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Overview

Simulations of aerosol distributions will be conducted, where the distributions specified from emissions at the surface through the atmosphere are transported by the analyzed meteorology of MERRA using the coupled GEOS-5 - GOCART model. Time-varying emissions from anthropogenic, biomass burning, biogenic, volcanic, dust, and ocean sources and oxidant fields representing the emission changes during this period will be used.

The first experiment will be for the period 2003-to-2008, which covers several field campaigns and includes data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on both TERRA and AQUA satellites. The simulation will be conducted at 1/2-degree latitude-longitude grid resolution. The integration will be evaluated against field campaigns and satellite data available from NASA's Earth Observing Satellites. The evaluation will be in terms of

1. the large-scale features of the aerosol distributions compared with satellite retrievals and
2. the vertical profiles of aerosol extinction and aerosol optical depth (AOD) available from field campaigns,
3. in-situ time series of AOD and other properties at AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) sites and along field campaign flight tracks.

Progress and Results

  May 2010

  September 2010 Final Report

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