    ! atmospheric heating
    ! Negative ! atmospheric cooling

    Aerosols
    8

    Aerosols

    Inorganic
    material

    Sulfates

    Black
    carbon

    Nitrates

    Organic
    carbon

    Brown
    carbon

    - Light scattering
    - Light absorbing

    Spectral dependence and remote sensing


    9

    Remote sensing

    absorption coefficient

    ngstrom
    absorption
    exponent
    varies with
    wavelength!

    wavelengthindependent
    constant

    Quantifying spectral dependence


    10

    Angstrom absorption exponent


    ! Black

    carbon: b ~ 1
    ! Organic carbon: 2 < b < 3
    absorption coefficient

    wavelength pair

    ! Larger

    b = stronger spectral dependence

    Quantifying spectral dependence


    11

    Single scattering albedo


    scattering coefficient

    ! Measures

    relative magnitude of scattering to absorption


    ! Can be used to predict radiative properties

    More scattering = more negative radiative forcing values ! atmospheric


    cooling

    Background
    12

    Data obtained from


    ! 17

    June 2016 NASA SARP flight in Southern California, U.S.


    ! 01 July 2008 NASA ARCTAS flight in Saskatchewan, Canada

    NASA LARGE instruments


    ! PSAP

    (Particle Soot Absorption Photometer)


    ! Nephelometer

    absorption

    HR-AMS (Aerosol Mass Spectrometer)

    aerosol
    composition
    black carbon

    SP2 (Single Particle Soot Photometer)

    scattering

    Acetonitrile
    Volume(m)
    Mixing Ratio (pptv)
    Altitude

    Tracer Volume Mixing Ratio

    13

    11:32:23

    11:09:45

    13:12:01
    14:08:38

    Time
    (PST)
    CO Volume
    Mixing
    Ratio (ppbv)

    Sherpa Fire
    (smoke origin)

    Latitude

    14:08:38

    11:09:45

    11:32:23
    13:12:01

    14

    Longitude

    Angstrom absorption exponent

    box = 50th percentile


    whiskers = 25th and 75th percentiles
    15

    Time (PST)

    16

    Plume number

    Angstrom absorption exponent

    17

    Plume number

    Angstrom absorption exponent

    Large differences in chemical composition do not


    correspond to differences in Angstrom absorption exponent

    18

    California
    Canada

    Plume 1

    b(470/660 nm)

    b(470/660 nm)

    Decreased absorption corresponds to decreased black


    carbon and increased spectral dependence

    (405 nm)

    Plume 3
    (405 nm)

    Plume 4

    b(470/660 nm)

    b(470/660 nm)

    (405 nm)

    Plume 2

    (405 nm)

    Conclusions
    20

    Organic aerosols are important light absorbing biomass


    burning aerosols
    Other controls on spectral dependence must be investigated
    ! Smoke

    age
    ! Fire conditions
    ! Other aerosol properties: coating, size etc

    Remote sensing measurements can be improved by


    accounting for the spectral dependence of aerosol optical
    properties

    Acknowledgements
    21

    Dr. Sally Pusede


    Dr. Chelsea Corr
    Alex Kotsakis
    Dr. Jessie Sagona
    Dr. Emily Schaller
    The NOx Box aka the Tropospheric Chemistry Group
    Everyone else involved in the Student Airborne Research
    Program!

    Questions?

    Image credit: KSBC News

    22

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