Retrieval of aerosol optical depth over the Arctic

Retrieval of aerosol optical depth over the Arctic cryosphere during spring and summer using satellite observations

Over the past 20 to 30 years, the climate in the Arctic has warmed significantly faster than in mid-latitudes—a phenomenon known as “Arctic amplification.” Aerosols influence the radiation balance in the Arctic both directly and indirectly, but measuring them is difficult and there is little data available.

In this study, the so-called aerosol optical depth (AOD) was investigated using satellite data for the years 2003 to 2011. AOD is a good indicator of the amount of aerosols in the region under investigation. A special evaluation method called AEROSNOW was developed for this purpose, which evaluates the AOD.

The results show that
higher AOD values occur in spring (March to May), while lower values occur in summer (June to August).
The satellite data correspond well with ground measurements, for example at the PEARL, OPAL, Hornsund, and Thule stations in the high Arctic.
On average, the AOD values are below 0.15, and the agreement with reference measurements is very good.

Overall, AEROSNOW provides comprehensive information on aerosol pollution in the Arctic for the first time for the years 2003 to 2011, thus opening up new insights into this sensitive region.

Swain, B., Vountas, M., Deroubaix, A., Lelli, L., Ziegler, Y., Jafariserajehlou, S., Gunthe, S. S., Herber, A., Ritter, C., Bösch, H., and Burrows, J. P.: Retrieval of aerosol optical depth over the Arctic cryosphere during spring and summer using satellite observations, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 359–375, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-359-2024, 2024.