Publication Abstracts

Zerefos et al. 2009

Zerefos, C.S., K. Eleftheratos, C. Meleti, S. Kazadzis, A. Romanou, C. Ichoku, G. Tselioudis, and A. Bais, 2009: Solar dimming and brightening over Thessaloniki, Greece, and Beijing, China. Tellus B, 61B, 657-665, doi:10.1111/j.1600-0889.2009.00425.x.

This work presents evidence that Ultra-Violet (UV-A) solar irradiances show increasing trends at Thessaloniki, Greece where air quality has been improving because of air pollution abatement strategies. In contrast, over Beijing, China, where air quality measures were taken later, solar brightening was delayed. It is shown that until the early 1990's UV-A irradiances over Thessaloniki show a downward trend of -0.5% per year, which reverses sign and becomes positive in the last decade (+0.8% per year). This brightening is related to a decreasing trend in local aerosol amounts. Both the negative rate of change (dimming) and the positive rate of change (brightening) are amplified in the UV-A solar irradiances, in comparison to the total solar irradiance, by a factor of 2.6. Satellite derived shortwave radiation over Beijing showed negative changes of -0.4% (1984-1991) and -0.1% per year during 1994-2006. The negative trend in solar radiation continued even during 2000-2006. Satellite-derived aerosol optical depth increased by +1.0% per year during 2000-2006, in agreement with situ measurements of increasing aerosol optical depth. Therefore, a statistically significant change from dimming to brightening in Beijing could not be seen in the last decade, but it is expected to occur in the near future.

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BibTeX Citation

@article{ze04000r,
  author={Zerefos, C. S. and Eleftheratos, K. and Meleti, C. and Kazadzis, S. and Romanou, A. and Ichoku, C. and Tselioudis, G. and Bais, A.},
  title={Solar dimming and brightening over Thessaloniki, Greece, and Beijing, China},
  year={2009},
  journal={Tellus B},
  volume={61B},
  pages={657--665},
  doi={10.1111/j.1600-0889.2009.00425.x},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - ze04000r
AU  - Zerefos, C. S.
AU  - Eleftheratos, K.
AU  - Meleti, C.
AU  - Kazadzis, S.
AU  - Romanou, A.
AU  - Ichoku, C.
AU  - Tselioudis, G.
AU  - Bais, A.
PY  - 2009
TI  - Solar dimming and brightening over Thessaloniki, Greece, and Beijing, China
JA  - Tellus B
JO  - Tellus B
VL  - 61B
SP  - 657
EP  - 665
DO  - 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2009.00425.x
ER  -

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