Articles | Volume 19, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-5989-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-19-5989-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
23 Sep 2026
Research article |
| 23 Sep 2026
| 23 Sep 2026
A new balloon-borne system for measuring the vertical variability of aerosol optical properties using low-cost sensors
Michalina Broda
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Geophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
Olga Zawadzka-Mańko
Institute of Geophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
Michał T. Chiliński
Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, 55128 Mainz, Germany
Katarzyna Nurowska
Institute of Geophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
Szymon Kłapiński
Institute of Geophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
Przemysław Makuch
Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
Krzysztof M. Markowicz
Institute of Geophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
Related authors
Michalina Broda, Olga Zawadzka-Mańko, Krzysztof Markowicz, Peng Xian, and Edward Hyer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 14015–14043, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14015-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14015-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
A new method was developed to estimate the share of smoke from different regions at a selected location using satellite observations and model data. Applied in Warsaw, it shows fires from North America contribute over sixty-five percent, surpassing Europe's share, highlighting the importance of intercontinental transport, which may be generalized across Europe. This is an important step in understanding how smoke particles from distant fires impact climate and atmosphere locally.
Piotr Markuszewski, Mikołaj Mazurkiewicz, Kinga Stawiarz, Małgorzata Śmiszek, Patrycja Jutrzenka-Trzebiatowska, Luca Ferrero, Krishnakant Budhavant, Mateusz Zawadzki, Anna Waleczek, Przemysław Makuch, Douglas Nilsson, Örjan Gustafsson, and Sophie L. Haslett
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4321, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4321, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated the occurrence and transport of microplastics in air and coastal waters around the Maldives using air and seawater sampling and particle identification. Microplastics occurred in both environments, but their size distributions and composition differed markedly. Airborne concentrations were more closely associated with polluted air transported from South Asia than with local ocean emissions, indicating that regional atmospheric transport delivers microplastics to remote islands.
Michalina Broda, Olga Zawadzka-Mańko, Krzysztof Markowicz, Peng Xian, and Edward Hyer
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 14015–14043, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14015-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14015-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
A new method was developed to estimate the share of smoke from different regions at a selected location using satellite observations and model data. Applied in Warsaw, it shows fires from North America contribute over sixty-five percent, surpassing Europe's share, highlighting the importance of intercontinental transport, which may be generalized across Europe. This is an important step in understanding how smoke particles from distant fires impact climate and atmosphere locally.
Katarzyna Nurowska, Przemysław Makuch, and Krzysztof Mirosław Markowicz
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 13493–13525, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13493-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13493-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study explores the properties of radiation fog in Southeastern Poland, focusing on how droplets and water content vary with height. Data from three September 2023 fog events show that larger droplets form near the ground, while fog dissipates from both the top and bottom. Key findings include average droplet sizes, water content, and how fog impacts radiation. The results improve understanding of fog behavior and its environmental effects.
Grzegorz M. Florczyk and Krzysztof M. Markowicz
Adv. Sci. Res., 22, 13–18, https://doi.org/10.5194/asr-22-13-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/asr-22-13-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Our study investigates how air pollution affects lower troposphere behavior. While the overall height of this layer did not change significantly under heavy pollution, we found a slight delay in the start of air movement and a rapid rise of warm air pockets. We also found out that absorbing aerosols warms the air despite blocking sunlight. For the layer height, no dominant effect was found. This research improves our understanding of how pollution influences atmospheric dynamics.
Piotr Markuszewski, E. Douglas Nilsson, Julika Zinke, E. Monica Mårtensson, Matthew Salter, Przemysław Makuch, Małgorzata Kitowska, Iwona Niedźwiecka-Wróbel, Violetta Drozdowska, Dominik Lis, Tomasz Petelski, Luca Ferrero, and Jacek Piskozub
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 11227–11253, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11227-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-11227-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Our research provides new insights into the study of sea spray aerosol (SSA) emissions in the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic. We observed that SSA flux is suppressed during increased marine biological activity in the Baltic Sea. At the same time, the influence of wave age showed higher SSA emissions in the Baltic Sea for younger waves compared to the Atlantic Ocean. These insights underscore the complex interplay between biological activity and physical dynamics in regulating SSA emissions.
