Articles | Volume 12, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6489-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-6489-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
09 Dec 2019
Research article |
| 09 Dec 2019
| 09 Dec 2019
A comparative evaluation of Aura-OMI and SKYNET near-UV single-scattering albedo products
GESTAR, Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD 21044, USA
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Omar Torres
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
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Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 2335–2366, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2335-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2335-2024, 2024
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We introduce a novel synergy algorithm applied to ORALCES airborne measurements of above-cloud aerosol optical depth and UV–Vis satellite observations from OMI and MODIS to retrieve spectral aerosol single-scattering albedo of lofted layers of carbonaceous smoke aerosols over clouds. The development of the proposed aerosol–cloud algorithm implies a possible synergy of CALIOP and OMI–MODIS passive sensors to deduce a global product of AOD and SSA of absorbing aerosols above clouds.
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Existing measurements of spectral aerosol absorption are limited, particularly in the UV region. We use the synergy of satellite and ground measurements to derive spectral single scattering albedo of aerosols from the UV–visible spectrum. The resulting spectral SSAs are used to investigate seasonality in absorption for carbonaceous, dust, and urban aerosols. Regional aerosol absorption models that could be used to make reliable assumptions in satellite remote sensing of aerosols are derived.
Nick Schutgens, Oleg Dubovik, Otto Hasekamp, Omar Torres, Hiren Jethva, Peter J. T. Leonard, Pavel Litvinov, Jens Redemann, Yohei Shinozuka, Gerrit de Leeuw, Stefan Kinne, Thomas Popp, Michael Schulz, and Philip Stier
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 6895–6917, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6895-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6895-2021, 2021
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Absorptive aerosol has a potentially large impact on climate change. We evaluate and intercompare four global satellite datasets of absorptive aerosol optical depth (AAOD) and single-scattering albedo (SSA). We show that these datasets show reasonable correlations with the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) reference, although significant biases remain. In a follow-up paper we show that these observations nevertheless can be used for model evaluation.
Charles K. Gatebe, Hiren Jethva, Ritesh Gautam, Rajesh Poudyal, and Tamás Várnai
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 1405–1423, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1405-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1405-2021, 2021
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The retrieval of aerosol parameters from passive satellite instruments in cloudy scenes is very challenging, partly because clouds and cloud-related processes significantly modify the aerosol properties and the 3D radiative effects. This study shows simultaneous retrieval of above-cloud aerosol optical depth and aerosol-corrected cloud optical depth from airborne measurements, thereby demonstrating a novel approach for assessing satellite retrievals of aerosols above clouds.
Omar Torres, Hiren Jethva, Changwoo Ahn, Glen Jaross, and Diego G. Loyola
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6789–6806, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6789-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6789-2020, 2020
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TROPOMI measures the quantity of small suspended particles (aerosols). We describe initial results of aerosol measurements using a NASA algorithm that retrieves the UV aerosol index, aerosol optical depth, and single-scattering albedo. An evaluation of derived products using sun-photometer observations shows close agreement. We also use these results to discuss important biomass burning and wildfire events around the world that got the attention of scientists and news media alike.
Nick Schutgens, Andrew M. Sayer, Andreas Heckel, Christina Hsu, Hiren Jethva, Gerrit de Leeuw, Peter J. T. Leonard, Robert C. Levy, Antti Lipponen, Alexei Lyapustin, Peter North, Thomas Popp, Caroline Poulsen, Virginia Sawyer, Larisa Sogacheva, Gareth Thomas, Omar Torres, Yujie Wang, Stefan Kinne, Michael Schulz, and Philip Stier
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 12431–12457, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12431-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12431-2020, 2020
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We intercompare 14 different datasets of satellite observations of aerosol. Such measurements are challenging but also provide the best opportunity to globally observe an atmospheric component strongly related to air pollution and climate change. Our study shows that most datasets perform similarly well on a global scale but that locally errors can be quite different. We develop a technique to estimate satellite errors everywhere, even in the absence of surface reference data.
