Articles | Volume 17, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3783-2024
© Author(s) 2024. 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-17-3783-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
25 Jun 2024
Research article |
| 25 Jun 2024
| 25 Jun 2024
Evaluation of the hyperspectral radiometer (HSR1) at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
Global Monitoring Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO, USA
Laura D. Riihimaki
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
Global Monitoring Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO, USA
John Wood
Peak Design Ltd, Sunnybank House, Wensley Rd, Winster, Derbyshire, DE4 2DH, UK
Connor Flynn
School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
Adam Theisen
Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA
Michael Ritsche
Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA
Lynn Ma
Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
Gary B. Hodges
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
Global Monitoring Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO, USA
Christian Herrera
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
Global Monitoring Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO, USA
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Christopher R. Oxford, Haihui Zhu, Maya Mehrotra, Xuan Liu, Yuxuan Ren, Maya Arnott, Isaac Abionum Adimula, Taiye Benjamin Ajibolataiye, Clement Akoshile, Omar Amador-Munoz, Araya Asfaw, Rachel Ying-Wen Chang, Sagnik Dey, Ann M. Dillner, David J. Diner, Connor J. Flynn, Diana Francis, Paterne Gahungu, Rebecca M. Garland, Michel Grutter, Sina Hasheminassab, Fahad Imam, Jhoon Kim, Kristy Langerman, Pei-Chen Lee, Puji Lestari, Po-Hsiung Lin, S. Marcela Loria-Salazar, Tesfaye Mamo, Olga L. Mayol-Bracero, Mogesh Naidoo, Narendra Nelli, Sang Seo Park, Abdus Salam, Bighnaraj Sarangi, Trailokya Saud, Robyn Schofield, Yoav Schechner, Sachchida N. Tripathi, Emily K. West, Eli Windwer, Ming-Tsang Wu, Qiang Zhang, Michael Brauer, Yinon Rudich, Jay R. Turner, and Randall V. Martin
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3224, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3224, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT).
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A high-sensitivity balance, controlled temperature and relative humidity chamber, and filter samples collected around the world were used to develop a mass as a function of relative humidity relationship. We subsequently measured the chemical composition of these same samples. A relationship between the chemical composition and water mass was created and used to calculate aerosol water content showing how composition and water content varies worldwide.
Min Deng, Scott Giangrande, Adam K. Theisen, Karen Johnson, Iosif A. Lindenmaier, Timothy G. Wendler, Jennifer Comstock, Marquette Rocque, Zeen Zhu, and Alyssa Matthews
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3304, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3304, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Measurement Techniques (AMT).
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Cloud radars are used to measure air motion, clouds, and precipitation, but small pointing errors can reduce their accuracy. We developed a method to detect these errors using routine weather balloon observations. Tests with several radar systems in different environments showed that the method can identify small but important pointing biases, helping improve the accuracy and long-term consistency of weather and climate observations.
Jonas Witthuhn, Hartwig Deneke, Andreas Macke, Oscar Ritter, Jens Redemann, Connor J. Flynn, Abdulamid A. Fakoya, Bradley F. Lamkin, Emily D. Lenhardt, Logan T. Mitchell, Emily K. West, David M. Romps, Rusen Öktem, and Heike Kalesse-Los
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 5727–5745, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-5727-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-5727-2026, 2026
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This study examines how solar irradiance changes when sunlight passes from clear sky into cloud shadows, focusing on 3‑D radiative effects of shallow cumulus clouds. Using data from a dense pyranometer network and cloud masks from cameras we found that irradiance can rise up to 20 % above clear‑sky levels near cloud edges. Key drivers include sun‑cloud geometry and microphysical cloud properties. The results highlight the need to incorporate such 3‑D effects in atmospheric models.
Logan T. Mitchell, Connor J. Flynn, Kristina Pistone, Samuel E. LeBlanc, K. Sebastian Schmidt, Hong Chen, Paquita Zuidema, Robert Wood, and Jens Redemann
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1418, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-1418, 2026
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During 2016–2018, NASA conducted an airborne field campaign over the Southeast Atlantic Ocean to study biomass burning aerosols emitted from Southern African fires. We have found that aerosol scattering increases over the course of the emission season, which is due to a compositional change within black carbon as the source fires shift southeastward, rather than an increase in brown carbon. This aerosol brightening is also noted within a 30-year aerosol climatology from ground-based stations.
