Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparison of the Ångström parameters retrieval in different spectral ranges with the use of different techniques

  • Published:
Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Ground-based spectroradiometric measurements obtained in Athens have been used in order to derive the aerosol optical depth and the Ångström parameters. Their derivation is achieved using three well-established and widely used techniques; the Volz method, the direct method and the least-squares fit to the experimental aerosol optical depth values. This study aims at investigating the ability of the different methods to derive similar Ångström turbidity coefficients and their dependence on the spectral range used for their determination. In addition, the uncertainties revealed especially in the UV spectral band are highlighted. The various techniques lead to different Ångström turbidity coefficients especially if narrow spectral bands at the shorter wavelengths are used. It is also established that the Ångström turbidity coefficients derived by any of the three methods at short wavelengths are not representative of the whole spectrum, while their derivation exhibits large uncertainties especially under low turbidity conditions. Therefore, the comparison of α and β values obtained using the three above-mentioned techniques in several spectral bands is not an easy task, since these values differ significantly. From the whole analysis it is established that the least-squares method is the least imprecise, also exhibiting the least wavelength dependence.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • AD Adamopoulos HD Kambezidis D Zevgolis FB Topalis (2000) ArticleTitleEstimation of total ozone column over Athens, Greece, using ground-based beam solar irradiance measurements Fresenius Environ Bull 9 201–208

    Google Scholar 

  • AD Adamopoulos HD Kambezidis D Zevgolis (2005) ArticleTitleTotal atmospheric transmittance in the ultraviolet and visible spectra in Athens, Greece Pure Appl Geophys 162 409–431 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00024-004-2607-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ZD Adeyewa EE Balogun (2003) ArticleTitleWavelength dependence of aerosol optical depth and the fit of the Ångström law Theor Appl Clim 74 105–122 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00704-002-0707-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A Ångström (1929) ArticleTitleOn the atmospheric transmission of sun radiation and on dust in the air Geogr Ann 12 130–159

    Google Scholar 

  • Arola A, Koskela T (2004) On the sources of bias in aerosol optical depth retrieval in the UV range. J Geophys Res 109(8), D08209: 1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • AI Bokoye A de la Casiniere T Cabol (1997) ArticleTitleÅngström turbidity parameters and aerosol optical thickness: a study over 500 solar beam spectra J Geophys Res 102 21905–21914 Occurrence Handle10.1029/97JD01393

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • VE Cachorro AM de Frutos JL Casanova (1987a) ArticleTitleDetermination of the Ångström turbidity parameters Appl Opt 26 3069–3076

    Google Scholar 

  • VE Cachorro AM de Frutos JL Casanova (1987b) ArticleTitleThe influence of Ångström parameters on calculated direct solar spectral irradiances at high turbidity Sol Energy 39 399–407 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0038-092X(87)80058-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • VE Cachorro P Duran R Vergaz AM de Frutos (2000) ArticleTitleMeasurements of the atmospheric turbidity of the north-centre continental area in Spain: spectral aerosol optical depth and Ångström turbidity parameters J Aeros Sci 31 687–702 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0021-8502(99)00552-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • VE Cachorro R Vergaz AM de Frutos (2001) ArticleTitleA quantitative comparison of α-Ångström turbidity parameter retrieved in different spectral ranges based on spectroradiometer solar radiation measurements Atmos Envir 35 5117–5124 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S1352-2310(01)00321-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A Cheymol H De Backer (2003) ArticleTitleRetrieval of the aerosol optical depth in the UV-B at Uccle from Brewer ozone measurements over a long time period 1984–2002 J Geophys Res 108D 4800 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2003JD003758

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A Cheymol H De Backer W Josefsson R Stübi (2006) ArticleTitleComparison and validation of the aerosol optical depth obtained with the Langley plot method in the UV-B from Brewer ozone spectrophotometer measurements J Geophys Res 111 IssueID16 D16202 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2006JD007131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M Cucumo V Marineli G Oliveta (1999) ArticleTitleExperimental data of the Linke turbidity factor and estimate of the Ångström turbidity coefficient for two Italian localities Renew Energy 17 397–410 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0960-1481(98)00754-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • TF Eck BN Holben JS Reid O Dubovic A Smirnov NT O’Neill I Slutsker S Kinne (1999) ArticleTitleWavelength dependence of the optical depth of biomass burning, urban, and desert dust aerosols J Geophys Res 104 IssueIDD24 31333–31349 Occurrence Handle10.1029/1999JD900923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • F El-Hussainy M Omran (1998) ArticleTitleAnalysis and trends of atmospheric turbidity parameters over Cairo Meteorol Atmos Phys 66 113–121 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF01030451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • V Estellés MP Utrillas JL Gómez-amo R Pedrós JA Martinez-Lozano (2003) ArticleTitleAerosol size distributions and air mass back trajectories over a Mediterranean coastal site Int J Rem Sens 24 1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Gröbner J, Meleti C (2004) Aerosol optical depth in the UVB and visible wavelength range from Brewer spectrophotometer direct irradiance measurements: 1991–2002. J Geophys Res 109(9), D09202: 1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • J Gröbner R Vergaz VE Cachorro DV Henriques K Lamb A Redondus JM Vilaplana D Rembges (2001) ArticleTitleIntercomparison of aerosol optical depth measurements in the UVB using brewer spectrophotometers and a Li-Cor spectrophotometer Geophys Res Lett 28 IssueID9 1691–1694 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2000GL012759