Larisa Sogacheva, Thomas Popp, Andrew M. Sayer, Oleg Dubovik, Michael J. Garay, Andreas Heckel, N. Christina Hsu, Hiren Jethva, Ralph A. Kahn, Pekka Kolmonen, Miriam Kosmale, Gerrit de Leeuw, Robert C. Levy, Pavel Litvinov, Alexei Lyapustin, Peter North, Omar Torres, and Antti Arola
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 2031–2056, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2031-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2031-2020, 2020
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The typical lifetime of a single satellite platform is on the order of 5–15 years; thus, for climate studies the usage of multiple satellite sensors should be considered.
Here we introduce and evaluate a monthly AOD merged product and AOD global and regional time series for the period 1995–2017 created from 12 individual satellite AOD products, which provide a long-term perspective on AOD changes over different regions of the globe.
Hiren Jethva, Omar Torres, and Yasuko Yoshida
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 4291–4307, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4291-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4291-2019, 2019
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Accuracy assessment of the satellite-retrieved aerosol properties is an important exercise to validate and track the changes in the retrieval algorithm. Here, for the first time, three standard aerosol products derived from MODIS Aqua are compared against the ground-based AERONET dataset over the North American region. The present validation analysis provides guidance in the development of inversion schemes to derive aerosol properties from existing and future MODIS-like sensors.
Marc Mallet, Pierre Nabat, Paquita Zuidema, Jens Redemann, Andrew Mark Sayer, Martin Stengel, Sebastian Schmidt, Sabrina Cochrane, Sharon Burton, Richard Ferrare, Kerry Meyer, Pablo Saide, Hiren Jethva, Omar Torres, Robert Wood, David Saint Martin, Romain Roehrig, Christina Hsu, and Paola Formenti
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 4963–4990, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4963-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4963-2019, 2019
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The model is able to represent LWP but not the LCF. AOD is consistent over the continent but also over ocean (ACAOD). Differences are observed in SSA due to the absence of internal mixing in ALADIN-Climate. A significant regional gradient of the forcing at TOA is observed. An intense positive forcing is simulated over Gabon. Results highlight the significant effect of enhanced moisture on BBA extinction. The surface dimming modifies the energy budget.
Jin Liao, Thomas F. Hanisco, Glenn M. Wolfe, Jason St. Clair, Jose L. Jimenez, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Benjamin A. Nault, Alan Fried, Eloise A. Marais, Gonzalo Gonzalez Abad, Kelly Chance, Hiren T. Jethva, Thomas B. Ryerson, Carsten Warneke, and Armin Wisthaler
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 2765–2785, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2765-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2765-2019, 2019
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Organic aerosol (OA) intimately links natural and anthropogenic emissions with air quality and climate. Direct OA measurements from space are currently not possible. This paper describes a new method to estimate OA by combining satellite HCHO and in situ OA and HCHO. The OA estimate is validated with the ground network. This new method has a potential for mapping observation-based global OA estimate.
Hiren Jethva, Omar Torres, and Changwoo Ahn
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 5837–5864, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5837-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5837-2018, 2018
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We introduce a new global satellite product of aerosol amounts lofted above the clouds from near-UV observations of Aura/OMI. The global decadal record derived from the product has revealed unprecedented quantitative information of light-absorbing aerosols above the cloud over several oceanic and continental regions of the world. The new dataset characterizing the optical properties of aerosol-cloud overlap will help quantify their radiative effects and representation in climate models.
Igor B. Konovalov, Daria A. Lvova, Matthias Beekmann, Hiren Jethva, Eugene F. Mikhailov, Jean-Daniel Paris, Boris D. Belan, Valerii S. Kozlov, Philippe Ciais, and Meinrat O. Andreae
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A good knowledge of black carbon (BC) emissions from open biomass burning (BB) is an important prerequisite for reliable climate predictions, especially in the Arctic. This paper introduces a method to constrain a regional budget of BB BC emissions using satellite measurements of the absorption and extinction optical depths and evaluates its potential application in a large Siberian region.
