Effect of aerosols and NO₂ concentration on ultraviolet actinic flux near Mexico City during MILAGRO: measurements and model calculations

Journal Article · Thu Jan 24 04:00:00 EST 2013 · Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-1011-2013· OSTI ID:1061402

Palancar, G. G.; Lefer, B. L.; Hall, S. R.; Shaw, W. J.; Corr, C. A.; Herndon, S. C.; Slusser, J. R.; Madronich, S.

Ultraviolet (UV) actinic fluxes (AF) measured with three Scanning Actinic Flux Spectroradiometers (SAFS) are compared with the Tropospheric Ultraviolet-Visible (TUV) model v.5 in order to assess the effects of aerosols and NO₂ concentrations on the radiation. Measurements were made during the MILAGRO campaign near Mexico City in March 2006, at a ground-based station near Mexico City (the T1 supersite) and from the NSF/NCAR C-130 aircraft. At the surface, measurements are typically smaller by up to 25 % in the morning, 10% at noon, and 40% in the afternoon, than actinic flux modeled for clean, cloud-free conditions. When measurements of PBL height, NO₂ concentration and aerosols optical properties are included in the model, the agreement improves to within ±10% in the morning and afternoon, and ±3% at noon. Based on daily averages, aerosols account for 68%, NO₂ for 25%, and residual uncertainties for 7% of these AF reductions observed at the surface. Several overpasses from the C-130 aircraft provided the opportunity to examine the actinic flux perturbations aloft, and also show better agreement with the model when aerosol and NO₂ effects are included above and below the flight altitude. TUV model simulations show that the vertical structure of the actinic flux is sensitive to the choice of the aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA) at UV wavelengths. Typically, aerosols caused enhanced AF above the PBL and reduced AF near the surface. However, for highly scattering aerosols (SSA > 0.95), enhancements can penetrate well into the PBL, while for strongly absorbing aerosols (SSA<0.7) reductions in AF are computed in the free troposphere as well as in the PBL. Finally, additional measurements of the SSA at these wavelengths are needed to better constrain the effect of aerosols on the vertical structure of the actinic flux.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1061402
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-88384; KP1701000
• Journal Information: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online), Journal Name: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (Online) Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 13; ISSN 1680-7324
• Publisher: European Geosciences Union
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English