Atmospheric water vapour and its effect on aerosol Extinction at a coastal station – Visakhapatnam

Integrated atmospheric water vapour content. has been evaluated from the spectral optical depths around the PaT band of water vapour by making directly transmitted solar flux measurements at 800, 935 and 1025 nm. The temporal variation of the total precipitable water vapour shows significant seasonal variation with maximum during~ pre-monsoon and monsoon months and minimum during winter months. The integrated content shows a positive correlation with surface humidity parameters and the correlation is better during monsoon months compared to other seasons. The experimentally derived variations of water vapour are compared with the model variations formulated using radiosonde data. The aerosol extinctions derived from the, multi-spectral solar flux measurements in the visible and near IR regions increase with increasing atmospheric water vapour and this increase shows .a seasonal dependence the surface temperature also seems to affect the, aerosol extinction probably through Its effect on the mixing heights.

Variation of aerosol optical thickness with atmospheric water vapour : A case study over a continental station Mysore, India

Atmospheric measurements in a continental, low latitude station Mysore (12.3° N) has been carried out, for the period December 2003 to June 2006. Measurements were made using a sunphotometer with five bands in the visible and near-infrared range of the solar spectrum. To bring out the wavelength dependence of Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) on atmospheric water vapour, typically two wavelength channels are being used, one at 500 nm and the other at 1020 nm. A linear dependence between AOT and water vapour on meteorologically calm days is the important observation made. Growth rate of AOT is found to be larger at shorter wavelength (500 nm) than that of the longer wavelength (1020 nm). A mass-plot representation is followed on monthly basis, which is nothing but the graphical plot of spectral AOT versus water vapour of the scans for all the clear sky days of a particular month. Further investigations reveal that some months exhibit a single trend of growth of AOT with water vapour whereas double trend is the scenario for other months. These results provide insight into the changes in the atmospheric aerosol characteristics with precipitable water vapour, which is the subject matter of this paper.

Comparison of GNSS and INSAT-3D sounder retrieved precipitable water vapour and validation with the GPS Sonde data over Indian Subcontinent

Precipitable water vapour (PWV) plays a key role in the atmospheric processes from climate change to micrometeorology. Its distribution and quantity are critical for the description of state and evaluation of the atmosphere in NWP model. Lack of precise and continuous water vapour data is one of the major error sources in short term forecast of precipitation. The task of accurately measuring atmospheric water vapour is challenging. Conventional in situ measurements of atmospheric water vapour is provided by GPS Sonde humidity sensors profile twice a day at 0000 and 1200 UTC mainly from limited land regions. In recent years India Meteorological Department (IMD) is computing PWV from 19 channel sounder of INSAT-3D in three layers 1000-900 hPa, 900-700 hPa and 700-300 hPa and total PWV in the vertical column of atmosphere stretching from surface to about 100 hPa under cloud free condition. These data most commonly were validated using spatially and temporally collocated GPS Sonde measurements. In this paper, INSAT-3D satellite retrieved PWV data are validated with column integrated PWV estimates from a network of ground based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) over Indian subcontinent. The PWV retrieved by INSAT-3D sounder platform is very promising, being in a good agreement with the GNSS data recorded over India for the period June, 2017 to May, 2018. The root-mean-square (rms) differences of 5.4 to 7.1 mm, bias of -4.7 to +2.1 mm and correlations coefficient of 0.79 to 0.92 was observed between INSAT-3D and GNSS PWV. The correlations coefficient between GPS Sonde and GNSS derived PWV ranges from 0.85 to 0.98.

