Atmospheric aerosol scattering to mass ratio

Abstract

The combined operation of a spectronephelometer and a cascade impactor has been used to study the ratio of differential scattering coefficient (at 550 nm) and mass concentration at mass concentrations of less than 40 µg m−3. Detailed analysis of the mass size distribution impactor data assumed to be near lognormal yielded values of the bulk density in the range 1 to 4 g cm−3. Measurements made in May–June 1978 and in November–December 1978 gave substantially the same results indicating no seasonal variation in either aerosol density or scattering coefficient to mass concentration ratio for mountain and continental background clean air.