Atmospheric Aerosol Concentrations and Solar Radiation Attenuation in Urban Environments in Germany
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/jps.4057Keywords:
Atmospheric Aerosol Concentrations, Solar Radiation Attenuation, Urban EnvironmentsAbstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the atmospheric aerosol concentrations and solar radiation attenuation in urban environments in Germany.
Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low-cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.
Findings: The findings revealed that atmospheric aerosols reduce solar radiation in German urban environments through scattering and absorption, with an average radiative effect of −12.8 ± 5 W/m². Aerosol characteristics and meteorological conditions influence attenuation, highlighting the need for further comparative research across German cities.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Mie scattering theory, the beer–lambert law, radiative transfer theory may be used to anchor future studies on the atmospheric aerosol concentrations and solar radiation attenuation in urban environments in Germany. The study recommends that environmental monitoring agencies, urban planners, solar energy developers, and meteorological institutions in Germany strengthen the monitoring and assessment of atmospheric aerosol concentrations to improve the prediction and management of solar radiation attenuation. The study recommends that the German government strengthen the integration of atmospheric aerosol monitoring, air quality regulation, and renewable energy planning within national and municipal environmental policies.
Downloads
References
Augustine, J. A., & Hodges, G. B. (2021). Variability of surface radiation budget components over the U.S. from 1996 to 2019—Has brightening ceased? Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 126(7), e2020JD033590. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033590
Baars, H.,. (2021). Californian wildfire smoke over Europe: A first example of the aerosol observing capabilities of Aeolus compared to ground-based lidar. Geophysical Research Letters, 48, e2020GL092194. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL092194
Chaibou, A. A. S., Ma, X., & Sha, T. (2020). Dust radiative forcing and its impact on surface energy budget over West Africa. Scientific Reports, 10, Article 12236. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69223-4
Denjean, C., Bourrianne, T., Burnet, F., Mallet, M., Maury, N., Colomb, A., Dominutti, P., Brito, J., Dupuy, R., Sellegri, K., Schwarzenboeck, A., Flamant, C., & Knippertz, P. (2020). Overview of aerosol optical properties over southern West Africa from DACCIWA aircraft measurements. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 20, 4735–4756. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-4735-2020
Ma, Q., Wang, K., He, Y., Su, L., Wu, Q., Liu, H., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Homogenized century-long surface incident solar radiation over Japan. Earth System Science Data, 14, 463–477. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-463-2022
Senf, F., . (2021). Absorbing aerosol decreases cloud cover in cloud-resolving simulations over Germany. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4169
Senf, F., Quaas, J., & Tegen, I. (2021). Absorbing aerosol decreases cloud cover in cloud-resolving simulations over Germany. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 147(741), 4083–4100. https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4169
Shi, H., . (2021). Surface brightening in eastern and central China since the implementation of the Clean Air Action in 2013: Causes and implications. Geophysical Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL091105
Wild, M., Wacker, S., Yang, S., & Sanchez-Lorenzo, A. (2021). Evidence for clear-sky dimming and brightening in Central Europe. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(6), e2020GL092216. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL092216
Witthuhn, J., Hünerbein, A., Filipitsch, F., Wacker, S., Meilinger, S., & Deneke, H. (2021). Aerosol properties and aerosol–radiation interactions in clear-sky conditions over Germany. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 21, 14591–14630. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14591-2021
Witthuhn, J., Hünerbein, A., Filipitsch, F., Wacker, S., Meilinger, S., & Deneke, H. (2021). Aerosol properties and aerosol–radiation interactions in clear-sky conditions over Germany. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 21, 14591–14630. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-14591-2021
Yang, S., . (2019). Causes of dimming and brightening in China inferred from homogenized daily clear-sky and all-sky in situ surface solar radiation records (1958–2016). Journal of Climate, 32(18), 5901–5913. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-18-0666.1
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Simone Abels
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
