Aerosol extinction models based on measurements at two sites in Sweden

Two aerosol extinction models have been developed using statistical analysis of long-term optical transmission measurements in Sweden performed at two locations from July 1977 to June 1982. The aerosol volume extinction coefficient for infrared (IR) radiation is calculated by the models with visibility, temperature, and air pressure as input parameters. As in the MODTRAN model, the IR extinction coefficient is proportional to the coefficient at 550 nm, which depends on the visibility. In the new models, the wavelength dependence of the extinction also depends on the visibility. The models predict significantly higher attenuation in the IR than does the Rural aerosol model from MODTRAN, which is commonly used. Comparison with the Maritime model shows that the new models predict lower extinction values in the 3-5 microm region and higher values in the 8-12 microm region. The uncertainties in terms of variance levels are calculated by the models. The properties of aerosols, and thereby the extinction coefficient, are partly correlated to local meteorological parameters, which enables the calculation of a mean predicted value. A substantial part of the variation is, however, caused by conditions in the source area and along the trajectory path of the aerosols. They are not correlated to the local meteorological parameters and therefore cause the variance in the models.