Simone Pulimeno, Angelo Lupi, Vito Vitale, Claudia Frangipani, Carlos Toledano, Stelios Kazadzis, Natalia Kouremeti, Christoph Ritter, Sandra Graßl, Kerstin Stebel, Vitali Fioletov, Ihab Abboud, Sandra Blindheim, Lynn Ma, Norm O'Neill, Piotr Sobolewski, Pawan Gupta, Elena Lind, Thomas F. Eck, Antti Hyvärinen, Veijo Aaltonen, Rigel Kivi, Janae Csavina, Dmitry Kabanov, Sergey M. Sakerin, Olga R. Sidorova, Robert S. Stone, Hagen Telg, Laura Riihimaki, Raul R. Cordero, Martin Radenz, Ronny Engelmann, Michel Van Roozendal, Anatoli Chaikovsky, Philippe Goloub, Junji Hisamitsu, and Mauro Mazzola
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 1809–1846, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-1809-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-1809-2026, 2026
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This study analyzed aerosols optical properties over the Arctic and Antarctic to measure them even during long periods of darkness. It found that pollution in the Arctic is decreasing, likely due to European emission regulations, while wildfires are becoming a more important source of particles. In Antarctica, particle levels are higher near the coast than inland, and vary by season. These results help us better understand how air pollution and climate are changing at the Earth’s poles.
Israel Silber, Jennifer M. Comstock, Adam K. Theisen, Michael R. Kieburtz, Zeen Zhu, and Jenni Kyrouac
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 485–506, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-485-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-485-2026, 2026
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We present PrecipBE, a multi-instrument precipitation event best-estimate data product developed at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility, providing time series and tabular statistics of events, which could help advance model evaluation and cloud-process studies. We demonstrate PrecipBE's utilization with a brief 30-year trend analysis of ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) site data, suggesting shorter, less intense events, but rising annual rainfall, driven by rare extremes.
Jessie M. Creamean, Carson C. Hume, Maria Vazquez, and Adam Theisen
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 6943–6963, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-6943-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-6943-2025, 2025
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This study presents a comprehensive, publicly available ice nucleating particles (INP) dataset from the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility across diverse environments, including Arctic, agricultural, urban, marine, and mountainous sites. Samples are collected via fixed and mobile platforms and processed using a standardized pipeline. The dataset supports observational and modelling analyses of seasonal, spatial, and compositional variability in INPs.
Kaiden Sookdar, Scott E. Giangrande, John Rausch, Lihong Ma, Meng Wang, Dié Wang, Michael P. Jensen, Ching-Shu Hung, and J. Christine Chiu
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 6271–6289, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-6271-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-6271-2025, 2025
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Photometer observations of stratocumulus cloud properties are evaluated for a multiyear archive. Retrievals for cloud optical depth, cloud droplet effective radius, and liquid water path show solid agreement with collocated references. Continental stratocumulus clouds sorted by cloud thickness indicate double the cloud optical depth and liquid water path of their marine counterparts, while exhibiting similar bulk cloud droplet effective radius.
Jessie M. Creamean, Darielle Dexheimer, Carson C. Hume, Maria Vazquez, Benjamin T. M. Hess, Casey M. Longbottom, Carlos A. Ruiz, and Adam K. Theisen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5000, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-5000, 2025
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PUFIN (Profiling Upper altitudes For Ice Nucleation) is a lightweight sampler flown on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement user facility’s tethered balloons to measure ice nucleating particles at multiple altitudes. Deployments in Maryland and Alabama show it can detect low concentrations in under an hour and capture changes with height. All data are publicly available, and future flights will help track seasonal and vertical patterns of these unique particles.
Logan T. Mitchell, Connor J. Flynn, Kristina Pistone, Samuel E. LeBlanc, K. Sebastian Schmidt, and Jens Redemann
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 5303–5313, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-5303-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-5303-2025, 2025
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During 2016–2018, NASA conducted an airborne field campaign over the Southeast Atlantic Ocean to study biomass burning aerosols emitted from Southern African fires. These aerosols then interact with stratocumulus clouds over the Southeast Atlantic, which is difficult for climate models to account for. Our instrument, 4STAR, determines aerosol radiative properties. A dataset was already created for 2016, but additional quality control was required to address instrument issues for 2017 and 2018.
Ryan C. Sullivan, David P. Billesbach, Sebastien Biraud, Stephen Chan, Richard Hart, Evan Keeler, Jenni Kyrouac, Sujan Pal, Mikhail Pekour, Sara L. Sullivan, Adam Theisen, Matt Tuftedal, and David R. Cook
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 5007–5038, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-5007-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-5007-2025, 2025
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Turbulent fluxes quantify the exchange of energy, water, or trace gases into and out of the atmosphere. The U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement user facility has been making atmospheric measurements since the early 1990s, including measurements of turbulent fluxes using two well-established methods: the energy balance Bowen ratio and eddy covariance. This paper documents key aspects of these datasets, including their history, changes through time, and best use practices.
