Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Measurement of Aerosols Optical Thickness of the Atmosphere using the GLOBE Handheld Sun Photometer
Published on: May 29, 2019
Radiative properties of the background aerosol: absorption component of extinction
Abstract:
The light-scattering and light-absorption coefficients of the global background aerosol define its single-scatter albedo. Continuous, simultaneous measurements of these optical coefficients were made on a daily basis for the remote marine mid-troposphere; such measurements are essential for assessment of the effects of aerosol on atmospheric radiative transfer. Measurements of light-absorption coefficients made at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii were higher than expected, and the single-scatter albedo was lower than the value often used in radiative transfer models. Soot appears to be the most likely primary absorber, and hemispheric dispersal of this combustion-derived material is suggested.
Related Concept Videos
Radiation: Applications
The average...
Absorption of Radiation
Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) Infrared Spectroscopy: Overview
The ATR process begins by directing a beam...
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Interference
Spectral interference occurs when signals from other elements or molecules overlap with the analyte signal, falsely elevating or masking the analyte's absorbance. This interference can be corrected using Zeeman,...
Interaction of EM Radiation with Matter: Spectroscopy
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Overview