Long-term characterisation of the vertical structure of Saharan dust outbreaks over the Canary Islands using lidar and radiosondes profiles: implications for radiative and cloud processes over the subtropical Atlantic Ocean

Every year, large-scale African dust outbreaks frequently pass over the Canary Islands (Spain). Here we describe the seasonal evolution of atmospheric aerosol extinction and meteorological vertical profiles at Tenerife over the period 2007–2018 using long-term Micropulse Lidar (MPL-3) and radiosondes observations. These measurements are used to categorise the different patterns of dust transport over the subtropical North Atlantic and, for the first time, to robustly describe the dust vertical distribution in the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) over this region. Three atmospheric scenarios dominate the aerosol climatology: dust-free (clean) conditions, the summer-Saharan scenario (Summer-SAL) and the winter-Saharan scenario (Winter-SAL). A relatively well-mixed marine boundary layer (MBL) was observed in the case of clean (dust-free) conditions; it was associated with lidar extinction coefficients (α) ∼ 0.030 km−1 with minimum α (< 0.022 km−1) in the free troposphere (FT). The Summer-SAL has been characterised as a dust-laden layer strongly affecting both the MBL (∆α = 48 % relative to clean conditions) and the free troposphere. The Summer-SAL appears as a well-stratified layer, relatively dry at lower levels but more humid at higher levels compared with clean FT (CFT) conditions (∆r ∼ −44 % at the SAL’s base and ∆r ∼ +332 % at 5.3 km, where is the water vapour mixing ratio), with a peak of α > 0.066 km−1 at ∼ 2.5 km. Desert dust is present up to ∼ 6.0 km, the SAL top based on the altitude of SAL’s temperature inversion (STI). In the Winter-SAL scenario, the dust layer is confined to lower levels, below 2 km altitude. This layer is characterized by a dry anomaly at lower levels (∆r ∼ −38 % in comparison to the clean scenario) and a dust peak at ∼ 1.3 km height. CFT conditions were found above 2.3 km. Our results reveal the important role that both dust and water vapour play in the radiative balance within the Summer- and Winter-SAL. The dominant dust-induced shortwave (SW) radiative warming in summer (heating rates up to +0.7 K day−1) is found slightly below the dust maximum. However, the dominant contribution of water vapour was observed as a net SW warming observed within the SAL (from 2.1 km to 5.7 km) and as a strong cold anomaly near the SAL’s top (−0.6 K day−1). The conventional description of the Summer-SAL as a “dry layer” might lead to underestimating the importance of the atmospheric water vapour radiative effect. In the case of the Winter-SAL, we observed a dust-induced radiative effect dominated by SW heating (maximum heating of +0.7 K day−1 at 1.5 km, near the dust peak); both dust and atmospheric water vapour impact heating in the atmospheric column. This is the case of the SW heating within the SAL (maximum near the r peak), the dry anomaly at lower levels (∆r ∼ −38 % at 1 km) and the thermal cooling (∼ 0.3 K day−1) from the STI upwards. Finally, we hypothesise that the SAL can impact heterogeneous ice nucleation processes through the frequent occurrence of mid-level clouds observed near the SAL top at relatively warm temperatures. A dust event that affected Tenerife in August 2015 is simulated using the regional DREAM model to assess the role of dust and water vapour carried within SAL in the ice nucleation processes. The modelling results reproduce the arrival of the dust plume and its extension over the island and confirm the observed relationship between the Summer-SAL conditions and the formation of mid- and high-level clouds.

End-to-end Simulator of a space-borne Raman Lidar for the thermodynamic profiling of the atmosphere