Abdulamid A. Fakoya, Jens Redemann, Pablo E. Saide, Lan Gao, Logan T. Mitchell, Calvin Howes, Amie Dobracki, Ian Chang, Gonzalo A. Ferrada, Kristina Pistone, Samuel E. Leblanc, Michal Segal-Rozenhaimer, Arthur J. Sedlacek III, Thomas Eck, Brent Holben, Pawan Gupta, Elena Lind, Paquita Zuidema, Gregory Carmichael, and Connor J. Flynn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7879–7902, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7879-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7879-2025, 2025
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Tiny atmospheric particles from wildfire smoke impact the climate by interacting with sunlight and clouds, the extent of which is uncertain due to gaps in understanding how smoke changes over time. We developed a new method using remote sensing instruments to track how these particles evolve during atmospheric transport. Our results show that the ability of these particles to absorb sunlight increases as they travel. This discovery could help improve predictions of future climate scenarios.
Evgueni Kassianov, Connor J. Flynn, James C. Barnard, Brian D. Ermold, and Jennifer M. Comstock
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4997–5013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4997-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4997-2024, 2024
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Conventional ground-based radiometers commonly measure solar radiation at a few wavelengths within a narrow spectral range. These limitations prevent improved retrievals of aerosol, cloud, and surface characteristics. To address these limitations, an advanced ground-based radiometer with expanded spectral coverage and hyperspectral capability is introduced. Its good performance is demonstrated using reference data collected over three coastal regions with diverse types of aerosols and clouds.
Hiren T. Jethva, Omar Torres, Richard A. Ferrare, Sharon P. Burton, Anthony L. Cook, David B. Harper, Chris A. Hostetler, Jens Redemann, Vinay Kayetha, Samuel LeBlanc, Kristina Pistone, Logan Mitchell, and Connor J. Flynn
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 2335–2366, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2335-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2335-2024, 2024
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We introduce a novel synergy algorithm applied to ORALCES airborne measurements of above-cloud aerosol optical depth and UV–Vis satellite observations from OMI and MODIS to retrieve spectral aerosol single-scattering albedo of lofted layers of carbonaceous smoke aerosols over clouds. The development of the proposed aerosol–cloud algorithm implies a possible synergy of CALIOP and OMI–MODIS passive sensors to deduce a global product of AOD and SSA of absorbing aerosols above clouds.
Ian Chang, Lan Gao, Connor J. Flynn, Yohei Shinozuka, Sarah J. Doherty, Michael S. Diamond, Karla M. Longo, Gonzalo A. Ferrada, Gregory R. Carmichael, Patricia Castellanos, Arlindo M. da Silva, Pablo E. Saide, Calvin Howes, Zhixin Xue, Marc Mallet, Ravi Govindaraju, Qiaoqiao Wang, Yafang Cheng, Yan Feng, Sharon P. Burton, Richard A. Ferrare, Samuel E. LeBlanc, Meloë S. Kacenelenbogen, Kristina Pistone, Michal Segal-Rozenhaimer, Kerry G. Meyer, Ju-Mee Ryoo, Leonhard Pfister, Adeyemi A. Adebiyi, Robert Wood, Paquita Zuidema, Sundar A. Christopher, and Jens Redemann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4283–4309, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4283-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4283-2023, 2023
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Abundant aerosols are present above low-level liquid clouds over the southeastern Atlantic during late austral spring. The model simulation differences in the proportion of aerosol residing in the planetary boundary layer and in the free troposphere can greatly affect the regional aerosol radiative effects. This study examines the aerosol loading and fractional aerosol loading in the free troposphere among various models and evaluates them against measurements from the NASA ORACLES campaign.
Francesca Gallo, Janek Uin, Kevin J. Sanchez, Richard H. Moore, Jian Wang, Robert Wood, Fan Mei, Connor Flynn, Stephen Springston, Eduardo B. Azevedo, Chongai Kuang, and Allison C. Aiken
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4221–4246, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4221-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4221-2023, 2023
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This study provides a summary statistic of multiday aerosol plume transport event influences on aerosol physical properties and the cloud condensation nuclei budget at the U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Facility in the eastern North Atlantic (ENA). An algorithm that integrates aerosol properties is developed and applied to identify multiday aerosol transport events. The influence of the aerosol plumes on aerosol populations at the ENA is successively assessed.
