INDOEX

Indian Ocean Experiment

January–March 1999 · intensive field phase
Tropical Indian Ocean and the Maldives

The intensive field observations of INDOEX took place in 1999, within a wider scientific effort that continued through analysis, collaboration, and science meetings. INDOEX examined how continental pollution affects aerosols, clouds, atmospheric chemistry, and radiation over the tropical Indian Ocean. Observations from ships, aircraft, and island stations sampled both relatively clean marine air and air influenced by continental pollution.

Research and findings

Our micropulse-lidar study used observations from the R/V Ronald H. Brown and the Kaashidhoo Climate Observatory in the Maldives. Combining lidar, sun-photometer, radiosonde, aerosol, and air-mass trajectory information revealed how aerosol extinction varied with height. The study distinguished clean and polluted marine conditions and developed different vertical-extinction models for them. [A25]

The shipboard record also supported later research with Marcin Witek on sea-salt aerosol modelling. INDOEX measurements formed part of a multi-campaign validation dataset and were used to evaluate a parameterisation incorporating ocean-wave characteristics. The bibliography includes additional cruise, ocean-colour, and lidar reports from the campaign. [A37] [A39] [B.IV.18] [B.IV.21] [B.IV.22]

Related publications

1. A25

   Welton, E.J., K.J. Voss, P.K. Quinn, P.J. Flatau, K. Markowicz, J.R. Campbell, J.D. Spinhirne, H.R. Gordon, and J.E. Johnson. Measurements of aerosol vertical profiles and optical properties during INDOEX 1999 using micropulse lidars, Journal of Geophysical Research – Atmospheres, 107, D19, 8019, doi:10.1029/2000JD000038, 2002.

2. A37

   Witek, M.L., P.J. Flatau, P.K. Quinn, and D.L. Westphal. Global sea salt modeling: results and validation against multicampaign shipboard measurements, J. Geophys. Res., 112, D08215, doi:10.1029/2006JD007779, 2007.

3. A39

   Witek, M.L., P.J. Flatau, J. Teixeira, and D. Westphal. Coupling an ocean wave model with a global aerosol transport model: a sea salt aerosol parameterization perspective, Geophys. Res. Letters, 34, L14806, doi:10.1029/2007GL030106, 2007.

4. B.I.49

   Welton, E.J., P.J. Flatau, K. Voss, H. Gordon, K. Markowicz, and K. Rutledge. Measurements of the Vertical Distribution of Aerosols and Clouds During INDOEX 1999 Using Micro-pulse Lidars, 1999 Fall Meeting, December 13-17, 1999, San Francisco, California, American Geophysical Union (session on: Anthropogenic Aerosol Forcing, Climate, and Global Change Effects Over the Tropical Indian Ocean) 1 pp.

5. B.I.50

   Flatau, P.J., et al. Comprehensive ocean color measurements during the 1999 INDOEX project, 2000 Ocean Sciences Meeting, January 24-28, 2000, San Antonio, Texas, 1 pp.

6. B.IV.18

   Flatau, P.J., G. Mitchell, A. Subramaniam, J. Welton, J. Wieland, K. Markowicz, J. Nelson, K. Voss, H. Gordon, M. Reynolds, J. Porter, T. Nakajima, M. Miller, and K. Rutledge. INDOEX Cruise Report, 1999.

7. B.IV.21

   Welton, E.J., P.J. Flatau, K. Voss, H. Gordon, K. Markowicz, D. Cahoon, and K. Rutledge. Micro-pulse Lidar Measurements onboard the R/V Ronald H. Brown during the 1999 INDOEX, 1999.

8. B.IV.22

   Mitchell, B.G., J. Wieland, J. Nolan, A. Subramaniam, M. Kahru, and P.J. Flatau. Bio-Optics and SeaWiFS Applications, INDOEX R/V Ronald H. Brown Ocean Color Group Report, 1999.

Campaign background: NCAR: INDOEX