&lt;p&gt;An end-to-end model has been developed in order to simulate the expected performance of a space-borne Raman Lidar, with a specific focus on the Atmospheric Thermodynamics LidAr in Space &amp;#8211; ATLAS proposed as a &amp;#8220;mission concept&amp;#8221; to the ESA in the frame of the &amp;#8220;Earth Explorer-11 Mission Ideas&amp;#8221; Call. The numerical model includes a forward module, which simulates the lidar signals with their statistical uncertainty, and a retrieval module able to provide vertical profiles of atmospheric water vapour mixing ratio and temperature based on the analyses of the simulated signals. Specifically, the forward module simulates the interaction mechanisms of laser radiation with the atmospheric constituents and the behavior of all the devices present in the experimental system(telescope, optical reflecting and transmitting components, avalanche photodiodes, ACCDs). An analytical expression of the lidar equation for the water vapour and molecular nitrogen roto-vibrational Raman signals and the pure rotational Raman signals from molecular oxygen and nitrogen is used. The analytically computed signals are perturbed by simulating their shot-noise through Poisson statistics. Perturbed signals thus take into account the fluctuations in the number of photons reaching the detector over a certain time interval.&amp;#160;The simulator also provides an estimation of the background due to the solar contribution. Daylight background includes three distinct terms: a cloud-free atmospheric contribution, a surface contribution and a cloud contribution[1]. Background is calculated as a function of the solar zenith angle. In order to better estimatethe background contribution, an integration on slant path is performed instead of a classical parallel-planes approximation. The proposed numerical model allows to better simulate solar background for high solar zenith angles, even higher than 90 degrees.&amp;#160;Signals simulated through the forward model are then fed into the retrieval module. A background subtraction scheme is used to remove the solar contribution and a vertical averaging is performed to smooth the signals. Based on the application of the roto-vibrational Raman lidar technique, the vertical profile of atmospheric water vapour mixing ratio is obtained from the power ratio of the water vapour to a reference signal, such as molecular nitrogen roto-vibrational Raman signal or an alternative temperature-independent reference signal. A vertical profile of temperature is then obtained through the ratio of high-to-low quantum number rotational Raman signals by the application of the pure rotational Raman lidar technique. Both atmospheric water vapour mixing ratio and temperature measurements require the determination of calibration constants, which can be obtained from the comparison with simultaneous and co-located measurements from a different sensor [2].&amp;#160;The simulator finally provides statistical (RMS) and systematic (bias) uncertainties. Estimates are provided in terms of percentage and absolute (g/kg) uncertainty for water vapour mixing ratio measurements and in terms of absolute uncertainty (K) for temperature measurements.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;References&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;1 - P.Di Girolamo et al., &quot;Spaceborne profiling of atmospheric temperature and particle extinction with pure rotational Raman lidar and of relative humidity in combination with differential absorption lidar: performance simulations&quot;Appl.Opt.&amp;#160;45, 2474-2494(2006)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;2 - P.Di Girolamo et al., &quot;Space-borne profiling of atmospheric thermodynamic variables with Raman lidar: performance simulations,&quot;Opt.Express&amp;#160;26, 8125-8161(2018)&lt;/p&gt;

The lacustrine-water vapor isotope inventory experiment L-WAIVE

In order to gain understanding on the vertical structure of atmospheric water vapour above mountain lakes and to assess the respective influence of evaporation and advection processes, the L-WAIVE (Lacustrine-Water vApor Isotope inVentory Experiment) field campaign was conducted in the Annecy valley in the French Alps in June 2019. This campaign was based on a synergy between a suite of ground-based, boat-borne, and airborne measuring platforms implemented to characterise the thermodynamic and isotopic state above the lake environment using both in-situ and remote sensing instruments. Two ultra-light aircrafts (ULA), one equipped with a Rayleigh-Mie lidar, solar fluxmeters and an optical counter, and one equipped with a Cavity Ring-down Spectrometer (CRDS) and an in-cloud liquid water collector, were deployed to characterize the vertical distribution of the main stable water vapour isotopes (H216O, H218O and H2H16O), and their potential interactions with clouds and aerosols. ULA flight patterns were repeated several times per day to capture the diurnal evolution as well as variability associated with different weather events. ULA flights were anchored to continuous water vapour and wind profiling of the lower troposphere performed by two dedicated ground-based lidars. Additional flights have been conducted to map the spatial variability of the water vapour isotope composition regarding the lake and surrounding topography. Throughout the campaign, ship-borne lake temperature profiles as well as liquid water samples at the air-water interface and at 2 m depth were made, supplemented on one occasion by atmospheric water vapour isotope measurements from the ship. The campaign period included a variety of weather events leading to contrasting humidity and cloud conditions, slope wind regimes and aerosol contents in the valley. The water vapor mixing ratio values in the valley atmospheric boundary layer were found to range from 3–4 g kg−1 to more than 10 g kg−1 and to be strongly influenced by the subsidence of higher altitude air masses as well as slope winds. A significant variability of the isotopic composition was observed within the first 3 km above ground level. The influence of the lake evaporation was mainly detected in the first 500 m of the atmosphere. Well-mixed conditions prevailed in the lower free troposphere, mainly above the mean altitude of the mountain tops surrounding the lake.