Aerosol Total Volume Estimation From Wavelength‐ and Size‐Resolved Scattering Coefficient Data: A New Method

Abstract

Abstract While the importance of supermicron particles on human health and climate is well recognized, knowledge of their size‐related properties remains elusive. Many routine near‐surface in situ measurements of aerosol properties include size spectra of submicron particles and aerosol total scattering coefficient at three visible wavelengths and two size cutoffs. These properties are collected, for example, at the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility. Our study illustrates how these conventional measurements can be used to predict total particle volume (particle size <10 μm). The well‐known fact that small and large particles scatter sunlight very differently forms the basis of a new method. Our study demonstrates a good agreement between estimated and measured total volumes for five climate‐important locations. The agreement suggests that the new method can be used to predict the total particle volume from the routine data collected at numerous sites around the world.

Keywords

• aerosol total and fine volumes
• wavelength‐ and size‐resolved scattering coefficient
• continental, alpine, coastal, and marine locations