Issue 12, 2012

Absorption Ångström exponents of aerosols and light absorbing carbon (LAC) obtained from in situ data in Covilhã, central Portugal

Abstract

A field campaign was conducted from October 2009 to July 2010 at Covilhã, a small town located in the region of Beira Interior (Portugal) in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula. The ambient light-absorption coefficient, σa (522 nm), obtained from a Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP), presented a daily mean value of 12.1 Mm−1 (StD = 7.3 Mm−1). The wavelength dependence of aerosol light absorption is investigated through the Ångström parameter, αa. The αa values for the pair of wavelengths 470–660 nm ranged from 0.86 to 1.47 during the period of measurements. The PSAP data were used to infer the mass of light absorbing carbon (LAC) and the daily mean varied from 0.1 to 6.8 μg m−3. A detailed study of special events with different aerosol characteristics is carried out and, to support data interpretation, air masses trajectory analysis is performed.

Graphical abstract: Absorption Ångström exponents of aerosols and light absorbing carbon (LAC) obtained from in situ data in Covilhã, central Portugal

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
02 May 2012
Accepted
18 Oct 2012
First published
09 Nov 2012

J. Environ. Monit., 2012,14, 3174-3181

Absorption Ångström exponents of aerosols and light absorbing carbon (LAC) obtained from in situ data in Covilhã, central Portugal

S. Mogo, V. E. Cachorro, A. de Frutos and A. Rodrigues, J. Environ. Monit., 2012, 14, 3174 DOI: 10.1039/C2EM30345K

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