Recent advances in aerosol optical depth measurements in polar regions: insights from the Polar-AOD Program
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: A multi-year analysis of aerosol optical depth (AOD, τ ) and Ångström exponent ( α ) was conducted using ground-based photometer data from 15 Arctic and 11 Antarctic sites. Extending the dataset of (Tomasi et al., 2015) through December 2024, the study incorporates stellar and lunar photometric observations to fill data gaps during the polar night. Daily mean values of τ at 0.500 µm and α (0.440–0.870 µm) were used to derive monthly means and seasonal histograms. In the Arctic, persistent haze events in winter and early spring lead to peak τ values. A decreasing trend in Arctic τ suggests the impact of European emission regulations, while biomass-burning aerosols are becoming more significant. In Antarctica, τ increases from the plateau to the coast. Fine-mode aerosols dominate in summer-autumn, while coarse-mode particles are more prevalent in winter-spring. Shipborne photometer data align well with ground-based measurements, confirming the reliability of mobile observations. Trend analyses using the Mann-Kendall test and Theil-Sen regression indicate a significant negative trend in τ at Andenes (−2.43 % per year), likely driven by reduced anthropogenic emissions. Antarctic stations such as Syowa and South Pole show positive trends (+3.84 % and +3.54 % per year), though these are subject to uncertainties from data limitations and instrument changes. This work contributes to the Polar-AOD network (https://polaraod.net/, last access: 15 May 2025), enhancing the understanding of aerosol variability and long-term trends in polar regions while promoting open data access for the scientific community.
Authors: Simone Pulimeno, Angelo Lupi, Vito Vitale, Claudia Frangipani, Carlos Toledano, Stelios Kazadzis, Natalia Kouremeti, Christoph Ritter, Sandra Graßl, Kerstin Stebel, Vitali Fioletov, Ihab Abboud, Sandra Blindheim, Lynn Ma, Norm O'Neill, Piotr Sobolewski, Pawan Gupta, Elena Lind, Thomas F. Eck, Antti Hyvärinen, Veijo Aaltonen, Rigel Kivi, Janae Csavina, Dmitry Kabanov, Sergey M. Sakerin, Olga R. Sidorova, Robert S. Stone, Hagen Telg, Laura Riihimaki, Raul R. Cordero, Martin Radenz, Ronny Engelmann, Michel Van Roozendal, Anatoli Chaikovsky, Philippe Goloub, Junji Hisamitsu, Mauro Mazzola
Institutions: Ca' Foscari University of Venice, National Research Council, Universidad de Valladolid, Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, NILU, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Andøya Space Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Université de Sherbrooke, Institute of Geophysics Polish Academy of Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Goddard Space Flight Center, Finnish Meteorological Institute, National Ecological Observatory Network, Russian Academy of Sciences, V.E. Zuev Institute of Atmospheric Optics, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, University of Groningen, Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Université de Lille, Laboratoire d'Optique Atmosphérique, Japan Meteorological Agency
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,725
OpenAlex ID: W7127944355