Huang Zhongwei

Micro-Pulse Lidar Measurements of Aerosol Vertical Structure over the Loess Plateau

Abstract Knowledge of the vertical distribution of aerosols in the free troposphere is important for estimating their impact on climate. In this study, direct observations of the vertical distribution of aerosols in the free tropo-sphere are made using surface Micro-Pulse Lidar (MPL) measurements. The MPL measurements were made at the Loess Plateau (35.95°N, 104.1°E), which is near the major dust source regions of the Taklimakan and Gobi deserts. The vertical distribution of the MPL backscattering suggested that non-dust aerosols floated from ground level to an altitude of approximately 9 km around the source regions. Early morning hours are characterized by a shallow aerosol layer of a few hundred meters thick. As the day progresses, strong convective eddies transport the aerosols vertically to more than 1500 m.