PMEL Atmospheric Chemistry Climate Air Quality

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PMELAtmospheric ChemistryClimateAir
Quality

• The Scientists
• History
• Highlights of results
• Near future plans

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NOAA PMELTim Bates, Scientist, UW affiliate
faculty Trish Quinn, Scientist Jim Johnson,
Scientist Derek Coffman, Research
TechnicianKristin Schulz, Research
TechnicianDrew Hamilton, Research
TechnicianUniversity of WashingtonDavid
Covert, Research FacultyTad Anderson, Research
FacultySarah Doherty, Research Scientist, IGAC
executive officerYonghua Wu, Research associate
Berko Sierau, Research associate Rob Elleman,
PhD candidateRobert Charlson, ProfessorNOAA
CMDL Aeronomy, Boulder
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JISAO/PMEL hosts the IGAC International Project
Office Dr. Sarah Doherty, JISAO Scientist, IGAC
Executive Officer www.igac.noaa.gov
In Cooperation with the IAMAS Commission on
Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (CACGP)
A Core Project of the International
Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP)
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Aerosols, Climate, Air Quality

• Direct effect - scattering (absorbtion) of solar
  radiation with a net cooling effect on the
  Earths surface.
• Indirect effect alter cloud reflectivity,
  lifetime, extent, precipitation.
• Transport and transformation of gas and condensed
  phase from sources to downwind regions.

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HistoryCharlson,Lovelock,Andreae,Warren.1987

1987 Charlson et al.
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Atmospheric Aerosols Brighten CloudsDurkee et
al., 2001
Ship tracks off the west coast of the US. Higher
particle concentrations at a fixed liquid water
content result in more reflective clouds.
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Atmospheric Aerosols Brighten CloudsSchwartz et
al., 2002
Sulfate particle number concentration Blue-high
Red- medium Green-Low
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• Sea salt dominates total and submicron aerosol
  mass in remote marine regions (ACE-1).

(Quinn and Bates, 2005)
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Sea salt dominates total and submicron aerosol
light extinction in remote marine regions
(ACE-1).
(Quinn and Bates, 2005)
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PMELAtmospheric ChemistryClimateAir
Quality

• The ocean is a minor source of CO, CH4, and OCS
  to the atmosphere.
• The remote oceans are a small source of ammonia
  to the atmosphere. However, ammonia is still the
  dominant gas-phase basic species in the remote
  marine atmosphere.
• The ocean is the major natural source of sulfur
  to the atmosphere. Air-sea exchange of DMS is
  only a minor sink in the seawater sulfur cycle.
• There is no direct connection between DMS
  emissions and particle number concentration in
  the overlying atmosphere.
• Sea salt dominates sub- and supermicron aerosol
  mass and light extinction in the remote marine
  atmosphere.

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IPCC In order to understand how the Earths
climate is changing, it is critical to quantify
each mechanism that changes the balance of
radiation coming into and going out of the
Earth-atmosphere system.
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MISR measure of AOD
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Aerosol chemical composition is needed to
attribute aerosols to sources
Quinn Bates, 2005
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Air pollutants are transported intercontinentally
affecting air quality and climate in regions far
downwind
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The aerosol optical depth measured off the East
Coast of the U.S. was comparable in magnitude to
that measured off the coasts of Asia (ACE-Asia)
and Indian (INDOEX).
Quinn Bates, 2005
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PMELAtmospheric ChemistryClimateAir
Quality

• A large fraction of the submicron aerosol mass
  over the oceans in not sulfate.
• Absorbing aerosols have a complex impact on
  radiative forcing at the surface.
• Asian dust is relatively non-absorbing.
• The NE U.S. plume can be of comparable magnitude
  to the Indian and Asian plumes in terms of
  aerosol mass, surface extinction, and aerosol
  optical depth.

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• Future Direction.

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• Mission Goal 2 Understand Climate Variability
  and Change to Enhance Societys Ability to Plan
  and Respond
• High-Level Outcome 2 Document and understand
  changes in climate forcings and feedbacks,
  thereby reducing uncertainty in climate
  projections
• Mission Goal 3 Serve Societys Needs for Weather
  and Water Information
• High-Level Outcome 3 Establish National Air
  Quality Forecast Capability

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Research Questions
How do chemical transformation and physical
transport processes affect the spatial
distribution of aerosols in the marine boundary
layer? What are the chemical, physical, and
optical properties of atmospheric aerosol
particles and how do these properties affect
regional haze and aerosol direct and indirect
radiative forcing of climate? How will the
aerosol direct and indirect radiative forcing of
climate change with changing regional air
quality?
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Strategy

• Improved chemical transport and radiative
  transfer models
• NASA, NCAR, NOAA, ONR, DOE Community Collaboration

Satellite Observations Anderson, Charlson, Wu
In-situ Measurements PMEL and UW
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Obtaining a Global Aerosol Distribution
Global satellite observations provide aerosol and
geophysical data to refine and constrain chemical
transport and radiative transfer models.
MISR on Terra
CALIPSO Aerosol Lidar in Space
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2008 Pacific transport
2006 Gulf Coast
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RV over the years
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PMELsampling inletdevelopment
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PMEL, UW, JISAOAtmospheric ChemistryClimate
Air Quality
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Single Scattering Albedo ?o ?scat /?ext
?s /(?s ?a)
The highest mass fractions of EC and lowest SSA
were observed off the Indian subcontinent.
Quinn and Bates, 2005
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Single Scattering Albedo
Mean SSA observed during ACE Asia in air masses
containing pollution and dust was 0.94 0.03.
Quinn and Bates, 2005