PNNL

Abstract

We present modeled aerosol optical properties (single scattering albedo, asymmetry parameter and lidar ratio) in two layers with different aerosol loadings and particle sizes, observed during the SAFARI 2000 campaign. The optical properties were calculated from aerosol size distributions retrieved from aerosol layer optical thickness spectra, measured using the NASA Ames Airborne Tracking 14-channel Sunphotometer (AATS-14), and the refractive index based on the available information on aerosol chemical composition. The study focuses on differences between the results of two models for the mixture of absorbing and non-absorbing aerosol components: a layered sphere with absorbing core and non-absorbing shell, and an effective medium model. In addition, comparisons of modeled optical properties with the measurements are discussed. Because of the large difference between the single scattering albedo values (~ 0.1 at mid-visible wavelengths) obtained from different measurement methods for the case with high amount of biomass burning particles, radiative transfer calculations were carried out to estimate the radiative effect of the implied difference in aerosol absorption. For that purpose, the volume fraction of black carbon was varied to obtain a range of single scattering albedo values (0.81 – 0.91 at ? ?= 0.50 µm). The difference in absorption resulted in a significant difference in the instantaneous radiative forcing at the surface and the top of the atmosphere (TOA), and can result in a change of the sign of the aerosol forcing at TOA from negative to positive.