SAM-CAAM: A Concept for Acquiring Systematic Aircraft Measurements to Characterize Aerosol Air Masses.

ABSTRACT: A modest operational program of systematic aircraft measurements can resolve key satellite-aerosol-data-record limitations. Satellite observations provide frequent, global aerosol-amount maps, but offer only loose aerosol property constraints needed for climate and air quality applications. We define and illustrate the feasibility of flying an aircraft payload to measure key aerosol optical, microphysical, and chemical properties in situ. The flight program could characterize major aerosol air-mass types statistically, at a level-of-detail unobtainable from space. It would: (1) enhance satellite aerosol retrieval products with better climatology assumptions, and (2) improve translation between satellite-retrieved optical properties and species-specific aerosol mass and size s

SUBMITTER: Kahn RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5745363 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature