TY - JOUR A1 - Nakoudi, Konstantina A1 - Stachlewska, Iwona S. A1 - Ritter, Christoph T1 - An extended lidar-based cirrus cloud retrieval scheme BT - first application over an Arctic site JF - Optics express : the international electronic journal of optics / Optica N2 - Accurate and precise characterization of cirrus cloud geometrical and optical properties is essential for better constraining their radiative footprint. A lidar-based retrieval scheme is proposed here, with its performance assessed on fine spatio-temporal observations over the Arctic site of Ny-Alesund, Svalbard. Two contributions related to cirrus geometrical (dynamic Wavelet Covariance Transform (WCT)) and optical properties (constrained Klett) are reported. The dynamic WCT rendered cirrus detection more robust, especially for thin cirrus layers that frequently remained undetected by the classical WCT method. Regarding optical characterization, we developed an iterative scheme for determining the cirrus lidar ratio (LRci) that is a crucial parameter for aerosol - cloud discrimination. Building upon the Klett-Fernald method, the LRci was constrained by an additional reference value. In established methods, such as the double-ended Klett, an aerosol-free reference value is applied. In the proposed constrained Klett, however, the reference value was approximated from cloud-free or low cloud optical depth (COD up to 0.2) profiles and proved to agree with independent Raman estimates. For optically thin cirrus, the constrained Klett inherent uncertainties reached 50% (60-74%) in terms of COD (LRci). However, for opaque cirrus COD (LRci) uncertainties were lower than 10% (15%). The detection method discrepancies (dynamic versus static WCT) had a higher impact on the optical properties of low COD layers (up to 90%) compared to optically thicker ones (less than 10%). The constrained Klett presented high agreement with two established retrievals. For an exemplary cirrus cloud, the constrained Klett estimated the COD355 (LRci355) at 0.28 +/- 0.17 (29 +/- 4 sr), the double-ended Klett at 0.27 +/- 0.15 (32 +/- 4 sr) and the Raman retrievals at 0.22 +/- 0.12 (26 +/- 11 sr). Our approach to determine the necessary reference value can also be applied in established methods and increase their accuracy. In contrast, the classical aerosol-free assumption led to 44 sr LRci overestimation in optically thin layers and 2-8 sr in thicker ones. The multiple scattering effect was corrected using Eloranta (1998) and accounted for 50-60% extinction underestimation near the cloud base and 20-30% within the cirrus layers. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.414770 SN - 1094-4087 VL - 29 IS - 6 SP - 8553 EP - 8580 PB - Optical Society of America CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nakoudi, Konstantina A1 - Ritter, Christoph A1 - Stachlewska, Iwona Sylwia T1 - Properties of cirrus clouds over the European Arctic (Ny-Alesund, Svalbard) JF - Remote sensing / Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI) N2 - Cirrus is the only cloud type capable of inducing daytime cooling or heating at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and the sign of its radiative effect highly depends on its optical depth. However, the investigation of its geometrical and optical properties over the Arctic is limited. In this work the long-term properties of cirrus clouds are explored for the first time over an Arctic site (Ny-Alesund, Svalbard) using lidar and radiosonde measurements from 2011 to 2020. The optical properties were quality assured, taking into account the effects of specular reflections and multiple-scattering. Cirrus clouds were generally associated with colder and calmer wind conditions compared to the 2011-2020 climatology. However, the dependence of cirrus properties on temperature and wind speed was not strong. Even though the seasonal cycle was not pronounced, the winter-time cirrus appeared under lower temperatures and stronger wind conditions. Moreover, in winter, geometrically- and optically-thicker cirrus were found and their ice particles tended to be more spherical. The majority of cirrus was associated with westerly flow and westerly cirrus tended to be geometrically-thicker. Overall, optically-thinner layers tended to comprise smaller and less spherical ice crystals, most likely due to reduced water vapor deposition on the particle surface. Compared to lower latitudes, the cirrus layers over Ny-Alesund were more absorbing in the visible spectral region and they consisted of more spherical ice particles. KW - Arctic clouds KW - cirrus clouds KW - ice clouds KW - lidar Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13224555 SN - 2072-4292 VL - 13 IS - 22 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dube, Jonas A1 - Böckmann, Christine A1 - Ritter, Christoph T1 - Lidar-Derived Aerosol Properties from Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard during the MOSAiC Spring 2020 JF - Remote sensing / Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI) N2 - In this work, we present Raman lidar data (from a Nd:YAG operating at 355 nm, 532 nm and 1064 nm) from the international research village Ny-Alesund for the time period of January to April 2020 during the Arctic haze season of the MOSAiC winter. We present values of the aerosol backscatter, the lidar ratio and the backscatter Angstrom exponent, though the latter depends on wavelength. The aerosol polarization was generally below 2%, indicating mostly spherical particles. We observed that events with high backscatter and high lidar ratio did not coincide. In fact, the highest lidar ratios (LR > 75 sr at 532 nm) were already found by January and may have been caused by hygroscopic growth, rather than by advection of more continental aerosol. Further, we performed an inversion of the lidar data to retrieve a refractive index and a size distribution of the aerosol. Our results suggest that in the free troposphere (above approximate to 2500 m) the aerosol size distribution is quite constant in time, with dominance of small particles with a modal radius well below 100 nm. On the contrary, below approximate to 2000 m in altitude, we frequently found gradients in aerosol backscatter and even size distribution, sometimes in accordance with gradients of wind speed, humidity or elevated temperature inversions, as if the aerosol was strongly modified by vertical displacement in what we call the "mechanical boundary layer". Finally, we present an indication that additional meteorological soundings during MOSAiC campaign did not necessarily improve the fidelity of air backtrajectories. KW - aerosol KW - Arctic haze KW - lidar KW - microphysical properties KW - backtrajectories; KW - Ny-Alesund KW - Svalbard KW - MOSAiC KW - aerosol-boundary layer interactions Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14112578 SN - 2072-4292 VL - 14 IS - 11 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - GEN A1 - Böckmann, Christine A1 - Ritter, Christoph A1 - Cappelletti, David T1 - Mathematical tool for a closure study of aerosol microphysical property retrieval using lidar and photometer data T2 - IGARSS 2018 - 2018 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium N2 - We present a project combining lidar, photometer and particle counter data with a regularization software tool for a closure study of aerosol microphysical property retrieval. In a first step only lidar data are used to retrieve the particle size distribution (PSD). Secondly, photometer data are added, which results in a good consistency of the retrieved PSDs. Finally, those retrieved PSDs may be compared with the measured PSD from a particle counter. The data here were taken in Ny Alesund, Svalbard, as an example. KW - Aerosol KW - Raman lidar KW - photometer KW - inversion KW - regularization KW - particle microphysics Y1 - 2018 SN - 978-1-5386-7150-4 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1109/IGARSS.2018.8518674 SN - 2153-6996 SP - 5575 EP - 5578 PB - IEEE CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ritter, Christoph A1 - Ángeles Burgos, María A1 - Böckmann, Christine A1 - Mateos, David A1 - Lisok, Justyna A1 - Markowicz, Krzysztof M. A1 - Moroni, Beatrice A1 - Cappelletti, David A1 - Udisti, Roberto A1 - Maturilli, Marion A1 - Neuber, Roland T1 - Microphysical properties and radiative impact of an intense biomass burning aerosol event measured over Ny-angstrom lesund, Spitsbergen in July 2015 JF - Tellus - Series B, Chemical and Physical Meteorology N2 - In this work, an evaluation of an intense biomass burning event observed over Ny-angstrom lesund (Spitsbergen, European Arctic) in July 2015 is presented. Data from the multi-wavelengths Raman-lidar KARL, a sun photometer and radiosonde measurements are used to derive some microphysical properties of the biomass burning aerosol as size distribution, refractive index and single scattering albedo at different relative humidities. Predominantly particles in the accumulation mode have been found with a bi-modal distribution and dominance of the smaller mode. Above 80% relative humidity, hygroscopic growth in terms of an increase of particle diameter and a slight decrease of the index of refraction (real and imaginary part) has been found. Values of the single scattering albedo around 0.9 both at 355nm and 532nm indicate some absorption by the aerosol. Values of the lidar ratio are around 26sr for 355nm and around 50sr for 532nm, almost independent of the relative humidity. Further, data from the photometer and surface radiation values from the local baseline surface radiation network (BSRN) have been applied to derive the radiative impact of the biomass burning event purely from observational data by comparison with a clear background day. We found a strong cooling for the visible radiation and a slight warming in the infra-red. The net aerosol forcing, derived by comparison with a clear background day purely from observational data, obtained a value of -95 W/m(2) per unit AOD500. KW - aerosol KW - lidar KW - retrieval of aerosol properties KW - radiative forcing KW - Arctic aerosol Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/16000889.2018.1539618 SN - 1600-0889 VL - 70 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hoffmann, Anne A1 - Osterloh, Lukas A1 - Stone, Robert A1 - Lampert, Astrid A1 - Ritter, Christoph A1 - Stock, Maria A1 - Tunved, Peter A1 - Hennig, Tabea A1 - Böckmann, Christine A1 - Li, Shao-Meng A1 - Eleftheriadis, Kostas A1 - Maturilli, Marion A1 - Orgis, Thomas A1 - Herber, Andreas A1 - Neuber, Roland A1 - Dethloff, Klaus T1 - Remote sensing and in-situ measurements of tropospheric aerosol, a PAMARCMiP case study JF - Atmospheric environment : air pollution ; emissions, transport and dispersion, transformation, deposition effects, micrometeorology, urban atmosphere, global atmosphere N2 - In this work, a closure experiment for tropospheric aerosol is presented. Aerosol size distributions and single scattering albedo from remote sensing data are compared to those measured in-situ. An aerosol pollution event on 4 April 2009 was observed by ground based and airborne lidar and photometer in and around Ny-Alesund, Spitsbergen, as well as by DMPS, nephelometer and particle soot absorption photometer at the nearby Zeppelin Mountain Research Station. The presented measurements were conducted in an area of 40 x 20 km around Ny-Alesund as part of the 2009 Polar Airborne Measurements and Arctic Regional Climate Model Simulation Project (PAMARCMiP). Aerosol mainly in the accumulation mode was found in the lower troposphere, however, enhanced backscattering was observed up to the tropopause altitude. A comparison of meteorological data available at different locations reveals a stable multi-layer-structure of the lower troposphere. It is followed by the retrieval of optical and microphysical aerosol parameters. Extinction values have been derived using two different methods, and it was found that extinction (especially in the UV) derived from Raman lidar data significantly surpasses the extinction derived from photometer AOD profiles. Airborne lidar data shows volume depolarization values to be less than 2.5% between 500 m and 2.5 km altitude, hence, particles in this range can be assumed to be of spherical shape. In-situ particle number concentrations measured at the Zeppelin Mountain Research Station at 474 m altitude peak at about 0.18 mu m diameter, which was also found for the microphysical inversion calculations performed at 850 m and 1500 m altitude. Number concentrations depend on the assumed extinction values, and slightly decrease with altitude as well as the effective particle diameter. A low imaginary part in the derived refractive index suggests weakly absorbing aerosols, which is confirmed by low black carbon concentrations, measured at the Zeppelin Mountain as well as on board the Polar 5 aircraft. KW - Arctic KW - Aerosols KW - Lidar KW - Arctic haze Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.11.027 SN - 1352-2310 VL - 52 IS - 3 SP - 56 EP - 66 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER -