Aerosol load and dust event mapping based on chemical transport modeling

Abstract

Aerosol extinction reduces direct normal irradiance significantly. Currently, aerosol climatologies with a coarse temporal and spatial resolution are used in solar surface irradiance schemes based on satellite imagery. The paper assesses numerical modeling of aerosols as used in the aerosol science community and demonstrates the influence of different aerosol data sets on direct normal irradiances. It compares a daily numerical modeling versus state of the art use of aerosol monthly mean climatologies. Additionally, modeled aerosol optical depth is validated against ground measurements and the potential of improved direct normal irradiance modeling is shown. Finally, a long-term evaluation of the occurrence of days with significant mineral dust in various regions of the world is shown as mineral dust is the dominating aerosol component in the solar belt.