Atmos. Chem. Phys., 5, 1311–1339, 2005 www.atmos-chem-phys.org/acp/5/1311/ Atmospheric SRef-ID: 1680-7324/acp/2005-5-1311 Chemistry European Geosciences Union and Physics Aerosol optical depth measurements by airborne sun photometer in SOLVE II: Comparisons to SAGE III, POAM III and airborne spectrometer measurements P. Russell1, J. Livingston2, B. Schmid3, J. Eilers1, R. Kolyer1, J. Redemann3, S. Ramirez3, J.-H. Yee4, W. Swartz4, R. Shetter5, C. Trepte6, A. Risley Jr.7, B. Wenny7, J. Zawodny6, W. Chu6, M. Pitts6, J. Lumpe8, M. Fromm9, C. Randall10, K. Hoppel9, and R. Bevilacqua9 1NASA Ames Research Center, MS 245-5, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA 2SRI International, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA 3Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, Sonoma, CA 95476, USA 4Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD 20723-6099, USA 5National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA 6NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681-2199, USA 7SAIC, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681-0001, USA 8Computational Physics, Inc., Springfield, VA 22151, USA 9Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375-5351, USA 10Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0392, USA Received: 8 October 2004 – Published in Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss.: 5 November 2004 Revised: 25 February 2005 – Accepted: 1 April 2005 – Published: 1 June 2005 Abstract. The 14-channel NASA Ames Airborne Track- For 6 DC-8 flights, 19 January–2 February 2003, AATS ing Sunphotometer (AATS-14) measured solar- beam trans- and DIAS results for LOS aerosol OT at λ=400 nm agree mission on the NASA DC-8 during the second SAGE III to ≤12% of the AATS value. Mean and root-mean-square Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE II). This (RMS) differences, (DIAS-AATS)/AATS, are −2.3% and paper presents AATS-14 results for multiwavelength aerosol 7.7%, respectively. For DC-8 altitudes, AATS-satellite com- optical depth (AOD), including comparisons to results from parisons are possible only for λ>440 nm, because of signal two satellite sensors and another DC-8 instrument, namely depletion for shorter λ on the satellite full-limb LOS. For the the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE 4 AATS-SAGE and 4 AATS–POAM near-coincidences con- III), the Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement III (POAM ducted 19–31 January 2003, AATS-satellite AOD differences III) and the Direct-beam Irradiance Airborne Spectrometer were ≤0.0041 for all λ>440 nm. RMS differences were (DIAS). AATS-14 provides aerosol results at 13 wavelengths ≤0.0022 for SAGE–AATS and ≤0.0026 for POAM–AATS. λ spanning the range of SAGE III and POAM III aerosol RMS relative differences in AOD ([SAGE–AATS]/AATS) wavelengths. Because most AATS measurements were made were ≤33% for λ<∼755 nm, but grew to 59% for 1020 nm at solar zenith angles (SZA) near 90◦, retrieved AODs are and 66% at 1545 nm. For λ>∼755 nm, AATS–POAM dif- strongly affected by uncertainties in the relative optical air- ferences were less than AATS-SAGE differences, and RMS mass of the aerosols and other constituents along the line of relative differences in AOD ([AATS–POAM]/AATS) were sight (LOS) between instrument and sun. To reduce depen- ≤31% for all λ between 440 and 1020 nm. Unexplained dence of the AATS-satellite comparisons on airmass, we per- differences that remain are associated with transmission form the comparisons in LOS transmission and LOS optical differences, rather than differences in gas subtraction or thickness (OT) as well as in vertical OT (i.e., optical depth, conversion from LOS to vertical quantities. The very small OD). We also use a new airmass algorithm that validates the stratospheric AOD values that occurred during SOLVE II algorithm we previously used to within 2% for SZA<90◦, added to the challenge of the comparisons, but do not explain and in addition provides results for SZA≥90◦. all the differences. Correspondence to: P. Russell ([email protected]) © 2005 Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. 