BRID1 (Bridger Wilderness, WY, Lat. 29.1186, Long. -89.2065, Alt. 2) Print-Friendly Version Print-Friendly Version (B&W)
6 years aerosol data are available in Bridger Wilderness during the sampling period of 1997 - 2002. As shown in Figure 1, the overall average total light extinction coefficient (Bext) is 21.7 Mm-1 (Visual Range ~ 180 Km; Deciview ~ 7.7). The average PM2.5 mass concentration is 2.5 mg/m3. The average contributions of the major aerosol components to Bridger Wilderness haze are particulate sulfate 18.7%, nitrate 4.5%, organic matter (OMC) 16.9%, elemental carbon (light absorbing carbon, LAC) 4.8%, fine soil 2.1% and coarse mass (CM) 6.8%.
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 21.3 Mm-1, which is about 4.6 times of the value of 4.7 Mm-1 during the 20% best days and 2.0 times of the value of 10.3 Mm-1 during the middle 60% days. OMC and Sulfate are two of the largest contributors to aerosol light extinction during the 20% worst days, and the contribution of OMC and sulfate to aerosol light extinction are ~ 37.5% and 29.2% in worst days.
Figure 3 suggests that the highest occurrence of the 20% worst days happened in May and August, in which more than ~40% of the sampling days are the 20% haziest days at Bridger Wilderness. As shown in Figure 4, OMC is the largest aerosol contributor to haze from July to October, during which the contribution of OMC to haze is 26 - 37% in the worst days. OMC and Sulfate both contribute ~ 20% to haze in June. Sulfate is the largest aerosol contributor to haze for the rest of the year and contributes ~20 - 40% to the light extinction during the 20% worst days.
Figure 3 Percentage of sampling days that are 20% worst days in each month (Based on data available 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 1997-2002) (Data Table) (B&W)
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