Detailed observation of the microphysics of aerosols and clouds using the new HARP-CubeSat satellite, the grasp algorithm and in-situ measurements in Amazonia

• Grant number: 16/18866-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: February 15, 2017
• End date: February 14, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Meteorology
• Principal Investigator: Henrique de Melo Jorge Barbosa
• Grantee: Henrique de Melo Jorge Barbosa
• Host Investigator: Jose Vanderlei Martins
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), United States
• Associated research grant: 13/05014-0 - GoAmazon: interactions of the urban plume of Manaus with biogenic forest emissions in Amazonia, AP.PFPMCG.TEM

Abstract

The largest impediments to estimating climate change revolve around a lack of quantitative information on direct and indirect aerosol forcing. One of the reasons is that satellite sensors that observe aerosols and clouds today measure a limited subset of the important physical parameters. The University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), the Space Dynamics Lab at the University of Utah and NASA developed the HyperAngular Rainbow Polarimeter (HARP), which will fly on a CubeSat satellite in 2017. The objective is to demonstrate the simultaneous measurement of 3 angles of polarization, at 4 different wavelengths, while observing the same target with 60 viewing angles at a spatial resolution of 2.5km. HARP will be the first highly accurate multi-angular polarimeters for characterization of aerosol and cloud properties. Data analysis will only be possible by using a state-of-art in inversion algorithm. In this research project, we plan to combine HARP data and our in-situ aerosol measurements in Amazonia using GRASP (Generalized Retrieval of Aerosol and Surface Properties). We shall obtain the size distribution, absorption, scattering and complex index of refraction of aerosols simultaneously, linking particles to their chemical composition and allowing a better estimative of their climatic effect. Investigation of clouds and aerosol-cloud interactions will be done via exchange of graduate students and researchers between USP and UMBC as a natural follow-up of this project.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PUTHUKKUDY, ANIN; MARTINS, J. VANDERLEI; REMER, LORRAINE A.; XU, XIAOGUANG; DUBOVIK, OLEG; LITVINOV, PAVEL; MCBRIDE, BRENT; BURTON, SHARON; BARBOSA, HENRIQUE M. J.. Retrieval of aerosol properties from Airborne Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter (AirHARP) observations during ACEPOL 2017. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, v. 13, n. 10, p. 30-pg., 2020-10-05. (16/18866-2)

PEREIRA, GUILHERME MARTINS; DA SILVA CAUMO, SOFIA ELLEN; GRANDIS, ADRIANA; MOTA DO NASCIMENTO, EMERSON QUEIROZ; CORREIA, ALEXANDRE LIMA; JORGE BARBOSA, HENRIQUE DE MELO; MARCONDES, MARTA ANGELA; BUCKERIDGE, MARCOS SILVEIRA; VASCONCELLOS, PEROLA DE CASTRO. Physical and chemical characterization of the 2019 ``black rain{''} event in the Metropolitan Area of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Atmospheric Environment, v. 248, MAR 1 2021. (14/50884-5, 10/15959-3, 19/01316-8, 19/13936-0, 16/23339-1, 16/18866-2, 18/16608-1, 08/57908-6)

MCBRIDE, BRENT A.; MARTINS, J. VANDERLEI; BARBOSA, HENRIQUE M. J.; BIRMINGHAM, WILLIAM; REMER, LORRAINE A.. Spatial distribution of cloud droplet size properties from Airborne Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter (AirHARP) measurements. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, v. 13, n. 4, p. 1777-1796, APR 8 2020. (16/18866-2)