Ruhi S. Humphries, Melita D. Keywood, Jason P. Ward, James Harnwell, Simon P. Alexander, Andrew R. Klekociuk, Keiichiro Hara, Ian M. McRobert, Alain Protat, Joel Alroe, Luke T. Cravigan, Branka Miljevic, Zoran D. Ristovski, Robyn Schofield, Stephen R. Wilson, Connor J. Flynn, Gourihar R. Kulkarni, Gerald G. Mace, Greg M. McFarquhar, Scott D. Chambers, Alastair G. Williams, and Alan D. Griffiths
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 3749–3777, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3749-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3749-2023, 2023
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Observations of aerosols in pristine regions are rare but are vital to constraining the natural baseline from which climate simulations are calculated. Here we present recent seasonal observations of aerosols from the Southern Ocean and contrast them with measurements from Antarctica, Australia and regionally relevant voyages. Strong seasonal cycles persist, but striking differences occur at different latitudes. This study highlights the need for more long-term observations in remote regions.
Paul A. Barrett, Steven J. Abel, Hugh Coe, Ian Crawford, Amie Dobracki, James Haywood, Steve Howell, Anthony Jones, Justin Langridge, Greg M. McFarquhar, Graeme J. Nott, Hannah Price, Jens Redemann, Yohei Shinozuka, Kate Szpek, Jonathan W. Taylor, Robert Wood, Huihui Wu, Paquita Zuidema, Stéphane Bauguitte, Ryan Bennett, Keith Bower, Hong Chen, Sabrina Cochrane, Michael Cotterell, Nicholas Davies, David Delene, Connor Flynn, Andrew Freedman, Steffen Freitag, Siddhant Gupta, David Noone, Timothy B. Onasch, James Podolske, Michael R. Poellot, Sebastian Schmidt, Stephen Springston, Arthur J. Sedlacek III, Jamie Trembath, Alan Vance, Maria A. Zawadowicz, and Jianhao Zhang
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 6329–6371, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6329-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6329-2022, 2022
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To better understand weather and climate, it is vital to go into the field and collect observations. Often measurements take place in isolation, but here we compared data from two aircraft and one ground-based site. This was done in order to understand how well measurements made on one platform compared to those made on another. Whilst this is easy to do in a controlled laboratory setting, it is more challenging in the real world, and so these comparisons are as valuable as they are rare.
Samuel E. LeBlanc, Michal Segal-Rozenhaimer, Jens Redemann, Connor Flynn, Roy R. Johnson, Stephen E. Dunagan, Robert Dahlgren, Jhoon Kim, Myungje Choi, Arlindo da Silva, Patricia Castellanos, Qian Tan, Luke Ziemba, Kenneth Lee Thornhill, and Meloë Kacenelenbogen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 11275–11304, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11275-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-11275-2022, 2022
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Airborne observations of atmospheric particles and pollution over Korea during a field campaign in May–June 2016 showed that the smallest atmospheric particles are present in the lowest 2 km of the atmosphere. The aerosol size is more spatially variable than optical thickness. We show this with remote sensing (4STAR), in situ (LARGE) observations, satellite measurements (GOCI), and modeled properties (MERRA-2), and it is contrary to the current understanding.
Haochi Che, Michal Segal-Rozenhaimer, Lu Zhang, Caroline Dang, Paquita Zuidema, Arthur J. Sedlacek III, Xiaoye Zhang, and Connor Flynn
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 8767–8785, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8767-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-8767-2022, 2022
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A 17-month in situ study on Ascension Island found low single-scattering albedo and strong absorption enhancement of the marine boundary layer aerosols during biomass burnings on the African continent, along with apparent patterns of regular monthly variability. We further discuss the characteristics and drivers behind these changes and find that biomass burning conditions in Africa may be the main factor influencing the optical properties of marine boundary aerosols.
James B. Duncan Jr., Laura Bianco, Bianca Adler, Tyler Bell, Irina V. Djalalova, Laura Riihimaki, Joseph Sedlar, Elizabeth N. Smith, David D. Turner, Timothy J. Wagner, and James M. Wilczak
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2479–2502, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2479-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2479-2022, 2022
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In this study, several ground-based remote sensing instruments are used to estimate the height of the convective planetary boundary layer, and their performance is compared against independent boundary layer depth estimates obtained from radiosondes launched as part of the CHEESEHEAD19 field campaign. The impact of clouds (particularly boundary layer clouds) on the estimation of the boundary layer depth is also investigated.
