Open AccessRelative contribution of submicron and supermicron particles to aerosol light scattering in the marine boundary layer
Author(s) -
Kleefeld Christoph,
O'Dowd Colin D.,
O'Reilly Sarah,
Jennings S. Gerard,
Aalto Pasi,
Becker Edo,
Kunz Gerard,
de Leeuw Gerrit
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2000jd000262
Subject(s) - aerosol , scattering , mie scattering , nephelometer , scattering coefficient , light scattering , relative humidity , wind speed , particle (ecology) , wavelength , atmospheric sciences , materials science , environmental science , meteorology , optics , physics , geology , oceanography
Measurements of the aerosol light scattering coefficient (σ sp ) at a wavelength of λ = 550 nm were conducted at a coastal atmospheric research station in the east Atlantic Ocean during June 1999. Size distribution measurements between diameters of 3 nm and 40 μm (at ambient humidity) were used to derive scattering coefficients from Mie theory. The calculated scattering coefficients were about a factor of 7.4 higher than the measured scattering coefficients. The discrepancy was explained by a reduced cutoff of the sampling system at particle diameters between 6 and 8 μm, dependent on wind speed. The calculated aerosol scattering was about 1 order of magnitude higher than previously reported measurements in the MBL and is attributed to supermicrometer particles at sizes d > 10 μm dominating aerosol scattering.