Aerosol mass distribution found in the marine boundary layer over the tropical Atlantic Ocean

This study presents measurements and comparative analysis of aerosol mass distributions in the marine boundary layer (MBL) during two AEROSE campaigns performed in 2010 and 2013 respectively. The AERosol and Ocean Scientific Expeditions (AEROSE) study the air masses originating from West Africa that often contain dust and smoke, and how aerosols in these air masses affect the climate, health, and environment in the Western Hemisphere.

The AEROSE 2010 campaign was characterized by low frequency of dust events as well as very low dust-loading in contrast with 2013 campaign. These in-situ observations are compared with the predicted values from several dust models: Navy Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS) and DREAM.