Adriana Bailey, Franziska Aemisegger, Leonie Villiger, Sebastian A. Los, Gilles Reverdin, Estefanía Quiñones Meléndez, Claudia Acquistapace, Dariusz B. Baranowski, Tobias Böck, Sandrine Bony, Tobias Bordsdorff, Derek Coffman, Simon P. de Szoeke, Christopher J. Diekmann, Marina Dütsch, Benjamin Ertl, Joseph Galewsky, Dean Henze, Przemyslaw Makuch, David Noone, Patricia K. Quinn, Michael Rösch, Andreas Schneider, Matthias Schneider, Sabrina Speich, Bjorn Stevens, and Elizabeth J. Thompson
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 465–495, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-465-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-465-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
One of the novel ways EUREC4A set out to investigate trade wind clouds and their coupling to the large-scale circulation was through an extensive network of isotopic measurements in water vapor, precipitation, and seawater. Samples were taken from the island of Barbados, from aboard two aircraft, and from aboard four ships. This paper describes the full collection of EUREC4A isotopic in situ data and guides readers to complementary remotely sensed water vapor isotope ratios.
Cited articles
Adam, M., Nicolae, D., Stachlewska, I. S., Papayannis, A., and Balis, D.: Biomass burning events measured by lidars in EARLINET – Part 1: Data analysis methodology, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 13905–13927, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-13905-2020, 2020. a
Anderson, T. and Ogren, J.: Determining Aerosol Radiative Properties Using the TSI 3563 Integrating Nephelometer, Aerosol Sci. Tech., 29, 57–69, https://doi.org/10.1080/02786829808965551, 1998. a
Ansmann, A., Wandinger, U., Riebesell, M., Weitkamp, C., and Michaelis, W.: Independent measurement of extinction and backscatter profiles in cirrus clouds by using a combined Raman elastic-backscatter lidar, Appl. Optics, 31, 7113–7131, https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.31.007113, 1992. a
AQMD: Sensor Evaluation Report: Sensirion SPS30, Technical report, South Coast Air Quality Management District, https://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/aq-spec/summary/sensirion-sps30---summary-report.pdf (last access: 17 December 2025), 2021. a
Arnott, W., Hamasha, K., Moosmüller, H., Sheridan, P., and Ogren, J.: Towards Aerosol Light-Absorption Measurements with a 7-Wavelength Aethalometer: Evaluation with a Photoacoustic Instrument and 3-Wavelength Nephelometer, Aerosol Sci. Tech., 39, 17–29, https://doi.org/10.1080/027868290901972, 2005. a
Barreto, Á., Cuevas, E., García, R. D., Carrillo, J., Prospero, J. M., Ilić, L., Basart, S., Berjón, A. J., Marrero, C. L., Hernández, Y., Bustos, J. J., Ničković, S., and Yela, M.: Long-term characterisation of the vertical structure of the Saharan Air Layer over the Canary Islands using lidar and radiosonde profiles: implications for radiative and cloud processes over the subtropical Atlantic Ocean, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 739–763, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-739-2022, 2022. a
Bazo, E., Granados-Muñoz, M., Román, R., Bravo-Aranda, J., Cazorla, A., Valenzuela, A., González, R., Olmo, F., and Alados-Arboledas, L.: Evaluation of the vertically-resolved aerosol radiative effect on shortwave and longwave ranges using sun-sky photometer and ceilometer measurements, Atmos. Res., 282, 106517, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2022.106517, 2023. a
Bourgeois, Q., Ekman, A. M. L., Renard, J.-B., Krejci, R., Devasthale, A., Bender, F. A.-M., Riipinen, I., Berthet, G., and Tackett, J. L.: How much of the global aerosol optical depth is found in the boundary layer and free troposphere?, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 7709–7720, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-7709-2018, 2018. a
Broda, M.: AeroSonde balloon-borne aerosol soundings and collocated lidar, radiosonde and surface observations, Strzyżów (Poland), June–August 2025, V2, RepOD [data set], https://doi.org/10.18150/YGICBV, 2026. a
Brunamonti, S., Martucci, G., Romanens, G., Poltera, Y., Wienhold, F. G., Hervo, M., Haefele, A., and Navas-Guzmán, F.: Validation of aerosol backscatter profiles from Raman lidar and ceilometer using balloon-borne measurements, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 2267–2285, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-2267-2021, 2021. a, b
Cai, Z., Li, Z., Li, P., Li, J., Sun, H., Yang, Y., Gao, X., Ren, G., Ren, R., and Wei, J.: Vertical distributions of aerosol microphysical and optical properties based on aircraft measurements made over the Loess Plateau in China, Atmos. Environ., 270, 118888, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2021.118888, 2022. a
Chang, I., Gao, L., Flynn, C. J., Shinozuka, Y., Doherty, S. J., Diamond, M. S., Longo, K. M., Ferrada, G. A., Carmichael, G. R., Castellanos, P., da Silva, A. M., Saide, P. E., Howes, C., Xue, Z., Mallet, M., Govindaraju, R., Wang, Q., Cheng, Y., Feng, Y., Burton, S. P., Ferrare, R. A., LeBlanc, S. E., Kacenelenbogen, M. S., Pistone, K., Segal-Rozenhaimer, M., Meyer, K. G., Ryoo, J.-M., Pfister, L., Adebiyi, A. A., Wood, R., Zuidema, P., Christopher, S. A., and Redemann, J.: On the differences in the vertical distribution of modeled aerosol optical depth over the southeastern Atlantic, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4283–4309, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4283-2023, 2023. a
Chen, B., Thompson, S. A., Matthews, B. H., Sharma, M., Li, R., Nowotarski, C. J., Rapp, A. D., and Brooks, S. D.: A new technique to retrieve aerosol vertical profiles using micropulse lidar and ground-based aerosol measurements, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 5841–5859, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-5841-2025, 2025. a
Chiliński, M., Broda, M., Nurowska, K., and Markowicz, K.: The Near-Surface Vertical Variability of Aerosol Single-Scattering Properties over Warsaw: Case Study, Aerosol Air Qual. Res., 25, 14, https://doi.org/10.1007/s44408-025-00018-w, 2025. a
Collaud Coen, M., Weingartner, E., Apituley, A., Ceburnis, D., Fierz-Schmidhauser, R., Flentje, H., Henzing, J. S., Jennings, S. G., Moerman, M., Petzold, A., Schmid, O., and Baltensperger, U.: Minimizing light absorption measurement artifacts of the Aethalometer: evaluation of five correction algorithms, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 3, 457–474, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-3-457-2010, 2010. a
Dobracki, A., Lewis, E. R., Sedlacek III, A. J., Tatro, T., Zawadowicz, M. A., and Zuidema, P.: Burning conditions and transportation pathways determine biomass-burning aerosol properties in the Ascension Island marine boundary layer, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2333–2363, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2333-2025, 2025. a
Dubovik, O., Holben, B., Eck, T., Smirnov, A., Kaufman, Y., King, M., Tanré, D., and Slutsker, I.: Variability of Absorption and Optical Properties of Key Aerosol Types Observed in Worldwide Locations, J. Atmos. Sci., 59, 590–608, https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0469(2002)059<0590:VOAAOP>2.0.CO;2, 2002. a
Eckert, C., Hernandez-Jaramillo, D., Medcraft, C., Harrison, D., and Kelaher, B.: Drone-Based Measurement of the Size Distribution and Concentration of Marine Aerosols above the Great Barrier Reef, Drones, 8, 292, https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8070292, 2024. a
Ecotech Pty Ltd: Aurora 4000 Polar Nephelometer User Manual, Version: 1.0, Ecotech Pty Ltd, https://fixturlaser.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Aurora-4000-User-Manual.pdf (last access: 9 September 2026), 2011. a
Fernald, F. G.: Analysis of atmospheric lidar observations: some comments, Appl. Optics, 23, 652–653, https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.23.000652, 1984. a, b
Hansen, A., Rosen, H., and Novakov, T.: Real-time measurement of the absorption coefficient of aerosol particles, Appl. Optics, 21, 3060–3062, https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.21.003060, 1982. a
Hansen, A., Rosen, H., and Novakov, T.: The Aethalometer: An instrument for the real-time measurement of optical absorption by particles, Sci. Total Environ., 36, 191–196, 1984. a
