Vol. 13, issue 08, article # 2

Abstract:

Analysis is being continued in this paper of the time variation of the atmospheric transmission characteristics and their interconnection with the meteorological quantities within the near-water layer over the ocean. Statistical characteristics of the most pronounced diurnal variations of the aerosol optical depth and moisture content in the oceanic regions, identified earlier (see Part 1. Spatial inhomogeneities of the transmission), are determined. A weaker component of the diurnal behavior of the atmospheric aerosol optical depth is revealed that has maximum in the forenoon hours. The influence of wind manifests itself in the non-monotonic increase in the aerosol turbidity (coarse aerosol fraction) with the increasing wind speed. Using data collected in the equatorial zone, as an example, the interconnection with relative humidity was examined and empiric dependence proposed allowing one to calculate the component of atmospheric optical thickness due to extinction by small-size aerosol. Estimates of the contributions coming from different factors in variations of the atmospheric transmission characteristics are presented..