Aerosol radiative forcing efficiency in the UV-B region over central Argentina

Abstract

AEROSOL Robotic Network (AERONET), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and global UV-B (280-315 nm) irradiance measurements and calculations were combined to investigate the effects of aerosol loading on the ultraviolet B radiation (UV-B) reaching the surface under cloudless conditions in Córdoba, Argentina. The aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) and the aerosol forcing efficiency (ARFE) were calculated for an extended period of time (2000-2013) at a ground-based monitoring site affected by different types and loading of aerosols. The ARFE was evaluated by using the aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 340 nm retrieved by AERONET at the Cordoba CETT site. The individual and combined effects of the single scattering albedo (SSA) and the solar zenith angle (SZA) on the ARFE were also analyzed. In addition, and for comparison purposes, the MODIS AOD at 550 nm was used as input in a machine learning method to better characterize the aerosol load at 340 nm and evaluate the ARFE retrieved from AOD satellite measurements. The ARFE at the surface calculated using AOD data from AERONET ranged from (-0.11 ± 0.01) to (-1.76 ± 0.20) Wm-2 with an average of -0.61 Wm-2; however, when using AOD data from MODIS (TERRA/AQUA satellites), it ranged from (-0.22 ± 0.03) to (-0.65 ± 0.07) Wm-2 with an average value of -0.43 Wm-2. At the same SZA and SSA, the maximum difference between ground and satellite-based was 0.22 Wm-2.