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Global Aerosol Remote Sensing from MODISThe physical characteristics, composition, abundance, spatial distribution and dynamics of global aerosols are still very poorly known, and new data from satellite sensors have long been awaited to improve current understanding and to give a boost to the effort in future climate predictions. The derivation of aerosol parameters from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS) sensors aboard the Earth Observing System (EOS) Terra and Aqua polar-orbiting satellites ushers in a new era in aerosol remote sensing from space. Terra and Aqua were launched on December 18, 1999 and May 4, 2002 respectively, with daytime equator crossing times of approximately 10:30 am and 1:30 pm respectively. Several aerosol parameters are retrieved at 10-km spatial resolution (level 2) from MODIS daytime data. The MODIS aerosol algorithm employs different approaches to retrieve parameters over land and ocean surfaces, because of the inherent differences in the solar spectral radiance interaction with these surfaces. The parameters retrieved include: aerosol optical thickness (AOT) at 0.47, 0.55 and 0.66 micron wavelengths over land, and at 0.47, 0.55, 0.66, 0.87, 1.2, 1.6, and 2.1 micron over ocean; Angstrom exponent over land and ocean; and effective radii, and the proportion of AOT contributed by the small mode aerosols over ocean. To ensure the quality of these parameters, a substantial part of the Terra-MODIS aerosol products were validated globally and regionally, based on cross correlation with corresponding parameters derived from ground-based measurements from AERONET (AErosol RObotic NETwork) sun photometers. Similar validation efforts are planned for the Aqua-MODIS aerosol products. The MODIS level 2 aerosol products are operationally aggregated to generate global daily, eight-day (weekly), and monthly products at one-degree spatial resolution (level 3). MODIS aerosol data are used for the detailed study of local, regional, and global aerosol concentration, distribution, and temporal dynamics, as well as for radiative forcing calculations. We show several examples of these results and comparisons with model output.
Document ID
20020081319
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Ichoku, Charles
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Kaufman, Yoram J.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Remer, Lorraine A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Chu, D. Allen
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Mattoo, Shana
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Tanre, Didier
(Laboratoire d'Optique Atmospherique Villeneuve d'Ascq France)
Levy, Robert
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Li, Rong-Rong
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Martins, Jose V.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Lau, William K. M.
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2002
Subject Category
Environment Pollution
Meeting Information
Meeting: 34th COSPAR Scientific Assembly/2nd World Space Congress
Location: Houston, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: October 10, 2002
End Date: October 19, 2002
Sponsors: Committee on Space Research
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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