Variations in optical properties of aerosols on monsoon seasonal change and estimation of aerosol optical depth using ground-based meteorological and air quality data

Abstract

Abstract. In this study, the optical properties of aerosols in Penang, Malaysia were analyzed for four monsoonal seasons (northeast monsoon, pre-monsoon, southwest monsoon, and post-monsoon) based on data from the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) from February 2012 to November 2013. The aerosol distribution patterns in Penang for each monsoonal period were quantitatively identified according to the scattering plots of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) against the Angstrom exponent. A modified algorithm based on the prototype model of Tan et al. (2014a) was proposed to predict the AOD data. Ground-based measurements (i.e., visibility and air pollutant index) were used in the model as predictor data to retrieve the missing AOD data from AERONET because of frequent cloud formation in the equatorial region. The model coefficients were determined through multiple regression analysis using selected data set from in situ data. The predicted AOD of the model was generated based on the coefficients and compared against the measured data through standard statistical tests. The predicted AOD in the proposed model yielded a coefficient of determination R2 of 0.68. The corresponding percent mean relative error was less than 0.33% compared with the real data. The results revealed that the proposed model efficiently predicted the AOD data. Validation tests were performed on the model against selected LIDAR data and yielded good correspondence. The predicted AOD can beneficially monitor short- and long-term AOD and provide supplementary information in atmospheric corrections.