The vertical distribution of aerosols, Saharan dust and cirrus clouds in Rome (Italy) in the year 2001

A set of 813 lidar profiles of tropospheric aerosol and cirrus clouds extinction and depolarization observed in Rome, Italy, between February 2001 and February 2002 is analyzed and discussed. The yearly record reveals a mean- ingful contribution of both cirrus clouds (38%) and Saha- ran dust (12%) to the total optical thickness (OT) of 0.26, at 532 nm. Seasonal analysis shows the planetary boundary layer (PBL) aerosols to be confined below 2 km in winter and 3.8 km in summer, with relevant OT shifting from 0.08 to 0.16, respectively. Cirrus clouds maximise in spring and autumn, in both cases with average OT similar to the PBL aerosols one. With the exception of winter months, Saharan dust is found to represent an important third layer mostly re- siding between PBL aerosols and cirrus clouds, with yearly average OT 0.03. Saharan dust and cirrus clouds were de- tected in 20% and in 45% of the observational days, re- spectively. Validation of the lidar OT retrievals against col- located sunphotometer observations show very good agree- ment. These results represent one of the few yearly records of tropospheric aerosol vertical profiles available in the liter- ature.

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