Interannual and Seasonal Variability of the Aerosol Optical Depth of the Atmosphere at the Mirny Station (Antarctica)

Abstract Aerosol turbidity of the atmosphere over Antarctica is the lowest on the planet. However, it shows regional peculiarities in the temporal variability. In this paper, the main features of the interannual and seasonal variations in the aerosol optical depth (AOD) are revealed on the basis of the analysis of its long-term measurements at the Mirny Station. Pronounced variations in the interannual variability of AOD (0.5 μm) with a period of 5–6 years and amplitude of 0.005 relative to an average of 0.023 are shown. The annual variation in AOD of fine aerosol is characterized by spring and summer maxima (October and February), and the annual variation in AOD of coarse aerosol has one summer maximum. Approximation formulas are suggested that make it possible to estimate the monthly average values of spectral AOD in the wavelength range 0.34–2.14 μm.