Aerosol scattering optical properties by nephelometer measurements at the El Arenosillo site (SW coastal area of Spain)

Aerosol light scattering coefficients, the hemispheric σsp and the back-scattering coefficient σbsc, have been measured using a 3-wavelengths integrating nephelometer over two years (January 2006 to May 2008) at the monitoring station ESAT-El Arenosillo. This station is located in the coastal area of the province of Huelva, in the southwest of the Iberian, Peninsula. The Ångström exponent α, has been also derived from the spectral dependence of σsp. All these parameters have been carefully analyzed to investigate their general characteristics and features, and diurnal variability. A general statistic gives mean values and std of σsp = 48.5 ±38.1 Mm−1 with a large range of variation showing moderate values of this rural and coastal site with marine prevalence but with significant influence of local sources of pollution. The daily cycle of σsp and α presents different behaviour depending on the season and is modulated by sea-land breeze regime.