GACP Projects
Global Distribution of Tropospheric Aerosol: A 3-D Model Analysis of Satellite Data
Mian Chin, PI
Jay Herman, Co-I
Christina Hsu, Co-I
Abstract: We propose a 3-year research project to investigate the composition and distribution of tropospheric aerosols. A global 3-dimensional model will be used to simulate four major types of tropospheric aerosols: sulfate, dust, sea salt, and carbonaceous aerosols. Our objectives are (1) to interpret satellite aerosol measurements in terms of aerosol sources and concentrations, (2) to define global distributions of the four major aerosol types, and (3) to determine the effects of human activities on tropospheric aerosol loading. The assimilated meteorological fields, generated from the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System Data Assimilation System (GEOS DAS), are used to drive a chemistry and transport model(GEOS CTM). Because it is a global scale model and uses assimilated meteorological data, the GEOS CTM should be the best tool to extract aerosol information from the combination of satellite data and field measurements. In general, we will proceed through incorporating individual aerosol sources into the model, calculating concentrations and optical thickness of the four major aerosols, and analyzing satellite and field observations.
