Aerosol Optical Depth Estimate Using Ground-Measured Spectral Skylight Ratio Method

Author(s):  
Jing Nie ◽  
Huazhong Ren ◽  
Hui Zeng ◽  
Jiaji Dong ◽  
Jinxin Guo ◽  
...  
2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 5053-5062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiren Jethva ◽  
Omar Torres ◽  
Lorraine Remer ◽  
Jens Redemann ◽  
John Livingston ◽  
...  

Abstract. We present the validation analysis of above-cloud aerosol optical depth (ACAOD) retrieved from the “color ratio” method applied to MODIS cloudy-sky reflectance measurements using the limited direct measurements made by NASA's airborne Ames Airborne Tracking Sunphotometer (AATS) and Spectrometer for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research (4STAR) sensors. A thorough search of the airborne database collection revealed a total of five significant events in which an airborne sun photometer, coincident with the MODIS overpass, observed partially absorbing aerosols emitted from agricultural biomass burning, dust, and wildfires over a low-level cloud deck during SAFARI-2000, ACE-ASIA 2001, and SEAC4RS 2013 campaigns, respectively. The co-located satellite-airborne matchups revealed a good agreement (root-mean-square difference  <  0.1), with most matchups falling within the estimated uncertainties associated the MODIS retrievals (about −10 to +50 %). The co-retrieved cloud optical depth was comparable to that of the MODIS operational cloud product for ACE-ASIA and SEAC4RS, however, higher by 30–50 % for the SAFARI-2000 case study. The reason for this discrepancy could be attributed to the distinct aerosol optical properties encountered during respective campaigns. A brief discussion on the sources of uncertainty in the satellite-based ACAOD retrieval and co-location procedure is presented. Field experiments dedicated to making direct measurements of aerosols above cloud are needed for the extensive validation of satellite-based retrievals.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiren Jethva ◽  
Omar Torres ◽  
Lorraine Remer ◽  
Jens Redemann ◽  
John Livingston ◽  
...  

Abstract. We present the first ever validation of above-cloud aerosol optical depth (ACAOD) retrieved from the "color ratio" method applied to MODIS cloudy-sky reflectance measurements using the limited direct measurements made by NASA's airborne AATS and 4STAR sensors. A thorough search of the airborne database collection revealed a total of five events in which airborne sunphotometer, coincident with the MODIS overpass, observed agricultural biomass burning, dust, and wildfire-emitted aerosols above a low-level cloud deck during SAFARI-2000, ACE-ASIA 2001, and SEAC4RS-2013 campaigns, respectively. The co-located satellite-airborne measurements revealed a good agreement (root-mean-square-error 


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles K. Gatebe ◽  
Hiren Jethva ◽  
Ritesh Gautam ◽  
Rajesh Poudyal ◽  
Tamas Várnai

Abstract. The retrieval of aerosol parameters from passive satellite instruments in cloudy scenes is challenging partly because clouds and cloud-related processes may significantly modify aerosol optical depth (AOD) and particle size, a problem that is further compounded by the 3D radiative processes. Recent advances in retrieval algorithms such as the “color ratio” method which utilizes the measurements at a shorter (470 nm) and a longer (860 nm) wavelength have demonstrated the simultaneous derivation of AOD and cloud optical depth (COD) for scenes where absorbing aerosols are found to overlay low-level cloud decks. This study shows simultaneous retrievals of above-cloud aerosol optical depth (ACAOD) and aerosol-corrected cloud optical depth (COD) from airborne measurements of cloud-reflected and sky radiances using the color ratio method. These airborne measurements were taken over marine stratocumulus clouds with NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) during SAFARI 2000 field campaign offshore of Namibia. The ACAOD is partitioned between the AOD below aircraft (AOD_cloudtop) and above aircraft AOD (AOD_sky). The results show good agreement between AOD_sky and sunphotometer measurements of the above aircraft AOD. The results also show that the use of aircraft-based sunphotometer measurements to validate satellite retrievals of the ACAOD is complicated by the lack of information on AOD below aircraft. Specifically, the CAR-retrieved AOD_cloudtop captures this “missing” aerosol layer caught between the aircraft and cloud top, which is required to quantify above cloud aerosol loading and effectively validate satellite retrievals. In addition, the study finds a strong anticorrelation between the AOD_cloudtop and COD for cases where COD  10, which may be associated with the uncertainties in the color ratio method at lower AODs and CODs. The influence of 3D radiative effects on the retrievals is examined and the results show that at cloud troughs, 3D effects increase retrieved ACAOD by about 3–10 % and retrieved COD by about 25 %. The results show that the color ratio method has little sensitivity to 3D effects at overcast stratocumulus cloud decks. These results demonstrate a novel airborne measurement approach for assessing satellite retrievals of aerosols above clouds, thereby filling a major gap that exists in the global aerosol observations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 1405-1423
Author(s):  
Charles K. Gatebe ◽  
Hiren Jethva ◽  
Ritesh Gautam ◽  
Rajesh Poudyal ◽  
Tamás Várnai