Harshvardhan, H., Ferrare, R., Burton, S., Hair, J., Hostetler, C., Harper, D., Cook, A., Fenn, M., Scarino, A. J., Chemyakin, E., and Müller, D.: Vertical structure of biomass burning aerosol transported over the southeast Atlantic Ocean, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 9859–9876, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-9859-2022, 2022. a
Holben, B., Eck, T., Slutsker, I., Tanré, D., Buis, J., Setzer, A., Vermote, E., Reagan, J., Kaufman, Y., Nakajima, T., Lavenu, F., Jankowiak, I., and Smirnov, A.: AERONET – A Federated Instrument Network and Data Archive for Aerosol Characterization, Remote Sens. Environ., 66, 1–16, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0034-4257(98)00031-5, 1998. a
IPCC: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Tech. rep., Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157896, 2021. a
Kaiser, J. W., Heil, A., Andreae, M. O., Benedetti, A., Chubarova, N., Jones, L., Morcrette, J.-J., Razinger, M., Schultz, M. G., Suttie, M., and van der Werf, G. R.: Biomass burning emissions estimated with a global fire assimilation system based on observed fire radiative power, Biogeosciences, 9, 527–554, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-527-2012, 2012. a
Kalnajs, L. and Deshler, T.: A New Instrument for Balloon-Borne In Situ Aerosol Size Distribution Measurements, the Continuation of a 50 Year Record of Stratospheric Aerosols Measurements, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 127, e2022JD037485, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JD037485, 2022. a
Kezoudi, M., Tesche, M., Smith, H., Tsekeri, A., Baars, H., Dollner, M., Estellés, V., Bühl, J., Weinzierl, B., Ulanowski, Z., Müller, D., and Amiridis, V.: Measurement report: Balloon-borne in situ profiling of Saharan dust over Cyprus with the UCASS optical particle counter, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 6781–6797, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6781-2021, 2021. a
Klett, J.: Lidar inversion with variable backscatter/extinction ratios, Appl. Optics, 24, 1638–1643, https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.24.001638, 1985. a, b, c
Klett, J. D.: Stable analytical inversion solution for processing lidar returns, Appl. Optics, 20, 211–220, https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.20.000211, 1981. a
Kuula, J., Mäkelä, T., Aurela, M., Teinilä, K., Varjonen, S., González, Ó., and Timonen, H.: Laboratory evaluation of particle-size selectivity of optical low-cost particulate matter sensors, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 2413–2423, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2413-2020, 2020. a, b, c
Lee, S.-W., Kim, S., Lee, Y.-S., Choi, B. I., Kang, W., Oh, Y. K., Park, S., Yoo, J.-K., Lee, J., Lee, S., Kwon, S., and Kim, Y.-G.: Radiation correction and uncertainty evaluation of RS41 temperature sensors by using an upper-air simulator, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 1107–1121, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-1107-2022, 2022. a
Lee, S.-W., Kim, S., Choi, B., Woo, S.-B., Lee, S., Kwon, S., and Kim, Y.-G.: Calibration of RS41 humidity sensors by using an upper-air simulator, Meteorol. Appl., 28, e2010, https://doi.org/10.1002/met.2010, 2021. a
Li, J., Carlson, B., Yung, Y., Daren, L., Hansen, J., Penner, J., Liao, H., Ramaswamy, V., Kahn, R., Zhang, P., Dubovik, O., Ding, A., Lacis, A., Zhang, L., and Dong, Y.: Scattering and absorbing aerosols in the climate system, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 3, 363–379, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00296-7, 2022. a
Li, Z., Goloub, P., Dubovik, O., Blarel, L., Zhang, W., Podvin, T., Sinyuk, A., Sorokin, M., Chen, H., Holben, B., Tanré, D., Canini, M., and Buis, J.-P.: Improvements for ground-based remote sensing of atmospheric aerosol properties by additional polarimetric measurements, J. Quant. Spectrosc. Ra., 110, 1954–1961, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2009.04.009, 2009. a
Lin, Y., Takano, Y., Gu, Y., Wang, Y., Zhou, S., Zhang, T., Zhu, K., Wang, J., Zhao, B., G., C., Zhang, D., Fu, R., and Seinfeld, J.: Characterization of the aerosol vertical distributions and their impacts on warm clouds based on multi-year ARM observations, Sci. Total Environ., 904, 166582, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166582, 2023. a