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gueymard C (1995) SMARTS: A simple model of the atmospheric radiative transfer of sunshine. Algorithms and performance assessment. FSEC-PF-270-93. Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL

  • L Harrison J Michalsky J Berndt (1994) ArticleTitleAutomated multifilter shadow-band radiometer: an instrument for optical depth and radiation measurements Appl Opt 22 5118–5125

    Google Scholar 

  • M Iqbal (1983) An introduction to solar radiation Academic Press Torondo, Canada

    Google Scholar 

  • CP Jacovides NA Kaltsounides DN Asimakopoulos DG Kaskaoutis (2005) ArticleTitleSpectral aerosol optical depth and the Ångström’s parameters in the polluted Athens atmosphere Theor Appl Clim 81 161–167 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s00704-004-0110-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J Jaroslawski JW Krzyscin S Puchalski P Sobolewski (2003) ArticleTitleOn the optical thickness in the UV range: analysis of the ground based data taken at Belsk, Poland J Geophys Res 108 IssueIDD23 4722 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2003JD003571

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CE Junge (1955) ArticleTitleThe size distribution and aging of natural aerosols as determined from electrical and optical measurements in the atmosphere J Meteorol 12 13–25

    Google Scholar 

  • HD Kambezidis DH Founda NS Papanikolaou (1993) ArticleTitleLinke and Unsworth-Monteith turbidity parameters in Athens Q J R Meteorol Soc 119 367–374 Occurrence Handle10.1002/qj.49711951008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • HD Kambezidis AD Adamopoulos D Zevgolis (2001) ArticleTitleDetermination of Ångström and Shuepp’s parameters from ground-based spectral measurements of beam irradiance in the ultraviolet and visible spectrum in Athens, Greece Pure Appl Geophys 158 821–838 Occurrence Handle10.1007/PL00001206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DG Kaskaoutis HD Kambezidis (2006a) ArticleTitleChecking the validity of the Ångström’s formula with spectral data of direct-beam irradiance obtained in Athens, Greece Atmos Res 79 67–87 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.atmosres.2005.05.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DG Kaskaoutis HD Kambezidis (2006b) ArticleTitleInvestigation on the wavelength dependence of the aerosol optical depth in the Athens area Q J R Meteorol Soc 132 2217–2235 Occurrence Handle10.1256/qj.05.183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DG Kaskaoutis HD Kambezidis AD Adamopoulos PA Kassomenos (2006a) ArticleTitleComparison between experimental data and modeling estimates of atmospheric optical depth over Athens, Greece J Atmos Solar Terr Phys 68 1167–1178 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.jastp.2006.02.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DG Kaskaoutis HD Kambezidis AD Adamopoulos PA Kassomenos (2006b) ArticleTitleOn the characterization of aerosols using the Ångström exponent in the Athens area J Atmos Solar Terr Phys 68 2147–2163 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.jastp.2006.07.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • F Kasten AT Young (1989) ArticleTitleRevised optical air mass tables and approximation formula Appl Opt 28 4735–4738

    Google Scholar 

  • S Kazadzis A Bais N Kouremeti et al. (2005) ArticleTitleDirect spectral measurements with a Brewer spectroradiometer: absolute calibration and aerosol optical depth retrieval Appl Opt 44 IssueID9 1681–1690 Occurrence Handle10.1364/AO.44.001681

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • B Leckner (1978) ArticleTitleThe spectral distribution of solar radiation at the earth’s surface-elements of a model Sol Energy 20 1431–1450 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0038-092X(78)90187-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JA Martinez-Lozano MP Utrillas F Tena VE Cachorro (1998) ArticleTitleThe parameterization of the atmospheric aerosol optical depth using the Ångström power law Sol Energy 63 303–311 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0038-092X(98)00077-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JA Martinez-Lozano F Tena R Pedrós J Canada JV Boscà J Lorente (2001) ArticleTitleAerosols optical characteristics from summer campaign in an urban coastal Mediterranean area IEEE Trans Geosci Rem Sens 39 1573–1585 Occurrence Handle10.1109/36.934089

