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Andrews et al. 2006
Andrews, E., Sheridan, P.J., Fiebig, M., McComiskey, A., Ogren, J.A., Arnott, P., Covert, D., Elleman, R., Gasparini, R., Collins, D., Jonsson, H., Schmid, B. and Wang, J. (2006). Comparison of methods for deriving aerosol asymmetry parameter. Journal of Geophysical Research 111: doi: 10.1029/2004JD005734. issn: 0148-0227.

Values for Mie-equivalent aerosol asymmetry parameter (g) were derived using a variety of methods from the large suite of measurements (in situ and remote from surface and aircraft) made in Oklahoma during the 2003 aerosol Intensive Operations Period (IOP). Median values derived for dry asymmetry parameter at 550 nm ranged between 0.55 and 0.63 over all instruments and for all derivation methods, with the exception of one instrument which did not measure over the full size range of optically important aerosol. Median values for the "wet" asymmetry parameter (i.e., asymmetry parameter at humidity conditions closer to ambient) were between 0.59 and 0.72. Values for g derived for surface and airborne in situ measurements were highly correlated, but in situ and remote sensing measurements both at the surface and aloft did not agree as well because of vertical inhomogeneity of the aerosol. Radiative forcing calculations suggest that a 10% decrease in g would result in a 19% reduction in top of atmosphere radiative forcing for the conditions observed during the IOP. Comparison of the different methods for deriving g suggests that in computing the asymmetry parameter, aerosol size is the most important parameter to measure; composition is less important except for how it influences the hygroscopic growth (i.e., size) of particles.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Atmospheric Composition and Structure, Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801, 4906), Atmospheric Composition and Structure, Pollution, urban and regional (0305, 0478, 4251), Atmospheric Composition and Structure, Radiation, transmission and scattering, Atmospheric Processes, Radiative processes, Atmospheric Processes, Instruments and techniques, aerosol, asymmetry parameter
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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