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Hiren Jethva, Omar Torres, Lorraine Remer, Jens Redemann, John Livingston, Stephen Dunagan, Yohei Shinozuka, Meloe Kacenelenbogen, Michal Segal Rosenheimer, and Rob Spurr
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 5053–5062, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-5053-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-5053-2016, 2016
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Validation of the above-cloud aerosol optical depth retrieved using the "color ratio" method applied to MODIS cloudy-sky
measurements against airborne direct measurements made by NASA’s AATS and 4STAR sun photometers during SAFARI-2000,
ACE-ASIA 2001, and SEAC4RS 2013 reveals a good level of agreement (difference < 0.1), in which most matchups are found
be constrained within the estimated uncertainties associated with the MODIS retrievals (-10 % to +50 %).
Xin Xi, Jun Wang, Zhendong Lu, Andrew Sayer, Jaehwa Lee, Robert Levy, Yujie Wang, Alexei Lyapustin, Hongqing Liu, Istvan Laszlo, Changwoo Ahn, Omar Torres, Sabur Abdullaev, and Ralph Kahn
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3416, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3416, 2024
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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Yeseul Cho, Jhoon Kim, Sujung Go, Mijin Kim, Seoyoung Lee, Minseok Kim, Heesung Chong, Won-Jin Lee, Dong-Won Lee, Omar Torres, and Sang Seo Park
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4369–4390, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4369-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4369-2024, 2024
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Aerosol optical properties have been provided by the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS), the world’s first geostationary-Earth-orbit (GEO) satellite instrument designed for atmospheric environmental monitoring. This study describes improvements made to the GEMS aerosol retrieval algorithm (AERAOD) and presents its validation results. These enhancements aim to provide more accurate and reliable aerosol-monitoring results for Asia.
Hiren T. Jethva, Omar Torres, Richard A. Ferrare, Sharon P. Burton, Anthony L. Cook, David B. Harper, Chris A. Hostetler, Jens Redemann, Vinay Kayetha, Samuel LeBlanc, Kristina Pistone, Logan Mitchell, and Connor J. Flynn
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 2335–2366, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2335-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2335-2024, 2024
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We introduce a novel synergy algorithm applied to ORALCES airborne measurements of above-cloud aerosol optical depth and UV–Vis satellite observations from OMI and MODIS to retrieve spectral aerosol single-scattering albedo of lofted layers of carbonaceous smoke aerosols over clouds. The development of the proposed aerosol–cloud algorithm implies a possible synergy of CALIOP and OMI–MODIS passive sensors to deduce a global product of AOD and SSA of absorbing aerosols above clouds.
Vinay Kayetha, Omar Torres, and Hiren Jethva
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 845–877, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-845-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-845-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Existing measurements of spectral aerosol absorption are limited, particularly in the UV region. We use the synergy of satellite and ground measurements to derive spectral single scattering albedo of aerosols from the UV–visible spectrum. The resulting spectral SSAs are used to investigate seasonality in absorption for carbonaceous, dust, and urban aerosols. Regional aerosol absorption models that could be used to make reliable assumptions in satellite remote sensing of aerosols are derived.
Nick Gorkavyi, Nickolay Krotkov, Can Li, Leslie Lait, Peter Colarco, Simon Carn, Matthew DeLand, Paul Newman, Mark Schoeberl, Ghassan Taha, Omar Torres, Alexander Vasilkov, and Joanna Joiner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 7545–7563, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7545-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7545-2021, 2021
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The 21 June 2019 eruption of the Raikoke volcano produced significant amounts of volcanic aerosols (sulfate and ash) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas that penetrated into the lower stratosphere. We showed that the amount of SO2 decreases with a characteristic period of 8–18 d and the peak of sulfate aerosol lags the initial peak of SO2 by 1.5 months. We also examined the dynamics of an unusual stratospheric coherent circular cloud of SO2 and aerosol observed from 18 July to 22 September 2019.
