Author(s)

Mukhtar Balarabe^1,2*, Khiruddin Abdullah¹, Mohd Nawawi¹

¹School of Physics, University Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
²Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina, Nigeria.

The uncertainty in the quantification of aerosol properties such as concentration, size, and composition, spatially and temporally makes regional studies important. Therefore, this study presents seasonal variations of aerosol optical properties over Ilorin (8°32'N, 4°34'E), Nigeria. Long-term (1998-2013) records of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and angstrom exponent α, from ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) are used to study the seasonal variability, characteristics and types of aerosol. The study showed that seasonal variations (Harmattan and Summer) result in different aerosol concentration, characteristics, and types. The magnitude and sensitivity of AOD to wavelength are found low in Summer with significant increase during Saharan dust transport season (Harmattan). The average mean AODs are 0.73 ± 0.50, 0.97 ± 0.52 and 0.46 ± 0.29 with corresponding mean angstrom of 0.66 ± 0.36, 0.68 ± 0.34, and 0.64 ± 0.37 for the entire period, Harmattan and Summer seasons. High frequency of occurrence of angstrom exponent below 1 (78% and 81%) which were observed during Harmattan and Summer indicates that the particles are generally coarse in mode. The results revealed that for both Harmattan and Summer seasons, the dominant aerosol was dust (DA) with frequency of occurrence of 82% and 79%. However, mixed aerosol (MIXA) (14.4%) is the second dominant case during Harmattan while in Summer maritime aerosol (MA) (9.1%) associated with transport due to southwesterly trade wind is the second dominant aerosol. This conclusion is supported by size distribution data for the study site which showed that large volume of aerosol particle size are enclosed in largely coarse mode range in all seasons. A 7-day back trajectory seasonal frequency plot sourced from the Hysplit Single Particles Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model (Hysplit_4 model) shows that dust are transported from the Sahara during north-easterly trade wind flow while the observed marine aerosols are conveyed by the southwesterly trade wind influences to the study site.

Aerosol, Angstrom Exponent, Harmattan, Optical Depth, Summer

Balarabe, M. , Abdullah, K. and Nawawi, M. (2016) Seasonal Variations of Aerosol Optical Properties and Identification of Different Aerosol Types Based on AERONET Data over Sub-Sahara West-Africa. Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, 6, 13-28. doi: 10.4236/acs.2016.61002.