1312 P. Russell et al.: Comparison of aerosol optical depths from aircraft and satellite in SOLVE II 12 UTC on 19 January, 2003 on the 460.0 K surface NMC, Grid: GG1X1 Seq: E01, Spec: SSIAVN MPV (PVU) 32.0 3.850•10 5 28.0 24.0 3.870•10 5 20.0 16.0 3.890 5 •10 12.0 8.0 3.910•105 4.0 0.0 WND2 (m/s) 3.930•105 MNST (J/kg^-1) 12 UTC on 21 January, 2003 on the 460.0 K surface 12 UTC 3.910•10on 24 January,5 2003 on the 460.0 K surface 5 3.950•105 3.890•10 3.870•105 5 5 •10 3.910•10 3.870 5 5 3.890•105 •10 •10 5 5 3.910 •10 •10 3.870 3.890 3.910 5 3.930•103.950•105 12 UTC on 29 January, 2003 on the 460.0 K surface 12 UTC on 31 January, 2003 on the 460.0 K surface 3.890 5 •105 3.910•10 5 5 3.870•10 3.870•10 5 •10 5 3.870•10 3.850 5 •10 5 3.850 3.850•10 5 5 3.890•10 5 3.870•10 3.910•10 5 •10 5 3.930•10 3.890 Fig. 1. DC-8 flight tracks (black) superimposed on 12 Z analysis maps of modified potential vorticity (MPV) for the 460 K isentropic surface. White and blue points mark occultations by SAGE III and POAM III, respectively. Maps were produced by L. Lait, M. Schoeberl, and P. Newman. 1 Introduction out of Kiruna, Sweden, and Dryden Flight Research Facil- ity in Southern California, USA. Livingston et al. (2005) The 14-channel NASA Ames Airborne Tracking Sunpho- describe the AATS-14 instrument, measurement procedures, tometer (AATS-14) measured solar- beam transmission on and results for ozone. This paper presents AATS-14 results the NASA DC-8 during the second SAGE III Ozone Loss for multiwavelength aerosol optical depth (AOD), including and Validation Experiment (SOLVE II). Flights were made its spatial structure and its relationship to results from two Atmos. Chem. Phys., 5, 1311–1339, 2005 www.atmos-chem-phys.org/acp/5/1311/ P. Russell et al.: Comparison of aerosol optical depths from aircraft and satellite in SOLVE II 1313 satellite sensors and another DC-8 instrument. These are of SAGE III and POAM III) to help illustrate how airmass the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE depends on extinction vertical profile, wavelength, and other III), the Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement III (POAM factors. III) and the Direct beam Irradiance Airborne Spectrometer (DIAS). AATS-14 provides aerosol results at 13 wavelengths λ be- 2 Airmass dependence on SZA, extinction profiles, tween 354 and 2139 nm, spanning the full range of aerosol wavelength, and DC-8 altitude wavelengths for SAGE III (384–1545 nm) and POAM III (353–1018 nm). In this paper we show AATS results only Figure 4 shows how vertical distributions of different con- for wavelengths 354–1558 nm, because no correlative mea- stituents affect airmass and its dependence on SZA. The surements are available to compare to the AATS results at ozone profiles shown are from SAGE III and POAM III oc- 2139 nm. The AATS-14 channels used in this paper have cultations near DC-8 flights reported in this paper and flown full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 2.0 to 5.6 nm, with on the dates shown (e.g., 0119 is 19 January 2003). The most channel FWHMs ∼5 nm. Because most AATS mea- aerosol profiles are from the same SAGE III and POAM III surements in SOLVE II were made at solar zenith angles occultations, plus two composite or modified profiles (la- (SZA) near 90◦, retrieved AODs are strongly affected by un- beled “SG0119AATSlay” and “Liv Aero Model” and de- certainties in the relative optical airmass (here called airmass scribed further below). Airmass results in the right frame for brevity) of the aerosols and other constituents along the were computed using a new algorithm (Yee al., 2002; De- (generally refracted) line of sight (LOS) between instrument Majistre and Yee, 2002; Vervack et al., 2002), which is es- ◦ and sun. For any given constituent and/or wavelength, air- sential to this study since it provides results for SZA<90 , ◦ ◦ mass is defined as the ratio of LOS optical thickness (OT) =90 , and >90 , all of which were encountered in the DC-8 to vertical OT. (In this paper we define vertical OT as op- measurements reported here. tical depth (OD), and restrict use of OD to apply only to Results in Fig. 4 show some general features of note. For the vertical.) For SZA near 90◦, airmass of a given attenu- example, for a DC-8 altitude of 10 km, ozone airmass is in ator is sensitive to its vertical profile shape. Uncertainties in general less than aerosol airmass, and it depends less steeply such vertical profiles therefore produce corresponding uncer- on SZA. These results are caused by the fact that the ozone tainties in the associated airmass. To reduce dependence of profile centroid is farther above the DC-8 than is the aerosol the AATS-satellite comparisons on airmass, we perform the extinction profile centroid (see, e.g., Thomason et al., 1983). ◦ comparisons in LOS transmission and LOS OT as well as in Aerosol airmasses at 10 km and SZA=90 range from ∼32 to vertical OT (or optical depth).