Aerosol Characteristics Of The Marine Boundary Layer Of The North Atlantic And Mediterranean During May June 1977

During May and early June 1977, Calspan participated in a Transatlantic-Mediterranean research expedition (NRL Cruise 77-16-04) aboard the USNS HAYES to investigate atmospheric marine boundary layer phenomena. Calspan's objective was the acquisition of data describing the magnitudes and spatial variations of a variety of aerosol and meteorological parameters in the lowest 20 m. Continuous or hourly observations of visibility, scattering coefficient, total particle concentration, aerosol size spectra (0.01 to>3.0 micrometers diameter), relative humidity, air and sea surface temperatures, and winds were obtained throughout the cruise. At less regular intervals, measurements of cloud condensation nuclei and aqueous sea spray aerosols and collections of aerosols for chemical analyses were also obtained. These data were used to describe differences between the clean marine air of the mid-Atlantic and the modified-continental air of the Mediterranean observed during the cruise and data previously acquired in the Eastern Pacific. In addition, complete aerosol spectra (0.01 micrometers to>20.0 micrometers diameter) were utilized to compute extinction as functions index of refraction, wavelength and changes in relative humidity. (Author).