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EOS Science Plan and EOS Science Plan Executive SummaryRemote sensing of aerosol properties from space is reviewed both for present and planned national and international satellite sensors. Techniques that are being used to enhance our ability to characterize the global distribution of aerosol properties include well-calibrated multispectral radiometers, multispectral polarimeters, and multi-angle spectroradiometers. Though most of these sensor systems rely primarily on visible to mid-infrared spectral channels, the availability of thermal channels to aid in cloud screening is an important additional piece of information that is not always incorporated into the sensor design. In this paper, we describe the various satellite sensor systems being developed by Europe, Japan, and the U.S., and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each of these systems for aerosol applications. An important underlying theme is that the remote sensing of aerosol properties, especially aerosol size distribution and single scattering albedo, is exceedingly difficult. As a consequence, no one sensor system is capable of providing totally unambiguous information, and hence a careful intercomparison of derived products from different sensors, together with a comprehensive network of ground-based sunphotometer and sky radiometer systems, are required to advance our quantitative understanding of global aerosol characteristics.
Document ID
19990079770
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
King, Michael D.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Kaufman, Y. J.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Tanre, D.
(Lille-1 Univ. Villeneuve-d'Asoq, France)
Nakajima, T.
(Tokyo Univ. Japan)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1999
Subject Category
Earth Resources And Remote Sensing
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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