Aerosol Optical Properties at Four Sites in Thailand

Abstract

This paper presents column integrated aerosol optical properties including aerosol optical depth (AOD), Angstrom wavelength exponent (α), single scattering albedo (SSA), and size distribution from ground-based measurements at four sites in Thailand: Chiang Mai (18.。N, 98.。 E), Ubon Ratchathani (15.25。N, 104.87。 E), Nakhon Pathom (13.82。N, 100.04。E), and Songkhla (7.2。N, 100.60。E). Results show a marked seasonal trend in AOD at 500 nm for the first three stations, with the monthly average maxima of 0.92, 0.78 and 0.61 for Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani and Nakhon Pathom, respectively. These maxima occur in the dry season (November-April). Minimum values for these stations were recorded during the wet season (May-October). A similar pattern is exhibited in the α for the three stations, with maxima in the dry season and minima in the wet season. The lowest SSA values occur at Chiang Mai, which means this station has the highest absorption, with the highest SSA values occurring at Songkhla which corresponds to the lowest absorption. The southern station at Songkhla differs from the other three as it has less local pollution sources and is subjected to the influence of the tropical maritime environment. AOD at Songkhla maintains a low and more constant value year round with the maximum monthly average AOD of 0.27 and the minimum of 0.16. Diurnal changes in AOD at the four stations are discussed and related to various external variables.