Variability of Absorption and Optical Properties of Key Aerosol Types Observed in Worldwide Locations

Aerosol radiative forcing is a critical, though variable and uncertain, component of the global climate. Yet climate models rely on sparse information of the aerosol optical properties. In situ measurements, though important in many respects, seldom provide measurements of the undisturbed aerosol in the entire atmospheric column. Here, 8 yr of worldwide distributed data from the AERONET network of ground-based radiometers were used to remotely sense the aerosol absorption and other optical properties in several key locations. Established procedures for maintaining and calibrating the global network of radiometers, cloud screening, and inversion techniques allow for a consistent retrieval of the optical…

• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• CN
  Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
• KA
  King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology
• NO
  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• GS
  Goddard Space Flight Center
• GI
  Goddard Institute for Space Studies