Aerosol optical properties from multiwavelength lidar measurements in Romania

Vertically resolved profiles of optical properties of aerosols were measured using a multi-wavelength lidar system-RALI, set up at the scientific research center in Magurele, Bucharest area (44.35 N latitude, 26.03 E longitude) during 2008. The use of multiple laser wavelengths has enabled us to observe significant variations in backscatter profiles depending on the particle origins. An air mass backward trajectory analysis, using Hysplit-4, was carried out to track the aerosol plumes. Aerosols can serve as valuable tracers of air motion in the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The height of layers in the lower troposphere from lidar signal was calculated using the gradient method- minima of the first derivative. The Richardson number method was used to estimate PBL height from the radio-soundings. We have used pressure, temperature and dew point profiles as well as the wind direction profiles from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) data base. The results were consistent with the ones obtained from LIDAR.

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