Author/Authors :
sayer, a. m. nasagoddard space flight center, Greenbelt, USA , sayer, a. m. universities space research association - goddard earth sciences technology and research, Columbia, USA , hsu, n. c. nasa goddard space flight center, Greenbelt, USA , lee, j. nasa goddard space flight center, Greenbelt, USA , lee, j. university of maryland - earth systems science interdisciplinary center, College Park, USA , bettenhausen, c. adnet systems inc., Bethesda, USA , bettenhausen, c. nasa goddard space flight center, Greenbelt, USA , kim, w. v. nasa goddard space flight center, Greenbelt, USA , kim, w. v. university of maryland - earth systems science interdisciplinary center, College Park, USA , smirnov, a. nasa goddard space flight center, Greenbelt, USA , smirnov, a. science systems and applications, inc., Lanham, USA
Abstract :
The Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite, launched in late 2011, carries the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and several other instruments. VIIRS has similar characteristics to prior satellite sensors used for aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval, allowing the continuation of space-based aerosol data records. The Deep Blue algorithm has previously been applied to retrieve AOD from Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements over land. The SeaWiFS Deep Blue data set also included a SeaWiFS Ocean Aerosol Retrieval (SOAR) algorithm to cover water surfaces. As part of NASA’s VIIRS data processing, Deep Blue is being applied to VIIRS data over land, and SOAR has been adapted from SeaWiFS to VIIRS for use over water surfaces. This study describes SOAR as applied in version 1 of NASA’s S-NPP VIIRS Deep Blue data product suite. Several advances have been made since the SeaWiFS application, as well as changes to make use of the broader spectral range of VIIRS. A preliminary validation against Maritime Aerosol Network (MAN) measurements suggests a typical uncertainty on retrieved 550 nm AOD of order ±(0.03+10%), comparable to existing SeaWiFS/MODIS aerosol data products. Retrieved Ångström exponent and fine-mode AOD fraction are also well correlated with MAN data, with small biases and uncertainty similar to or better than SeaWiFS/MODIS products.
