Evaluation of sulfate aerosol optical depths over the North Atlantic and comparison with satellite observations
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
- Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
It has been postulated that scattering of sunlight by aerosols can significantly reduce the amount of solar energy absorbed by the climate system. Aerosol measurement programs alone cannot provide all the information needed to evaluate the radiative forcing due to anthropogenic aerosols. Thus, comprehensive global-scale aerosol models, properly validated against surface-based and satellite measurements, are a fundamental tool for evaluating the impacts of aerosols on the planetary radiation balance. Analyzed meteorological fields from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts are used to drive a modified version of the PNL Global Chemistry Model, applied to the atmospheric sulfur cycle. The resulting sulfate fields are used to calculate aerosol optical depths, which in turn are compared to estimates of aerosol optical depth based on satellite observations.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States); Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016; AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 10116992
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-49758; PNL-SA-22751; CONF-940115-22; ON: DE94005457; TRN: 94:004504
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 8. Joint conference on applications of air pollution meterology. 74. American Meteorological Society annual meeting,Nashville, TN (United States),23-28 Jan 1994; Other Information: PBD: Nov 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Sulfate over the North Atlantic and adjacent continental regions: Evaluation for October and November 1986 using a three-dimensional model driven by observation-derived meterology
DACCIWA Cloud-Aerosol Observations in West Africa Field Campaign Report