Investigation of the 3-D actinic flux field in mountainous terrain.

During three field campaigns spectral actinic flux was measured from 290-500 nm under clear sky conditions in Alpine terrain and the associated O3- and NO2-photolysis frequencies were calculated and the measurement products were then compared with 1-D- and 3-D-model calculations. To do this 3-D-radiative transfer model was adapted for actinic flux calculations in mountainous terrain and the maps of the actinic flux field at the surface, calculated with the 3-D-radiative transfer model, are given. The differences between the 3-D- and 1-D-model results for selected days during the campaigns are shown, together with the ratios of the modeled actinic flux values to the measurements. In many cases the 1-D-model overestimates actinic flux by more than the measurement uncertainty of 10%. The results of using a 3-D-model generally show significantly lower values, and can underestimate the actinic flux by up to 30%. This case study attempts to quantify the impact of snow cover in combination with topography on spectral actinic flux. The impact of snow cover on the actinic flux was ~ 25% in narrow snow covered valleys, but for snow free areas there were no significant changes due snow cover in the surrounding area and it is found that the effect snow-cover at distances over 5 km from the point of interest was below 5%. Overall the 3-D-model can calculate actinic flux to the same accuracy as the 1-D-model for single points, but gives a much more realistic view of the surface actinic flux field in mountains as topography and obstruction of the horizon are taken into account.

The ABC-Pyramid Atmospheric Research Observatory in Himalaya for aerosol, ozone and halocarbon measurements.

In this work we present the new ABC-Pyramid Atmospheric Research Observatory (Nepal, 27.95 N, 86.82 E) located in the Himalayas, specifically in the Khumbu valley at 5079 m a.s.l. This measurement station has been set-up with the aim of investigating natural and human-induced environmental changes at different scales (local, regional and global). After an accurate instrumental set-up at ISAC-CNR in Bologna (Italy) in autumn 2005, the ABC-Pyramid Observatory for aerosol (physical, chemical and optical properties) and trace gas measurements (ozone and climate altering halocarbons) was installed in the high Khumbu valley in February 2006. Since March 2006, continuous measurements of aerosol particles (optical and physical properties), ozone (O3) and meteorological parameters as well as weekly samplings of particulate matter (for chemical analyses) and grab air samples for the determination of 27 halocarbons, have been carried out. These measurements provide data on the typical atmospheric composition of the Himalayan area between India and China and make investigations of the principal differences and similarities between the monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons possible. The study is carried out within the framework of the Ev-K2-CNR "SHARE-Asia" (Stations at High Altitude for Research on the Environment in Asia) and UNEP-"ABC" (Atmospheric Brown Clouds) projects. With the name of "Nepal Climate Observatory-Pyramid" the station is now part of the Observatory program of the ABC project.

Parameterization of Stratospheric Aerosol Physical Properties on the Basis of Nd:YAG Lidar Observations.

An extension to the 355- and 1064-nm wavelengths of a numerical optical model originally developed at 532 nm is presented. The resulting parameterization allows estimates of stratospheric aerosol surface area, volume, and extinction-to-backscatter ratio from lidar measurements obtained at one of the two Nd:YAG laser wavelengths. Functional relationships that link single-wavelength backscatter to each of the physical variables are provided for sulfate aerosol types ranging from background to heavy volcanic under environmental conditions representative of the global lower stratosphere. The behavior of the functional relationships at the three Nd:YAG wavelengths is compared. Relative errors of model estimates range between 10% and 50%, depending on wavelength and backscatter cross sections. These values are comparable with the ones that characterize in situ particle counters. The inference of particle effective radius and the application of the method to the interpretation of supercooled polar stratospheric cloud observations are discussed.

Polarization lidar returns from aerosols and thin clouds: a framework for the analysis.

Relationships for the interpretation of polarization lidar observations of aerosols and thin clouds are presented. They allow for the separation of contributions to backscatter from solid and liquid phases by the use of either the classical backscatter and depolarization ratio parameters or the particulate cross-polarized backscatter cross sections. It is shown that different aerosol phases can be better separated by use of the latter coordinates. Emphasis is placed on the study of composition and phase properties of polar stratospheric aerosols.