Regional Aerosol Optical Depth Characteristics from Satellite Observations: ACE-1, TARFOX and ACE-2 ResultsAnalysis of the aerosol properties during 3 recent international field campaigns ACE-1, TARFOX and ACE-2 are described using satellite retrievals from NOAA AVHRR data. Validation of the satellite retrieval procedure is performed with airborne, shipboard, and land-based sunphotometry during ACE-2. The intercomparison between satellite and surface optical depths has a correlation coefficient of 0.93 for 630 nm wavelength and 0.92 for 860 nm wavelength, The standard error of estimate is 0.025 for 630 nm wavelength and 0.023 for 860 nm wavelength. Regional aerosol properties are examined in composite analysis of aerosol optical properties from the ACE-1, TARFOX and ACE-2 regions. ACE-1 and ACE-2 regions have strong modes in the distribution of optical depth around 0.1, but the ACE-2 tails toward higher values yielding an average of 0.16 consistent with pollution and dust aerosol intrusions. The TARFOX region has a noticeable mode of 0.2, but has significant spread of aerosol optical depth values consistent with the varied continental aerosol constituents off the eastern North American Coast.
Document ID
20020066596
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Abstract
Authors
Durkee, P. A. (Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA United States)
Nielsen, K. E. (Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA United States)
Smith, P. J. (Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA United States)
Russell, P. B. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Schmid, B. (Bay Area Environmental Research Inst. San Francisco, CA United States)
Livingston, J. M. (SRI International Corp. Menlo Park, CA United States)
Holben, B. N. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Tomasi, C. (Istituto di Fisica dell Atmosfera Bologna, Italy)
Vitale, V. (Istituto di Fisica dell Atmosfera Bologna, Italy)
Collins, D. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)