Morphology of Atmospheric Particles over Semi-Arid Region (Jaipur, Rajasthan) of India: Implications for Optical Properties

A study on atmospheric particles over Jaipur, Rajasthan, reveals that mineral dust aerosols with high hematite content (~5.68%) can significantly alter their optical properties, leading to both underestimation (by ~5.6%) and overestimation (up to 9.1%) of Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) at 550 nm wavelength when modeled as equivalent spheres. The research, conducted during late winter 2012, identified a predominance of 'Layered', 'Angular', and 'Flattened' particles with aspect ratios (AR) around 1.4 and circularity parameters (CIR) near 0.8, indicating high non-sphericity. The findings underscore the importance of regionally representative dust morphological data for accurate estimation of mineral dust's radiative forcing, particularly in semi-arid regions like Jaipur, adjacent to the Thar Desert.

Mishra, S. K., Agnihotri, R., Yadav, P. K., Singh, S., Prasad, M. V. S. N., Praveen, P. S., Tawale, J. S., Rashmi, R., Mishra, N. D., Arya, B. C., & Sharma, C. (2015). Morphology of Atmospheric Particles over Semi-Arid Region (Jaipur, Rajasthan) of India: Implications for Optical Properties. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 15(3), 974–984. https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2014.10.0244