FY 2003

Geostationary satellite retrievals of aerosol optical thickness during ACE-Asia

Wang, J., S.A. Christopher, F. Brechtel, J. Kim, B. Schmid, J. Redemann, P.B. Russell, P.K. Quinn, and B.N. Holben

J. Geophys. Res., 108(D23), 8657, doi: 10.1029/2003JD003580 (2003)

Using 30 days of hourly geostationary satellite (GMS5 imager) data and discrete ordinate radiative transfer (DISORT) calculations, aerosol optical thickness (AOT) at 0.67 µm was retrieved over the west Pacific Ocean (20°N-45°N, 110°E-150°E) during the Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-Asia) intensive observation period in April 2001. Different from previous one-channel retrieval algorithms, we have developed a strategy that utilizes in situ and ground measurements to characterize aerosol properties that vary both in space and time. Using Mie calculations and bilognormal size distribution parameters inferred from measurements, the relationship between Ångström exponent () and the ratio of two volume lognormal modes () was obtained. On the basis of spectral AOT values inferred from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites, NASA Ames Airborne Sun photometers (AATS6 and AATS14) and a Sun photometer on board a ship, a successive correction method (SCM) was used to infer the spatial distribution of in the study area. Comparisons between the satellite-retrieved AOT and AERONET values over four sites show good agreement with linear coefficients