24-10-2012, 04:59 PM
Transcontinental Aerosol Measurements from Adelaide to Darwin
ABSTRACT
Aircraft measurements of atmospheric aerosol were made during a number of transcontinental flights across Australia
from Adelaide to Darwin during June and September 2003.Arange of aerosol measuring equipment was operated during these
flights enabling data to be collected on the aerosol chemistry, physical size distribution and scattering coefficient. Additional
information has been obtained from other sources on the continental weather patterns and global atmospheric aerosol loading
for the period that covers these flights. Together this information presents a picture of the aerosol sources, microchemistry,
microphysics and optical properties allowing for differences to be explored between Southern and Northern regions of
Australia at different altitudes (spatial information) and between the months of June and September (temporal information).
The conclusions are that the aerosol mass density is small in general particularly during the month of June. At lower altitudes
smoke tends to be the dominant accumulation mode aerosol and sea salt a major constituent of the coarse mode. There is
evidence of some influence of intercontinental aerosol during September but the level of importance is difficult to quantify.
ABSTRACT
Aircraft measurements of atmospheric aerosol were made during a number of transcontinental flights across Australia
from Adelaide to Darwin during June and September 2003.Arange of aerosol measuring equipment was operated during these
flights enabling data to be collected on the aerosol chemistry, physical size distribution and scattering coefficient. Additional
information has been obtained from other sources on the continental weather patterns and global atmospheric aerosol loading
for the period that covers these flights. Together this information presents a picture of the aerosol sources, microchemistry,
microphysics and optical properties allowing for differences to be explored between Southern and Northern regions of
Australia at different altitudes (spatial information) and between the months of June and September (temporal information).
The conclusions are that the aerosol mass density is small in general particularly during the month of June. At lower altitudes
smoke tends to be the dominant accumulation mode aerosol and sea salt a major constituent of the coarse mode. There is
evidence of some influence of intercontinental aerosol during September but the level of importance is difficult to quantify.