Vertical profiles of the scattering coefficient of dry atmospheric particles over Europe normalized to air at standard temperature and pressure

Simultaneous vertical profiles of the scattering coefficient of the air at one wavelength between 0.475 and 0.75 mu m, temperature, pressure, and relative humidity have been measured from 1973 to 1978, mostly in Central and Western Europe. From these results, vertical profiles of the normalized (to air at standard temperature and pressure) scattering coefficients of dry particles were derived. These standardized scattering coefficients are independent of the thermodynamic state of the atmosphere and thus strictly comparable. Mean vertical profiles of the normalized scattering coefficients of dry particles from 400 up to 5000 m above mean sea level are obtained as results. These profiles are different in continental and maritime air as well as during the summer and the winter half-years. The results allow the formulation of simple profile models for The light scattering by mid-latitude particles in the lower troposphere over Central and Western Europe. These models are in accordance with our knowledge about the atmospheric boundary layer phenomena and indicate that in the mean the major particle sources should be at or near the ground. Integrals over the mean profiles agree with results from sun photometry. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.