AeroCom

-> Aerosol Comparisons between Observations and Models

 

Protocol Overview

****************** 1st AeroCom Phase *************************

 

Protocol Daily Output (AeroCom Phase I, Experiments A,B,PRE)

The Variable name is a combination of Parameter name and Species name
(e.g. WET_DUST, WET_SS, WET_BC…).
Species names: DUST, SS, BC, POM, SO4, AER(=all aerosol), AERN(=aerosol number), METEO(=Meteorological)

Grid resolution if not mentioned otherwise LATxLON, thus 2 dimensional in time
Blue fields indicate 3D fields LATxLONxLEV

DAILY OUTPUT	each Species	total	Remark	proposed unit	Parameter Name
Daily (instantaneous, at local noon time, thus varying the time of output depending on longitude, column integrated values, though all values from all longitudes for one day stored in one record corresponding to 12 UTC )			Daily local noon time data are chosen to facilitate the comparison with satellite observations while keeping the output routines simple
dry mass for each species	X		column sum	[kg/m2]	LOADD
dry mass for radii below 0.50um for each species	X		column sum	[kg/m2]	LOAD05D
dry mass  for radii above 1.25um for each species	X		column sum	[kg/m2]	LOAD125D
aerosol water mass		X	column sum	[kg/m2]	AERH2OD
effective dry radius		X	3 * (Sum of Aerosol Volume per column) / (Sum of Aerosol Surface Area per column)	[µm]	ERD
effective dry radius for radii below 0.50um		X	see above	[µm]	ERLT05D
effective dry radius for radii above 0.50um		X	see above	[µm]	ERGT05D
Precision: MODELS WHICH COMPUTE OPTICAL PROPERTIES JUST IN CLOUDFREE AREA PROVIDE THOSE VALUES
optical depth (at 550 nm wavelength) for each species	X		based on wet radius	[]	OD550D
optical depth (at 865 nm wavelength) for each species	X		based on wet radius	[]	OD865D
optical depth at 550 nm  for each species fine mode	X		wet radius <1 um / 2001 only / Modis parameter	[]	OD550LT1D
optical depth at 550 nm  for each species  coarse mode	X		wet radius >1 um / 2001 only / Modis parameter	[]	OD550GT1D
absorption at 550 nm		X	sum of aerosol absorption at 550 nm	[]	ABSD
cloud  cover fraction			column integrated value of cloud cover, computed as used in radiation code of respective model	[%]	CCFD
relative humidity			average achieved by weighting with optical depth at 550 nm from each level; all sky relative humidity computed  first at each level RH= f(ave(T), ave(q) ). Weighting from l levels: Sum (RHl * ODl) / Sum(ODl)	[%]	RHOPTD
pressure			average achieved by weighting with optical depth at 550 nm from each level.  Weighting from l levels: Sum (Pl*ODl) / Sum (ODl)		OD550PRESD
Daily (instantaneous everywhere at UTC 12:00)
optical depth at 550 nm wavelength for each species	X			[]	OD550UTCD
Daily (daily average from 0 UTC to 24 UTC)
optical depth at 550 nm wavelength for each species	X			[]	OD550AVGD
added in July 2003:
Daily (daily average from 0 UTC to 24 UTC)
Surface concentration	X		2D surface concentration	[ug/m3]	SCONCD
EXTRA OUTPUT FOR ALL EXPERIMENTS MARCH 2004
Daily (daily average)
wet effective radius	x		2D column integrated aerosol volume / colume integrated aerosol surface	[m]	ERWD
wet effective radius for radii below 0.5 um	x		2D column integrated aerosol volume / colume integrated aerosol surface	[m]	ERWLT05D
wet effective radius for radii above 0.5 um	x		2D column integrated aerosol volume/ colume integrated aerosol surface	[m]	ERWGT05D

 

AEROCOM
is an international
science initiative
on aerosols and climate

supported by
EU Framework programmes
ACTRIS
MACC-II
EUCAARI
PHOENICS


Norw. Met Office
ESA-cci
Max-Planck Ges.
NASA
French CNES