Uncertainties in measured and modelled asymmetry parameters of mineral dust aerosols

The error caused by the uncertainty in the refractive index in the determination of the asymmetry parameter g is studied for a variety of mineral dust aerosol samples at two different optical wavelengths. Lorenz–Mie computations for spherical model particles are compared with results based on laboratory-measured phase functions in conjunction with a commonly used extrapolation method. The difference between the g-value based on measurements and the g-value based on Lorenz–Mie simulations is generally on the same order of magnitude as the error caused by the uncertainty in the refractive index m. For larger effective radii the error in g related to the use of spherical model particles is even larger than that related to the uncertainty in m. This indicates that the use of spherical model particles can be among the major error sources in the determination of the asymmetry parameter of dust aerosols.