Presentation Abstract

Student's Name: Flavia Taveri '28

Co-registrant Names:

Type of Presentation: Research Presentation

Presentation Title: "Study of Aerosol radiation and long range transport of air pollution over Tudor Hill, Bermuda"

Abstract:

We studied aerosol optical properties at Tudor Hill, Bermuda, to understand how aerosol radiative effects change monthly and seasonally. The site is mainly affected by marine aerosols from the surrounding Atlantic Ocean; seasonal transport of Saharan dust, and smaller contributions from pollution carried from North America are highly expected. These particles alter how sunlight passes through the atmosphere by scattering and absorbing radiation. The sun photometer measures the solar radiation, and NASA-based AERONET provides the algorithm and availability for analysis. Their overall effect is measured using Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at 500 nm, which represents the total amount of aerosol present in the entire atmospheric column. We have used aerosol radiation data from 2015 to 2019. The AOD at 500 nm shows a clear seasonal variation during the winter months (November through February); AOD values are lower, ranging from 0.070 to 0.082, indicating relatively clean marine conditions. In contrast, higher AOD values are observed from March through October. The AOD at 440 nm reaches its maximum in September (0.141 ± 0.087) and May (0.135 ± 0.082), indicating a stronger influence from non-marine air masses, such as transported dust and other continental aerosols.

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