Visibility and Aerosols During the 1986 Carbonaceous Species Methods Comparison Study

Abstract

A modest change in synoptic meteorology occurred during the 1986 Carbonaceous Species Methods Comparison Study at Glendora, CA, resulting in a sharp change in visibility. This occurrence allowed comparisons of carbon species, soot and nonsoot, sulfates, and other aerosol components in two similar meteorological conditions with different visibilities. The results show that improvement in visibility was most strongly associated with a sharp decrease in sulfur mass median diameter, from 0.50 to 0.33 (Jim, with important contributions from nitrogen particles and volatile species such as water.