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Abstract Macroscopic stratospheric aerosol properties such as surface area density (SAD) and volume density (VD) are required by modern chemistry climate models. These quantities are in continuous need of validation by observations. Direct observation of these parameters is not possible, but they can be derived from optical particle counters (OPCs) which provide concentration (number density) and size distributions of aerosol particles, and possibly from ground‐based and satellite‐borne lidar observations of particle backscatter coefficients and aerosol type. When such measurements are obtained simultaneously by OPCs and lidars, they can be used to calculate backscatter and extinction coefficients, as well as SAD and VD. Empirical relations can thus be derived between particle backscatter coefficient, extinction coefficient, and SAD and VD for a variety of aerosols (desert dust, maritime aerosols, stratospheric aerosols) and be used to approximate SAD and VD from lidar measurements. Here we apply this scheme to coincident measurements of polar stratospheric clouds above McMurdo Station, Antarctica, by ground‐based lidar and balloon‐borne OPCs. The relationships derived from these measurements will provide a means to obtain values of SAD and VD for supercooled ternary solutions (STS) and nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) PSCs from the backscatter coefficients measured by lidar. Coincident lidar and OPC measurements provided 15 profile comparisons. Empirical expressions of SAD and VD as a function of particle backscatter coefficient,β, were calculated from fits of the form log(SAD/VD) = A + Blog(β) usingβfrom the lidar and SAD/VD from the OPC. The PSCs were classified as STS and NAT mixtures, ice being absent.
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A study of optical scattering modelling for mixed-phase polar stratospheric clouds
Abstract. Scattering codes are used to study the optical properties of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). Particle backscattering and depolarization coefficients can be computed with available scattering codes once the particle size distribution (PSD) is known and a suitable refractive index is assumed. However, PSCs often appear as external mixtures of supercooled ternary solution (STS) droplets, solid nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) and possibly ice particles, making the assumption of a single refractive index and a single morphology to model the scatterers questionable.Here we consider a set of 15 coincident measurements of PSCs above McMurdo Station, Antarctica, using ground-based lidar, a balloon-borne optical particle counter (OPC) and in situ observations taken by a laser backscattersonde and OPC during four balloon stratospheric flights from Kiruna, Sweden. This unique dataset of microphysical and optical observations allows us to test the performances of optical scattering models when both spherical and aspherical scatterers of different composition and, possibly, shapes are present. We consider particles as STS if their radius is below a certain threshold value Rth and NAT or possibly ice if it is above it. The refractive indices are assumed known from the literature. Mie scattering is used for the STS, assumed spherical. Scattering from NAT particles, considered spheroids of different aspect ratio (AR), is treated with T-matrix results where applicable. The geometric-optics–integral-equation approach is used whenever the particle size parameter is too large to allow for a convergence of the T-matrix method.The parameters Rth and AR of our model have been varied between 0.1 and 2 µm and between 0.3 and 3, respectively, and the calculated backscattering coefficient and depolarization were compared with the observed ones. The best agreement was found for Rth between 0.5 and 0.8 µm and for AR less than 0.55 and greater than 1.5.To further constrain the variability of AR within the identified intervals, we have sought an agreement with the experimental data by varying AR on a case-by-case basis and further optimizing the agreement by a proper choice of AR smaller than 0.55 and greater than 1.5 and Rth within the interval 0.5 and 0.8 µm. The ARs identified in this way cluster around the values 0.5 and 2.5.The comparison of the calculations with the measurements is presented and discussed. The results of this work help to set limits to the variability of the dimensions and asphericity of PSC solid particles, within the limits of applicability of our model based on the T-matrix theory of scattering and on assumptions on a common particle shape in a PSD and a common threshold radius for all the PSDs.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1745008
- PAR ID:
- 10427650
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
- Volume:
- 16
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 1867-8548
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 419 to 431
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-419-2023