Abstract. The retrieval of aerosol parameters from passive satellite instruments in cloudy scenes is challenging, partly because clouds and cloud-related processes may significantly modify aerosol optical depth (AOD) and particle size, a problem that is further compounded by 3D radiative processes. Recent advances in retrieval algorithms such as the “color ratio” method, which utilizes the measurements at a shorter (470 nm) and a longer (860 nm) wavelength, have demonstrated the simultaneous derivation of AOD and cloud optical depth (COD) for scenes in which absorbing aerosols are found to overlay low-level cloud decks. This study shows simultaneous retrievals of above-cloud aerosol optical depth (ACAOD) and aerosol-corrected cloud optical depth (COD) from airborne measurements of cloud-reflected and sky radiances using the color ratio method. These airborne measurements were taken over marine stratocumulus clouds with NASA's Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR) during the SAFARI 2000 field campaign offshore of Namibia. The ACAOD is partitioned between the AOD below-aircraft (AOD_cloudtop) and above-aircraft AOD (AOD_sky). The results show good agreement between AOD_sky and sun-photometer measurements of the above-aircraft AOD. The results also show that the use of aircraft-based sun-photometer measurements to validate satellite retrievals of the ACAOD is complicated by the lack of information on AOD below aircraft. Specifically, the CAR-retrieved AOD_cloudtop captures this “missing” aerosol layer caught between the aircraft and cloud top, which is required to quantify above-cloud aerosol loading and effectively validate satellite retrievals. In addition, the study finds a strong anticorrelation between the AOD_cloudtop and COD for cases in which COD < 10 and a weaker anticorrelation for COD > 10, which may be associated with the uncertainties in the color ratio method at lower AODs and CODs. The influence of 3D radiative effects on the retrievals is examined, and the results show that at cloud troughs, 3D effects increase retrieved ACAOD by about 3 %–11 % and retrieved COD by about 25 %. The results show that the color ratio method has little sensitivity to 3D effects at overcast stratocumulus cloud decks. These results demonstrate a novel airborne measurement approach for assessing satellite retrievals of aerosols above clouds, thereby filling a major gap in global aerosol observations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Monim Jiboori ◽  
Nadia Abed ◽  
Mohamed Abdel Wahab

Tellus B ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Toledano ◽  
Victoria Cachorro ◽  
Alberto Berjón ◽  
Mar Sorribas ◽  
Ricardo Vergaz ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaseen Kadhim Abbas Al-Timimi ◽  
Ali Challob Khraibet

Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is the measure of aerosol distributed with a Column of air from earth’s surface to the top of atmosphere, in this study, temperature variation of aerosol optical depth (AOD) in Baghdad was analyzed Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) from Terra and its relationship with temperature for the period 2003 – 2015 were examined. The highest values for mean seasonal AOD were observed in spring and summer and the maximum AOD values ranged from 0.50 to 0.58 by contrast minimum AOD values ranging from 0.30 to 0.41 were found in winter and autumn. Results of study also showed that the temperature (max., min., mean air temperature and DTR) have a strong correlation with AOD (0.82, 0.83, 0.82 and 0.65) respectively.


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