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  • Author or Editor: S. Sharma x
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B. R. Lienert
,
J. N. Porter
, and
S. K. Sharma

Abstract

It is shown that genetic inversions can be used to recover lognormal aerosol size distributions from multiangle optical scattering cross-section data measured by a polar nephelometer at a wavelength of 0.532 μm. The inversions can also be used to recover the absolute calibration factor of the polar nephelometer. The method is demonstrated by applying it to polar nephelometer data measured during the Shoreline Environment Aerosol Study (SEAS) at Bellows Beach on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Also, the inverted size distributions are compared with those inferred from direct measurements by particle sizers during SEAS. At 0.532 μm, the polar nephelometer data are dominated by the effect of coarse-mode hydrated sea salt. Although the inversion was unable to place constraints on the accumulation-mode size distribution, the modeled size distribution provides a good description of optical scattering at wavelengths of 0.532 μm and above.

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J. N. Porter
,
B. R. Lienert
,
S. K. Sharma
,
E. Lau
, and
K. Horton

Abstract

Scanning lidar measurements were carried out during the Shoreline Environment Aerosol Study (SEAS) experiment (19–30 April 2000) to characterize the aerosol scattering fields in the coastal marine boundary layer at Bellows Beach on the southeast side of Oahu, Hawaii. The sea salt was found to be well mixed throughout the mixed layer, although the depth of the trade wind mixed layer was found to vary significantly over short timescales. As expected, the frequency distribution of aerosol scatter had a lognormal distribution, with the exception of regions downwind of breaking waves, where the frequency distribution was bimodal. A spatial statistical study revealed that the island-blocking effects cause low-level clouds to develop as they approach the island, with enhanced drizzle near the coastline reaching all the way to the surface. The spray from waves breaking on an outer reef was found to be intermittent and contained to heights of 20 m (on average) for the average wind speed of 7 m s−1. Sea-salt concentrations and fluxes from the breaking waves were estimated from the lidar measurements and found to be within the range of values reported by other investigators.

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J. N. Porter
,
B. R. Lienert
,
S. K. Sharma
, and
H. W. Hubble

Abstract

The characteristics of a small, lightweight portable lidar system for measuring aerosol (Mie) scatter at wavelengths of 1064 and 532 nm are described. It uses a 20-Hz Nd:YAG pulsed laser as a source and a 12.7-cm-diameter telescope as a receiver. By using a minimal number of commercially available components, the cost of construction has been reduced. The lidar has a useable range of 60–3000 m for clean marine conditions. Its performance has been demonstrated using measurements of tropospheric aerosols on the island of Hawaii.

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