Characterization of Aerosol Sources and Optical Properties in Siberia Using Airborne and Spaceborne Observations

Abstract

Airborne backscatter lidar at 532 nm and in-situ measurements of black carbon (BC), carbon monoxide excess above background (ΔCO), and aerosol size distribution were carried out over Siberia in July 2013 and June 2017 in order to sample several kinds of aerosol sources. Aerosol types are derived using the Lagrangian FLEXible PARTicle dispersion model (FLEXPART) simulations and satellite observations. Six aerosol types could be identified in this work: (i) dusty aerosol mixture, (ii) Ob valley gas flaring emission, (iii) fresh forest fire, (iv) aged forest fire, (v) urban emissions over the Tomsk/Novosibirsk region (vi) long range transport of Northern China urban emission. The altitude range of aerosol layers is discussed for each aerosol type, showing transport above the boundary layer for long range transport of Northern China emissions or fresh forest fire. Comparisons of aerosol optical properties, BC and ΔCO are made between aged and fresh plumes for both the urban and forest fire emissions. An increase of aerosol optical depth at 532 nm (AOD532), aerosol particle size and ΔCO is found for aged forest fire plumes. Similar results are obtained when comparing the aged urban plume from Northern China with fresh urban emissions from Siberian cities. A flight above gas flaring emissions corresponds to the largest AOD532 and provides a possible range of 50–60 sr for the lidar ratio of these aerosol plumes often encountered in Siberia. Black carbon concentrations are relatively higher for the flaring plume (0.4–0.5 μμg.m−3) than for the urban plume (0.2 μμg.m−3). The largest BC concentrations are found for the fresh forest fire plume. The aerosol type identification and AOD532 provided by CALIOP Version 4.2 data products in air masses with similar origin generally agree with the results obtained from our detailed analysis of the aerosol plume origins.