Matthew S. Norgren, John Wood, K. Sebastian Schmidt, Bastiaan van Diedenhoven, Snorre A. Stamnes, Luke D. Ziemba, Ewan C. Crosbie, Michael A. Shook, A. Scott Kittelman, Samuel E. LeBlanc, Stephen Broccardo, Steffen Freitag, and Jeffrey S. Reid
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 1373–1394, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1373-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1373-2022, 2022
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A new spectral instrument (SPN-S), with the ability to partition solar radiation into direct and diffuse components, is used in airborne settings to study the optical properties of aerosols and cirrus. It is a low-cost and mechanically simple system but has higher measurement uncertainty than existing standards. This challenge is overcome by utilizing the unique measurement capabilities to develop new retrieval techniques. Validation is done with data from two NASA airborne research campaigns.
Sabrina P. Cochrane, K. Sebastian Schmidt, Hong Chen, Peter Pilewskie, Scott Kittelman, Jens Redemann, Samuel LeBlanc, Kristina Pistone, Michal Segal Rozenhaimer, Meloë Kacenelenbogen, Yohei Shinozuka, Connor Flynn, Rich Ferrare, Sharon Burton, Chris Hostetler, Marc Mallet, and Paquita Zuidema
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 61–77, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-61-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-61-2022, 2022
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This work presents heating rates derived from aircraft observations from the 2016 and 2017 field campaigns of ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS). We separate the total heating rates into aerosol and gas (primarily water vapor) absorption and explore some of the co-variability of heating rate profiles and their primary drivers, leading to the development of a new concept: the heating rate efficiency (HRE; the heating rate per unit aerosol extinction).
Ruhi S. Humphries, Melita D. Keywood, Sean Gribben, Ian M. McRobert, Jason P. Ward, Paul Selleck, Sally Taylor, James Harnwell, Connor Flynn, Gourihar R. Kulkarni, Gerald G. Mace, Alain Protat, Simon P. Alexander, and Greg McFarquhar
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 12757–12782, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12757-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12757-2021, 2021
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The Southern Ocean region is one of the most pristine in the world and serves as an important proxy for the pre-industrial atmosphere. Improving our understanding of the natural processes in this region is likely to result in the largest reductions in the uncertainty of climate and earth system models. In this paper we present a statistical summary of the latitudinal gradient of aerosol and cloud condensation nuclei concentrations obtained from five voyages spanning the Southern Ocean.
Konstantin Baibakov, Samuel LeBlanc, Keyvan Ranjbar, Norman T. O'Neill, Mengistu Wolde, Jens Redemann, Kristina Pistone, Shao-Meng Li, John Liggio, Katherine Hayden, Tak W. Chan, Michael J. Wheeler, Leonid Nichman, Connor Flynn, and Roy Johnson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 10671–10687, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10671-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10671-2021, 2021
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We find that the airborne measurements of the vertical extinction due to aerosols (aerosol optical depth, AOD) obtained in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) can significantly exceed ground-based values. This can have an effect on estimating the AOSR radiative impact and is relevant to satellite validation based on ground-based measurements. We also show that the AOD can marginally increase as the plumes are being transported away from the source and the new particles are being formed.
Stefanie Kremser, Mike Harvey, Peter Kuma, Sean Hartery, Alexia Saint-Macary, John McGregor, Alex Schuddeboom, Marc von Hobe, Sinikka T. Lennartz, Alex Geddes, Richard Querel, Adrian McDonald, Maija Peltola, Karine Sellegri, Israel Silber, Cliff S. Law, Connor J. Flynn, Andrew Marriner, Thomas C. J. Hill, Paul J. DeMott, Carson C. Hume, Graeme Plank, Geoffrey Graham, and Simon Parsons
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 3115–3153, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-3115-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-3115-2021, 2021
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Aerosol–cloud interactions over the Southern Ocean are poorly understood and remain a major source of uncertainty in climate models. This study presents ship-borne measurements, collected during a 6-week voyage into the Southern Ocean in 2018, that are an important supplement to satellite-based measurements. For example, these measurements include data on low-level clouds and aerosol composition in the marine boundary layer, which can be used in climate model evaluation efforts.
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Short summary
A new hyperspectral radiometer (HSR1) was deployed and evaluated in the central United States (northern Oklahoma). The HSR1 total spectral irradiance agreed well with nearby existing instruments, but the diffuse spectral irradiance was slightly smaller. The HSR1-retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) also agreed well with other retrieved AODs. The HSR1 performance is encouraging: new hyperspectral knowledge is possible that could inform atmospheric process understanding and weather forecasting.
A new hyperspectral radiometer (HSR1) was deployed and evaluated in the central United States...
