Model Calculation of backscatter and extinction coefficients for urban aerosols in Cali, Colombia

The city of Cali (3 degrees 30' N, 76 degrees 30' W) is located in the equatorial circulation zone. It has an air quality and meteorological monitoring network, with instruments for measuring particulate matter (PM10) and other atmospheric pollutants. We show here the results of the Mie scattering model calculation of the extinction and backscatter coefficient, as well as scattering diagrams, applied to particles typical of aerosols in the air above Cali, as determined from the in situ data provided by the monitoring network. The extinction and backscatter coefficients were calculated for a range of particle sizes between 0 to 4 mu m, with a resolution of 0,001 mu m, and for Nd: Yag laser of 532 nm wavelength. This work will be significant for lidar techniques in the modeling and determination of physical and chemical properties of the type of pollutants present in the region of study.