SAGO1 (San Gorgonio Wilderness, CA, 34.1924, Long. -116.9013, Alt.1705) Print-Friendly Version Print-Friendly Version (B&W)
6 years aerosol data are available in San Gorgonio Wilderness during the sampling period of 1997 - 2002. As shown in Figure 1, the overall average total light extinction coefficient (Bext) is 49.8 Mm-1 (Visual Range ~ 78 Km; Deciview ~ 16.1). The average PM2.5 mass concentration is 7.2 mg/m3. The average contributions of the major aerosol components to San Gorgonio Wilderness haze are particulate sulfate 16.3%, nitrate 33.2%, organic matter (OMC) 14.7%, elemental carbon (light absorbing carbon, LAC) 6.8%, fine soil 1.6% and coarse mass (CM) 7.3%.
Figure 1 Average contributions of major aerosol chemical components to light extinction (Based on data available in 1997-2002) (B&W)
Figure 2 Average contributions of major aerosol chemical components to light extinction in 20% best, middle 60% and 20% worst days (Based on data available in 1997-2002) (Data Table) (B&W)
As Figure 2 indicates, the average aerosol light extinction coefficient (Bext – Rayleigh Scattering (10 Mm-1)) during the 20% worst days is 75.7 Mm-1, which is about 7.2 times of the value of 10.5 Mm-1 during the 20% best days and 2.0 times of the value of 37.2 Mm-1 during the middle 60% days. Nitrate is the largest contributor to aerosol light extinction, with a contribution of 50% in the 20% worst days.
Figure 3 suggests that the highest occurrence of the 20% worst days happened in May during which about 50% of the sampling days are the 20% haziest days at San Gorgonio Wilderness. As shown in Figure 4, nitrate is the largest aerosol contributor to haze, with a contribution of 32 - 63% in the 20% worst days.
Figure 3 Percentage of sampling days that are 20% worst days in each month (Based on data available in 1997-2002) (Data Table) (B&W)
Figure 4 Average contributions of major aerosol chemical components to light extinction during 20% worst days in each month (Based on data available in 1997-2002) (Data Table) (B&W)
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