Abstract
Abstract: Both recent models and historical events such as the Dust Bowl and volcanic eruptions have
illustrated aerosols can play a significant role in climate change through direct and indirect optical
effects. Soil dust aerosols generated by Aeolian processes represent a significant fraction of the total
mass burden of atmospheric particles. Central to a better understanding of the climate effects of dust
aerosols is knowledge of their optical properties. This research study utilized a dust generator and
several instruments to determine certain optical properties of Aeolian dust mimics created by the
Amarillo and Pullman soil types native to the panhandle of Texas, USA. Values for the mass-extinction
coefficient ranged between 1.74 m²/g and 2.97 m²/g at 522 nm depending on how mass concentration
was determined. Single-scatter albedo (SSA) for both soil types ranged from 0.947 - 0.980 at visible
wavelengths with SSA increasing at longer wavelengths. Angstrom absorption exponents wer
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 235-242 |
Journal | Aeolian Research |
State | Published - Nov 2011 |