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JA Martinez-Lozano MP Utrillas R Pedrós F Tena JP Díaz FJ Expósito J Lorente X de Cabo V Cachorro R Vergaz V Carreño (2003) ArticleTitleIntercomparison of spectroradiometers for global and direct solar irradiance in the visible range J Atmos Ocean Technol 20 997–1010 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1457.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KO Ogunjobi YJ Kim JA Adedokun SY Ruy JE Kim (2002) ArticleTitleAnalysis of sky condition using solar radiation data at Kwangju and Seoul, South Korea and Ile-Ife, Nigeria Theor Appl Clim 72 265–272 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s007040200022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NT O’Neill TF Eck BN Holben A Smirnov O Dubovic (2001) ArticleTitleBimodal size distribution influences on the variation of Ångström derivates in spectral and optical depth space J Geophys Res 106 IssueIDD9 9787–9806 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2000JD900245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R Pedrós JA Martinez-Lozano MP Utrillas JL Gómez-Amo F Tena (2003) ArticleTitleColumn-integrated aerosol, optical properties from ground-based spectroradiometer measurements at Barrax (Spain) during the digital airborne imaging spectrometer experiment (DAISEX) campaigns J Geophys Res 108 IssueIDD18 4571–4587 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2002JD003331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JM Pinazo J Cañada JV Voscá (1995) ArticleTitleA new method to determine Ångström’s turbidity coefficient: its application for Valencia Sol Energy 54 219–226 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0038-092X(94)00117-V

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JS Reid TF Eck SA Christopher PV Hobbs BN Holben (1999) ArticleTitleUse of the Ångström exponent to estimate the variability of optical and physical properties of aging smoke particles in Brazil J Geophys Res 104 IssueIDD22 27473–27489 Occurrence Handle10.1029/1999JD900833

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • PB Russell JM Livingston EG Dutton RF Pueschel JA Reagan TE DeFoor MA Box D Allen P Pilewskie BM Herman SA Kinne DJ Hofmann (1993) ArticleTitlePinatubo and pre-Pinatubo optical depth spectra: Mauna Loa measurements, comparisons inferred particle size distributions, radiative effects, and relationships to lidar data J Geophys Res 98 22969–22985 Occurrence Handle10.1029/93JD02308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • B Schmid C Mätzler A Heimo N Kämpfer (1997) ArticleTitleRetrieval of optical depth and particle size distribution of troposhperic and stratospheric aerosols by means of sun photometry IEEE Trans Geosci Remote Sens 35 172–182 Occurrence Handle10.1109/36.551945

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GL Schuster O Dubovik BN Holben (2006) ArticleTitleÅngström exponent and bimodal aerosol size distributions J Geophys Res 111 D07207 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2005JD006328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KS Shifrin (1995) ArticleTitleSimple relationships for the Ångström parameter of disperse systems Appl Opt 34 4480–4485

    Google Scholar 

  • T Suresh E Desa (2005) ArticleTitleSeasonal variations of aerosol over Dona Paula, a coastal site on the west coast of India Atmos Envir 39 3471–3480 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.01.063

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Utrillas MP (1995) Estudio de aerosoles a partir de medidals de irradiancia solar spectral (in Spanish), Ph.D. thesis, Valencia University, Spain

  • F Volz (1959) ArticleTitlePhotometer mit Selen-Photoelement zur spektralen Messung der Sonnenstrahlung und zur Bestimmung der Wellenlängenabhängigkeit der Dunsttrübung Arch Meteorol Geophys Bioklimatol 10 100–131 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF02243122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • AS Zakey MM Abdelwahab PA Makar (2004) ArticleTitleAtmospheric turbidity over Egypt Atmos Envir 38 1579–1591 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.atmosenv.2003.12.017

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, Lofos Nymphon, Athens, Greece

    D. G. Kaskaoutis & H. D. Kambezidis

  2. Laboratory of Meteorology, Department of Physics, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

    D. G. Kaskaoutis

Authors
  1. D. G. Kaskaoutis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. D. Kambezidis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Correspondence: Dimitris G. Kaskaoutis, Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, Lofos Nymphon, P.O. Box 20048, 11810 Athens, Greece

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kaskaoutis, D., Kambezidis, H. Comparison of the Ångström parameters retrieval in different spectral ranges with the use of different techniques. Meteorol Atmos Phys 99, 233–246 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-007-0279-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-007-0279-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation