Preliminary analysis of aerosols optical properties at the coastal site lamezia terme, in central mediterranean area, integrating different data set

Atmospheric aerosol particles are playing a major role in the global warming and climate change IPCC (2013). In fact, they affect the Earth's radiative balance directly by absorbing and scattering solar radiation and indirectly by acting as cloud condensation. In order to characterize the aerosol optical properties in the Mediterranean Basin, through observations carried out on the west coast of South Italy (Calabria Region, Italy), one year of light-scattering and absorption coefficient measurements are investigated. In this paper we present the first year of observations performed at the new CNR regional GAW-WMO station of Lamezia Terme (38.88 N, 16.24 W, 6 m a.s.l.). The annual variation and diurnal evolution of: Total scattering coefficient (Sc), back scatter coefficient (BSc), Angström exponent (A), backscatter ratio (b), absorption coefficient-equivalent black carbon concentration (BC) and single scattering albedo (SSA) are presented. The average values over the period analyzed are respectively: Sc=37±16 Mm-1 (? =550nm), BSc=5±2 Mm-1 (? =550nm), A=1.5±0.2 (700nm/550nm) b=0.15±0.04 (? =550nm) and SSA=0.93±0.06 (? =637nm). The influence of meteorological parameters on the aerosol scattering properties are also analyzed. Decreases in SSA are observed with the occurrence of easterly wind, the sector characterized by local pollutant sources and during hours of the increased traffic density. In this study significant correlation coefficients are found between different aerosol optical properties.