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Characterization of aerosol optical depth, aerosol mass concentration, UV irradiance and black carbon aerosols over Indo-Gangetic plains, India, during fog period

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Abstract

Every year during winter months (December–January) fog formation over Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) of Indian region is believed to create numerous hazards. The present study addresses variations in aerosol optical properties, aerosol mass concentration and their impact on solar irradiance for pre-during-post fog conditions of December 2004 over IGP, India. Continuous measurements on aerosol optical depth (AOD), total aerosol mass concentration, black carbon (BC) aerosols, UVery and UVA were carried out for pre, during and post fog periods over study site of Allahabad, India, during December 2004 as a part of Aerosol Land Campaign-II conducted by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). High aerosol mass concentrations were observed during fog and post-fog periods. Accumulation mode particle loading was found to be high during pre-fog period and coarse mode particle loading was observed to be high during fog and post-fog periods. Considerable reduction in UVery and UVA irradiance was observed during fog period compared with pre and post-fog periods. Analysis of NOAA-HYSPLIT model runs suggested that enhanced biomass burning episodes down-wind to the study area increased the concentration of AOD and BC.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Director, NRSC and Dy. Director (RS&GIS-AA), NRSC for their help and encouragement and to ISRO-GBP for funding support. The authors gratefully acknowledge the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) for the provision of the HYSPLIT transport and dispersion model and/or READY website (http://www.arl.noaa.gov/ready.html) used in this publication. The NCEP re-analysis scientific team is also gratefully acknowledged for providing the meteorological fields.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Atmospheric Science Section, National Remote Sensing Centre, Department of Space-Government of India, Balanagar, Hyderabad, 500 625, India

    K. V. S. Badarinath, Shailesh Kumar Kharol & T. R. Kiran Chand

  2. CARTEL, Département de Géomatique Appliquée, Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

    K. Madhavi Latha

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  1. K. V. S. Badarinath
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  2. Shailesh Kumar Kharol
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  3. T. R. Kiran Chand
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  4. K. Madhavi Latha
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Correspondence to K. V. S. Badarinath.

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Badarinath, K.V.S., Kharol, S.K., Kiran Chand, T.R. et al. Characterization of aerosol optical depth, aerosol mass concentration, UV irradiance and black carbon aerosols over Indo-Gangetic plains, India, during fog period. Meteorol Atmos Phys 111, 65–73 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00703-010-0117-5

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