Malm, W. and Hand, J.: An Examination of the Physical and Optical Properties of Aerosols Collected in the Improve Program, Atmos. Environ., 41, 3407–3427, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2006.12.012, 2007. a
Markowicz, K. and Chilinski, M.: Evaluation of Two Low-Cost Optical Particle Counters for the Measurement of Ambient Aerosol Scattering Coefficient and Ångström Exponent, Sensors, 20, 2617, https://doi.org/10.3390/s20092617, 2020. a, b
Markowicz, K., Chiliński, M., Panfil, W., Nurowska, K., Moczulski, W., Makuch, P., Acedański, S., Florczyk, G., and Kozuba, J.: High-resolution vertical profiling of aerosols microphysical and optical properties during the 2024 LEADER UAV campaign in Nadarzyce (Poland), Environ. Sci. Pollut. R., 32, 20695–20713, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-025-36887-2, 2025. a
Markowicz, K. M., Stachlewska, I., Zawadzka-Manko, O., Wang, D., Kumala, W., Chilinski, M., Makuch, P., Markuszewski, P., Rozwadowska, A., Petelski, T., Zielinski, T., Posyniak, M., Kaminski, J., Szkop, A., Pietruczuk, A., Chojnicki, B., Harenda, K., Poczta, P., Uscka-Kowalkowska, J., Struzewska, J., Werner, M., Kryza, M., Drzeniecka-Osiadacz, A., Sawinski, T., Remut, A., Mietus, M., Wiejak, K., Markowicz, J., Belegante, L., and Nicolae, D.: A Decade of Poland-AOD Aerosol Research Network Observations, Atmosphere, 12, 1583, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12121583, 2021. a, b, c
Markowicz, K. M., Markuszewski, P., Posyniak, M. A., Makuch, P., Kitowska, M., and Rozwadowska, A.: Aerosol microphysical and optical closure study in the Baltic Sea coastal zone, J. Aerosol Sci., 193, 106741, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2025.106741, 2026. a
Mei, H., Wei, P., Ghadikolaei, M. A., Gali, N. K., Wang, Y., and Ning, Z.: Performance validation and calibration conditions for novel dynamic baseline tracking air sensors in long-term field monitoring, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1771–1785, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1771-2025, 2025. a
Moore, R. H., Wiggins, E. B., Ahern, A. T., Zimmerman, S., Montgomery, L., Campuzano Jost, P., Robinson, C. E., Ziemba, L. D., Winstead, E. L., Anderson, B. E., Brock, C. A., Brown, M. D., Chen, G., Crosbie, E. C., Guo, H., Jimenez, J. L., Jordan, C. E., Lyu, M., Nault, B. A., Rothfuss, N. E., Sanchez, K. J., Schueneman, M., Shingler, T. J., Shook, M. A., Thornhill, K. L., Wagner, N. L., and Wang, J.: Sizing response of the Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS) and Laser Aerosol Spectrometer (LAS) to changes in submicron aerosol composition and refractive index, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 4517–4542, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4517-2021, 2021. a
Moormann, L., Böttger, T., Schuhmann, P., Valero, L., Fachinger, F., and Drewnick, F.: The Flying Laboratory FLab: development and application of a UAS to measure aerosol particles and trace gases in the lower troposphere, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1441–1459, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1441-2025, 2025. a
Müller, T., Schladitz, A., Massling, A., Kaaden, N., Kandler, K., and Wiedensohler, A.: Spectral absorption coefficients and imaginary parts of refractive indices of Saharan dust during SAMUM-1, Tellus B, 61, 79–95, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0889.2008.00399.x, 2009. a
Müller, T., Laborde, M., Kassell, G., and Wiedensohler, A.: Design and performance of a three-wavelength LED-based total scatter and backscatter integrating nephelometer, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 4, 1291–1303, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-4-1291-2011, 2011. a, b
Nevrlý, V., Dostál, M., Bitala, P., Klečka, V., Sléžka, J., Polách, P., Nevrlá, K., Barabášová, M., Langová, R., Bernatíková, S., Martiníková, B., Vašinek, M., Nevrlý, A., Lazecký, M., Suchánek, J., Chaloupecká, H., Kiča, D., and Wild, J.: Varying Performance of Low-Cost Sensors During Seasonal Smog Events in Moravian-Silesian Region, Atmosphere, 15, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15111326, 2024. a, b
