Characterization of dust aerosols from ALADIN and CALIOP measurements

Song, RUI; Povey, A; Grainger, R

Journal article

Characterization of dust aerosols from ALADIN and CALIOP measurements

Abstract:: Atmospheric aerosols have pronounced effects on climate at both regional and global scales, but the magnitude of these effects is subject to considerable uncertainties. A major contributor to these uncertainties is an incomplete understanding of the vertical structure of aerosol, largely due to observational limitations. Spaceborne lidars can directly observe the vertical distribution of aerosols globally and are increasingly used in atmospheric aerosol remote sensing. As the first spaceborne high-spectral-resolution lidar (HSRL), the Atmospheric LAser Doppler INstrument (ALADIN) on board the Aeolus satellite was operational from 2018 to 2023. ALADIN data can be used to estimate aerosol extinction and co-polar backscatter coefficients separately without an assumption of the lidar ratio. This study assesses the performance of ALADIN's aerosol retrieval capabilities by comparing them with Cloud-Aerosol LIdar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) measurements. A statistical analysis of retrievals from both instruments during the June 2020 Saharan dust event indicates consistency between the observed backscatter and extinction coefficients. During this extreme dust event, CALIOP-derived aerosol optical depth (AOD) exhibited large discrepancies with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua measurements. Using collocated ALADIN observations to revise the dust lidar ratio to 63.5 sr, AODs retrieved from CALIOP are increased by 46 %, improving the comparison with MODIS data. The combination of measurements from ALADIN and CALIOP can enhance the tracking of aerosols' vertical transport. This study demonstrates the potential for spaceborne HSRL to retrieve aerosol optical properties. It highlights the benefits of spaceborne HSRL in directly obtaining the lidar ratio, significantly reducing uncertainties in extinction retrievals.

Publication status:: Published

Peer review status:: Peer reviewed

Actions

Email

Email this record

Send the bibliographic details of this record to your email address.

Your Email
Please enter the email address that the record information will be sent to.

-
Your message (optional)
Please add any additional information to be included within the email.
Cite

Cite this record

APA Style

Song, R. U. I., Povey, A., & Grainger, R. (2024). Characterization of dust aerosols from ALADIN and CALIOP measurements. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 17(8), 2521–2538.

MLA Style

Song, R. UI, et al. “Characterization of Dust Aerosols from ALADIN and CALIOP Measurements.” Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, vol. 17, no. 8, European Geosciences Union, 2024, pp. 2521–38.

Chicago Style

Song, RUI, A Povey, and R Grainger. 2024. “Characterization of Dust Aerosols from ALADIN and CALIOP Measurements.” Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 17 (8): 2521–38.
Share
Print