Articles | Volume 15, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-655-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-655-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Evaluating the PurpleAir monitor as an aerosol light scattering instrument
James R. Ouimette
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Sonoma Ecology Center, Eldridge, CA 95431, USA
William C. Malm
Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Bret A. Schichtel
National Park Service Air Resources Division, Lakewood, CO 80225, USA
Patrick J. Sheridan
NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory, Boulder, CO 80305, USA
Elisabeth Andrews
NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory, Boulder, CO 80305, USA
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences,
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
John A. Ogren
NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory, Boulder, CO 80305, USA
retired
W. Patrick Arnott
Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
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PurpleAir sensors (PASs) are low-cost tools to measure fine particulate matter (PM) concentrations. However, the raw PAS data have significant biases, so the sensors must be corrected. We analyzed data from numerous sites and found that the standard correction to the PAS Purple Air data is accurate in urban pollution events and smoke events but leads to a 6-fold underestimate in the PM2.5 concentrations in dust events. We propose a new correction algorithm to address this problem.
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Erin K. Boedicker, Elisabeth Andrews, Patrick J. Sheridan, and Patricia K. Quinn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 9525–9547, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9525-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-9525-2023, 2023
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PurpleAir sensors (PASs) are low-cost tools to measure fine particulate matter (PM) concentrations. However, the raw PAS data have significant biases, so the sensors must be corrected. We analyzed data from numerous sites and found that the standard correction to the PAS Purple Air data is accurate in urban pollution events and smoke events but leads to a 6-fold underestimate in the PM2.5 concentrations in dust events. We propose a new correction algorithm to address this problem.
Joshin Kumar, Theo Paik, Nishit J. Shetty, Patrick Sheridan, Allison C. Aiken, Manvendra K. Dubey, and Rajan K. Chakrabarty
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 4569–4583, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4569-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4569-2022, 2022
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Accurate long-term measurement of aerosol light absorption is vital for assessing direct aerosol radiative forcing. Light absorption by aerosols at the US Department of Energy long-term climate monitoring SGP site is measured using the Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP), which suffers from artifacts and biases difficult to quantify. Machine learning offers a promising path forward to correct for biases in the long-term absorption dataset at the SGP site and similar Class-I areas.
Bruno Debus, Andrew T. Weakley, Satoshi Takahama, Kathryn M. George, Anahita Amiri-Farahani, Bret Schichtel, Scott Copeland, Anthony S. Wexler, and Ann M. Dillner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2685–2702, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2685-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2685-2022, 2022
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In the US, routine particulate matter composition is measured on samples collected on three types of filter media and analyzed using several techniques. We propose an alternate approach that uses one analytical technique, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and one filter type to measure the chemical composition of particulate matter in a major US monitoring network. This method could be used to add low-cost sites to the network, fill-in missing data, or for quality control.
Aki Virkkula, Henrik Grythe, John Backman, Tuukka Petäjä, Maurizio Busetto, Christian Lanconelli, Angelo Lupi, Silvia Becagli, Rita Traversi, Mirko Severi, Vito Vitale, Patrick Sheridan, and Elisabeth Andrews
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 5033–5069, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5033-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-5033-2022, 2022
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Optical properties of surface aerosols at Dome C, Antarctica, in 2007–2013 and their potential source areas are presented. The equivalent black carbon (eBC) mass concentrations were compared with eBC measured at three other Antarctic sites: the South Pole (SPO) and two coastal sites, Neumayer and Syowa. Transport analysis suggests that South American BC emissions are the largest contributor to eBC at Dome C.
Julia Schmale, Sangeeta Sharma, Stefano Decesari, Jakob Pernov, Andreas Massling, Hans-Christen Hansson, Knut von Salzen, Henrik Skov, Elisabeth Andrews, Patricia K. Quinn, Lucia M. Upchurch, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Rita Traversi, Stefania Gilardoni, Mauro Mazzola, James Laing, and Philip Hopke
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 3067–3096, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-3067-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-3067-2022, 2022
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Long-term data sets of Arctic aerosol properties from 10 stations across the Arctic provide evidence that anthropogenic influence on the Arctic atmospheric chemical composition has declined in winter, a season which is typically dominated by mid-latitude emissions. The number of significant trends in summer is smaller than in winter, and overall the pattern is ambiguous with some significant positive and negative trends. This reflects the mixed influence of natural and anthropogenic emissions.
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Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 17185–17223, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17185-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-17185-2021, 2021
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Aerosol particles are a complex component of the atmospheric system the effects of which are among the most uncertain in climate change projections. Using data collected at 62 stations, this study provides the most up-to-date picture of the spatial distribution of particle number concentration and size distribution worldwide, with the aim of contributing to better representation of aerosols and their interactions with clouds in models and, therefore, better evaluation of their impact on climate.
Sho Ohata, Tatsuhiro Mori, Yutaka Kondo, Sangeeta Sharma, Antti Hyvärinen, Elisabeth Andrews, Peter Tunved, Eija Asmi, John Backman, Henri Servomaa, Daniel Veber, Konstantinos Eleftheriadis, Stergios Vratolis, Radovan Krejci, Paul Zieger, Makoto Koike, Yugo Kanaya, Atsushi Yoshida, Nobuhiro Moteki, Yongjing Zhao, Yutaka Tobo, Junji Matsushita, and Naga Oshima
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 6723–6748, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6723-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-6723-2021, 2021
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Reliable values of mass absorption cross sections (MACs) of black carbon (BC) are required to determine mass concentrations of BC at Arctic sites using different types of filter-based absorption photometers. We successfully estimated MAC values for these instruments through comparison with independent measurements of BC by a continuous soot monitoring system called COSMOS. These MAC values are consistent with each other and applicable to study spatial and temporal variation in BC in the Arctic.
Gloria Titos, María A. Burgos, Paul Zieger, Lucas Alados-Arboledas, Urs Baltensperger, Anne Jefferson, James Sherman, Ernest Weingartner, Bas Henzing, Krista Luoma, Colin O'Dowd, Alfred Wiedensohler, and Elisabeth Andrews
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 13031–13050, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13031-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13031-2021, 2021
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This paper investigates the impact of water uptake on aerosol optical properties, in particular the aerosol light-scattering coefficient. Although in situ measurements are performed at low relative humidity (typically at
RH < 40 %), to address the climatic impact of aerosol particles it is necessary to take into account the effect that water uptake may have on the aerosol optical properties.
Jonas Gliß, Augustin Mortier, Michael Schulz, Elisabeth Andrews, Yves Balkanski, Susanne E. Bauer, Anna M. K. Benedictow, Huisheng Bian, Ramiro Checa-Garcia, Mian Chin, Paul Ginoux, Jan J. Griesfeller, Andreas Heckel, Zak Kipling, Alf Kirkevåg, Harri Kokkola, Paolo Laj, Philippe Le Sager, Marianne Tronstad Lund, Cathrine Lund Myhre, Hitoshi Matsui, Gunnar Myhre, David Neubauer, Twan van Noije, Peter North, Dirk J. L. Olivié, Samuel Rémy, Larisa Sogacheva, Toshihiko Takemura, Kostas Tsigaridis, and Svetlana G. Tsyro
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 87–128, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-87-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-87-2021, 2021
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Simulated aerosol optical properties as well as the aerosol life cycle are investigated for 14 global models participating in the AeroCom initiative. Considerable diversity is found in the simulated aerosol species emissions and lifetimes, also resulting in a large diversity in the simulated aerosol mass, composition, and optical properties. A comparison with observations suggests that, on average, current models underestimate the direct effect of aerosol on the atmosphere radiation budget.
Martine Collaud Coen, Elisabeth Andrews, Alessandro Bigi, Giovanni Martucci, Gonzague Romanens, Frédéric P. A. Vogt, and Laurent Vuilleumier
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6945–6964, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6945-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6945-2020, 2020
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The Mann–Kendall trend test requires prewhitening in the presence of serially correlated data. The effects of five prewhitening methods and time granularity, autocorrelation, temporal segmentation and length of the time series on the statistical significance and the slope are studies for seven atmospheric datasets. Finally, a new algorithm using three prewhitening methods is proposed in order to optimize the power of the test, the amount of erroneous false positive trends and the slope estimate.
Sho Ohata, Tatsuhiro Mori, Yutaka Kondo, Sangeeta Sharma, Antti Hyvärinen, Elisabeth Andrews, Peter Tunved, Eija Asmi, John Backman, Henri Servomaa, Daniel Veber, Makoto Koike, Yugo Kanaya, Atsushi Yoshida, Nobuhiro Moteki, Yongjing Zhao, Junji Matsushita, and Naga Oshima
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2020-1190, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2020-1190, 2020
Preprint withdrawn
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Reliable values of mass absorption cross sections (MAC) of black carbon (BC) are required to determine mass concentrations of BC at Arctic sites using different types of filter-based absorption photometers. We successfully estimated MAC values for these instruments through comparison with independent measurements of BC by continuous soot monitoring system called COSMOS. These MAC values are consistent with each other and applicable to study spatial and temporal variation of BC in the Arctic.
Augustin Mortier, Jonas Gliß, Michael Schulz, Wenche Aas, Elisabeth Andrews, Huisheng Bian, Mian Chin, Paul Ginoux, Jenny Hand, Brent Holben, Hua Zhang, Zak Kipling, Alf Kirkevåg, Paolo Laj, Thibault Lurton, Gunnar Myhre, David Neubauer, Dirk Olivié, Knut von Salzen, Ragnhild Bieltvedt Skeie, Toshihiko Takemura, and Simone Tilmes
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 13355–13378, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-13355-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-13355-2020, 2020
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We present a multiparameter analysis of the aerosol trends over the last 2 decades in the different regions of the world. In most of the regions, ground-based observations show a decrease in aerosol content in both the total atmospheric column and at the surface. The use of climate models, assessed against these observations, reveals however an increase in the total aerosol load, which is not seen with the sole use of observation due to partial coverage in space and time.
W. Richard Leaitch, John K. Kodros, Megan D. Willis, Sarah Hanna, Hannes Schulz, Elisabeth Andrews, Heiko Bozem, Julia Burkart, Peter Hoor, Felicia Kolonjari, John A. Ogren, Sangeeta Sharma, Meng Si, Knut von Salzen, Allan K. Bertram, Andreas Herber, Jonathan P. D. Abbatt, and Jeffrey R. Pierce
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 10545–10563, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-10545-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-10545-2020, 2020
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Black carbon is a factor in the warming of the Arctic atmosphere due to its ability to absorb light, but the uncertainty is high and few observations have been made in the high Arctic above 80° N. We combine airborne and ground-based observations in the springtime Arctic, at and above 80° N, with simulations from a global model to show that light absorption by black carbon may be much larger than modelled. However, the uncertainty remains high.
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Short summary
We show that the low-cost PurpleAir sensor can be characterized as a cell-reciprocal nephelometer. At two very different locations (Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii and the Table Mountain rural site in Colorado), the PurpleAir measurements are highly correlated with the submicrometer aerosol scattering coefficient measured by a research-grade integrating nephelometer. These results imply that, with care, PurpleAir data may be used to evaluate climate and air quality models.
We show that the low-cost PurpleAir sensor can be characterized as a cell-reciprocal...