Nothhelfer, M., Todea, A., Bathen, D., and Asbach, C.: Performance Evaluation of Five Different Low-Cost Particulate Matter Sensors for Monodisperse Test Aerosols, Aerosol Air Qual. Res., 25, 17, https://doi.org/10.1007/s44408-025-00019-9, 2025. a, b
Papanikolaou, C., Papayannis, A., Mylonaki, M., Foskinis, R., Kokkalis, P., Liakakou, E., Stavroulas, I., Soupiona, O., Hatzianastassiou, N., Gavrouzou, M., Kralli, E., and Anagnou, D.: Vertical Profiling of Fresh Biomass Burning Aerosol Optical Properties over the Greek Urban City of Ioannina, during the PANACEA Winter Campaign, Atmosphere, 13, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13010094, 2022. a
Papayannis, A., Zhang, H. Q., Amiridis, V., Ju, H. B., Chourdakis, G., Georgoussis, G., Pérez, C., Chen, H. B., Goloub, P., Mamouri, R. E., Kazadzis, S., Paronis, D., Tsaknakis, G., and Baldasano, J. M.: Extraordinary dust event over Beijing, China, during April 2006: Lidar, Sun photometric, satellite observations and model validation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L07806, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL029125, 2007. a
Petzold, A., Ogren, J. A., Fiebig, M., Laj, P., Li, S.-M., Baltensperger, U., Holzer-Popp, T., Kinne, S., Pappalardo, G., Sugimoto, N., Wehrli, C., Wiedensohler, A., and Zhang, X.-Y.: Recommendations for reporting “black carbon” measurements, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 8365–8379, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-8365-2013, 2013. a
Podgorny, I., Conant, W., Ramanathan, V., and Satheesh, S.: Aerosol modulation of atmospheric and surface solar heating over the tropical Indian Ocean, Tellus B, 52, 947–958, https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v52i3.17077, 2000. a
PolandAOD: MWR Radiometer, https://www.igf.fuw.edu.pl/~kmark/stacja/PolandAODdata.php?type=24&date=2025-06-10&next=-1&lev=1&stat=3 (last access: 8 April 2026), 2025. a
Posyniak, M., Markowicz, K., Czyzewska, D., Chilinski, M., Makuch, P., Zawadzka-Manko, O., Kucieba, S., Kulesza, K., Kachniarz, K., Mijal, K., and Borek, K.: Experimental study of smog microphysical and optical vertical structure in the Silesian Beskid - Poland, Atmos. Pollut. Res., 12, 101171, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2021.101171, 2021. a
Quan, J., Ma, P., Pan, Y., Cheng, S., Wang, Q., Lan, L., Dai, L., Wang, Y., and Liu, Y.: Vertical mixing of pollutants and secondary inorganic aerosol formations over Beijing, China, Atmos. Environ., 357, 121312, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121312, 2025. a
Ran, L., Zhou, F., Deng, Z., Zhou, M., and Wang, P.: A method to obtain scattering phase function based on particle size distribution and refractive index retrieved from Aurora 4000 multi-angle scattering measurements: A numerical study, Atmos. Environ., 315, 120138, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2023.120138, 2023. a
Randazzo, G. S., Hill, S. A., Booth, J. F., and Field, R. D.: A Wall of Smoke: Understanding the Drivers of the June 2023 Canadian Wildfire Smoke Event for New York City, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 131, e2025JD044798, https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JD044798, 2026. a
Ryan, R. G., Toms-Hardman, L., Smirnov, A., Harrison, D. P., and Schofield, R.: Measurement report: Aerosol vertical profiling over the Southern Great Barrier Reef using lidar and MAX-DOAS measurements, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 11183–11197, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11183-2025, 2025. a
Sanchez-Barrero, M. F., Goloub, P., Blarel, L., Popovici, I. E., Torres, B., Dubois, G., Podvin, T., Ducos, F., de Filippi, R., Sicard, M., Bout Roumazeilles, V., and Skonieczny, C.: Aerosol variability over oceans using micro-pulse lidar and photometer: insights from TRANSAMA ship-based campaign, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 19, 507–528, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-19-507-2026, 2026. a
Sasano, Y., Shimizu, H., Takeuchi, N., and Okuda, M.: Geometrical form factor in the laser radar equation: an experimental determination, Appl. Optics, 18, 3908–3910, https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.18.003908, 1979. a, b
