The interaction between atmospheric aerosols and sunlight has a significant impact on Earth’s climate but is poorly characterized. Radiative transfer calculations of climate models can be improved with wavelength-resolved measurements of aerosol optical properties. A multi-wavelength, single-cell photoacoustic spectrometer and a UV-Vis broadband cavity-enhanced spectrometer have been developed in our laboratory for the measurement of aerosol absorption and extinction. With absorption measured at 377, 406, 445, 532, 662, and 780 nm and extinction at 385-425, 520-560, and 630-680 nm, optical properties can be retrieved throughout the UV-Vis spectral region. Examples from measurements of ambient aerosols, taken at Athens, GA, will be presented, and it will be demonstrated how they can be used to derive quantities useful to climate models, such as the single-scattering albedo, effective complex refractive index, and absorption Ångström exponent of black and brown carbon.

Ambient aerosol optical properties throughout the UV-Vis spectral region derived via photoacoustic spectroscopy and broadband cavity-enhanced spectrsocopy

2019 Spring National Meeting

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