Optical properties and radiative effects of tropospheric aerosols and ozone in the central mediterranean

The research carried out during the PhD program has had the aim to characterize the radiative field in the Southern sector of the Central Mediterranean, particularly in the ultraviolet (280- 400 nm) and visible (400-700 nm) spectral intervals, to identify the role played by ozone and tropospheric aerosols. This study is based on measurements performed by ground-based, airborne and space-borne instruments, and on their interpretation by means of an accurate radiative transfer model; this approach has the advantage of a more detailed description of atmospheric properties than what could be obtained by a single technique among those cited above. Aerosols have the potential to change the radiative balance, producing either a warming or a cooling, under clear sky conditions, thus representing a not negligible climate factor. Among all the different types of atmospheric aerosols, desert dust is of primary importance, since it has a large impact on solar radiation through scattering and absorption processes. The optical properties of the different aerosol types reaching the measuring site of the island of Lampedusa, in the Central Mediterranean, have been derived and the radiative impact of the aerosols have been studied.