Schuster, G., Dubovik, O., and Holben, B.: Angstrom exponent and bimodal aerosol size distributions, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 111, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JD006328, 2006. a
Segura, S., Estellés, V., Titos, G., Lyamani, H., Utrillas, M. P., Zotter, P., Prévôt, A. S. H., Močnik, G., Alados-Arboledas, L., and Martínez-Lozano, J. A.: Determination and analysis of in situ spectral aerosol optical properties by a multi-instrumental approach, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 2373–2387, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-2373-2014, 2014. a, b
Seidel, J., Ketzler, G., Bechtel, B., Thies, B., Philipp, A., Böhner, J., Egli, S., Eisele, M., Herma, F., Langkamp, T., Petersen, E., Sachsen, T., Schlabing, D., and Schneider, C.: Mobile measurement techniques for local and micro-scale studies in urban and topo-climatology, DIE ERDE – Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin, 147, 15–39, 2016. a
Sellmaier, A., Damm, E., Sachs, T., Kirbus, B., Wiekenkamp, I., Rinke, A., Pätzold, F., Nomura, D., Lampert, A., and Rex, M.: New insights in atmospheric methane variability in the Arctic by ship-borne measurements during MOSAiC, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 17685–17700, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-17685-2025, 2025. a
Sessions, W. R., Reid, J. S., Benedetti, A., Colarco, P. R., da Silva, A., Lu, S., Sekiyama, T., Tanaka, T. Y., Baldasano, J. M., Basart, S., Brooks, M. E., Eck, T. F., Iredell, M., Hansen, J. A., Jorba, O. C., Juang, H.-M. H., Lynch, P., Morcrette, J.-J., Moorthi, S., Mulcahy, J., Pradhan, Y., Razinger, M., Sampson, C. B., Wang, J., and Westphal, D. L.: Development towards a global operational aerosol consensus: basic climatological characteristics of the International Cooperative for Aerosol Prediction Multi-Model Ensemble (ICAP-MME), Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 335–362, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-335-2015, 2015. a
Sokolik, I. and Toon, O.: Incorporation of mineralogical composition into models of the radiative properties of mineral aerosol from UV to IR wavelengths, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 104, 9423–9444, https://doi.org/10.1029/1998JD200048, 1999. a
Sousan, S., Regmi, S., and Park, Y.: Laboratory Evaluation of Low-Cost Optical Particle Counters for Environmental and Occupational Exposures, Sensors, 21, https://doi.org/10.3390/s21124146, 2021. a
Sprenger, M. and Wernli, H.: The LAGRANTO Lagrangian analysis tool – version 2.0, Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 2569–2586, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-2569-2015, 2015. a
Su, T., Li, Z., Li, C., Li, J., Han, W., Shen, C., Tan, W., Wei, J., and Guo, J.: The significant impact of aerosol vertical structure on lower atmosphere stability and its critical role in aerosol–planetary boundary layer (PBL) interactions, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 3713–3724, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-3713-2020, 2020. a
Su, T., Li, Z., Zheng, Y., Wu, T., Wu, H., and Guo, J.: Aerosol-boundary layer interaction modulated entrainment process, npj Clim. Atmos. Sci., 5, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-022-00283-1, 2022. a
Szczepanik, D. M., Poczta, P., Talianu, C., Böckmann, C., Ritter, C., Stefanie, H., Toanca, F., Chojnicki, B. H., Schüttemeyer, D., and Stachlewska, I. S.: Spatio-temporal evolution of long-range transported mineral desert dust properties over rural and urban sites in Central Europe, Sci. Total Environ., 903, 166173, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166173, 2023. a
Teri, M., Müller, T., Gasteiger, J., Valentini, S., Horvath, H., Vecchi, R., Bauer, P., Walser, A., and Weinzierl, B.: Impact of particle size, refractive index, and shape on the determination of the particle scattering coefficient – an optical closure study evaluating different nephelometer angular truncation and illumination corrections, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 3161–3187, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-3161-2022, 2022. a, b
Tryner, J., Rucker, M., Berens, L., Cocker, D., and Volckens, J.: Effects of aerosol type and simulated aging on the performance of low-cost PM sensors, J. Aerosol Sci., 150, 105654, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2020.105654, 2020. a, b, c
TSI Incorporated: Laser Aerosol Spectrometer Model 3340 – Technical Manual, https://tsi.com/discontinued-products/laser-aerosol-spectrometer-3340 (last access: 21 August 2026), 2024. a
Wang, D., Szczepanik, D., and Stachlewska, I. S.: Interrelations between surface, boundary layer, and columnar aerosol properties derived in summer and early autumn over a continental urban site in Warsaw, Poland, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 13097–13128, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-13097-2019, 2019. a
Weingartner, E., Saathoff, H., Schnaiter, M., Streit, N., Bitnar, B., and Baltensperger, U.: Absorption of light by soot particles: Determination of the absorption coefficient by means of aethalometers, J. Aerosol Sci., 34, 1445–1463, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-8502(03)00359-8, 2003. a, b, c
Wernli, H. and Davies, H.: A Lagrangian‐based analysis of extratropical cyclones. Part I: The method and some applications, Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 123, 467–489, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.49712353811, 1997. a
World Meteorological Organization: Aerosol Measurement Procedures, Guidelines and Recommendations, Tech. rep., World Meteorological Organization, Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW), Geneva, https://www.wmo-gaw-sag-aerosol.org/files/FINAL_GAW_227.pdf (last access: 9 September 2026), 2016. a
Xian, P., Reid, J., Hyer, E., Sampson, C., Rubin, J., Ades, M., Asencio, N., Basart, S., Benedetti, A., Bhattacharjee, P., Brooks, M., Colarco, P., da Silva, A., Eck, T., Guth, J., Jorba, O., Kouznetsov, R., Kipling, Z., Sofiev, M., Perez Garcia-Pando, C., Pradhan, Y., Tanaka, T., Wang, J., Westphal, D., Yumimoto, K., and Zhang, J.: Current state of the global operational aerosol multi-model ensemble: An update from the International Cooperative for Aerosol Prediction (ICAP), Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 145, 176–209, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.3497, 2019. a
Zawadzka, O., Posyniak, M., Nelken, K., Markuszewski, P., Chilinski, M., Czyzewska, D., Lisok, J., and Markowicz, K.: Study of the vertical variability of the aerosol properties based on cable cars in-situ measurements, Atmos. Pollut. Res., 8, 968–978, 2017. a
Zhang, Z., Li, J., Che, H., Dong, Y., Dubovik, O., Eck, T., Gupta, P., Holben, B., Kim, J., Lind, E., Saud, T., Tripathi, S. N., and Ying, T.: Long-term trends in aerosol properties derived from AERONET measurements, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4617–4637, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4617-2025, 2025. a, b
Zhu, S., Ma, N., Yu, P., Xie, L., Hong, J., Lu, N., Bai, Z., Deng, Z., Ran, L., Wu, Y., Bian, J., Wang, Q., Tao, J., Zhou, Y., Wang, Q., Su, H., and Cheng, Y.: Vertical Profiling of Aerosol Physicochemical Properties With a New Airborne Aerosol Sampling System for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Tethered Balloons, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 130, e2024JD043148, https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JD043148, 2025. a
Zieliński, T., Petelski, T., Makuch, P., Strzałkowska, A., Ponczkowska, A., Markowicz, K., Chourdakis, G., Georgoussis, G., and Kratzer, S.: Studies of aerosols advected to coastal areas with the use of remote techniques, Acta Geophys., 60, 1359–1385, https://doi.org/10.2478/s11600-011-0075-4, 2012. a
Short summary
This study shows that balloon-borne instruments with low-cost particle sensors can reliably measure how airborne particles are distributed with height in the atmosphere. The sensors were tested during field measurements in southeastern Poland which identified particle layers transported over long distances including wildfire smoke and desert dust. The results indicate that this approach can improve aerosol observations and support better representation of aerosol processes in atmospheric models.
This study shows that balloon-borne instruments with low-cost particle sensors can reliably...