Sampa Das, Peter R. Colarco, Luke D. Oman, Ghassan Taha, and Omar Torres
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 12069–12090, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12069-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-12069-2021, 2021
Short summary
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Interactions of extreme fires with weather systems can produce towering smoke plumes that inject aerosols at very high altitudes (> 10 km). Three such major injections, largest at the time in terms of emitted aerosol mass, took place over British Columbia, Canada, in August 2017. We model the transport and impacts of injected aerosols on the radiation balance of the atmosphere. Our model results match the satellite-observed plume transport and residence time at these high altitudes very closely.
Nick Schutgens, Oleg Dubovik, Otto Hasekamp, Omar Torres, Hiren Jethva, Peter J. T. Leonard, Pavel Litvinov, Jens Redemann, Yohei Shinozuka, Gerrit de Leeuw, Stefan Kinne, Thomas Popp, Michael Schulz, and Philip Stier
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 6895–6917, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6895-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6895-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Absorptive aerosol has a potentially large impact on climate change. We evaluate and intercompare four global satellite datasets of absorptive aerosol optical depth (AAOD) and single-scattering albedo (SSA). We show that these datasets show reasonable correlations with the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) reference, although significant biases remain. In a follow-up paper we show that these observations nevertheless can be used for model evaluation.
Charles K. Gatebe, Hiren Jethva, Ritesh Gautam, Rajesh Poudyal, and Tamás Várnai
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 1405–1423, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1405-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1405-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The retrieval of aerosol parameters from passive satellite instruments in cloudy scenes is very challenging, partly because clouds and cloud-related processes significantly modify the aerosol properties and the 3D radiative effects. This study shows simultaneous retrieval of above-cloud aerosol optical depth and aerosol-corrected cloud optical depth from airborne measurements, thereby demonstrating a novel approach for assessing satellite retrievals of aerosols above clouds.
Omar Torres, Hiren Jethva, Changwoo Ahn, Glen Jaross, and Diego G. Loyola
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6789–6806, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6789-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6789-2020, 2020
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TROPOMI measures the quantity of small suspended particles (aerosols). We describe initial results of aerosol measurements using a NASA algorithm that retrieves the UV aerosol index, aerosol optical depth, and single-scattering albedo. An evaluation of derived products using sun-photometer observations shows close agreement. We also use these results to discuss important biomass burning and wildfire events around the world that got the attention of scientists and news media alike.
Nick Schutgens, Andrew M. Sayer, Andreas Heckel, Christina Hsu, Hiren Jethva, Gerrit de Leeuw, Peter J. T. Leonard, Robert C. Levy, Antti Lipponen, Alexei Lyapustin, Peter North, Thomas Popp, Caroline Poulsen, Virginia Sawyer, Larisa Sogacheva, Gareth Thomas, Omar Torres, Yujie Wang, Stefan Kinne, Michael Schulz, and Philip Stier
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 12431–12457, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12431-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-12431-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We intercompare 14 different datasets of satellite observations of aerosol. Such measurements are challenging but also provide the best opportunity to globally observe an atmospheric component strongly related to air pollution and climate change. Our study shows that most datasets perform similarly well on a global scale but that locally errors can be quite different. We develop a technique to estimate satellite errors everywhere, even in the absence of surface reference data.
Jay Herman, Alexander Cede, Liang Huang, Jerald Ziemke, Omar Torres, Nickolay Krotkov, Matthew Kowalewski, and Karin Blank
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 8351–8380, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8351-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-8351-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The amount of erythemal irradiance reaching the Earth's surface has been calculated from ozone, aerosol, and reflectivity data obtained from OMI and DSCOVR/EPIC satellite instruments showing areas with high levels of solar UV radiation. Changes in erythemal irradiance, cloud transmission, aerosol transmission, and ozone absorption have been estimated for 14 years 2005–2018 in units of percent per year for 191 locations, mostly large cities, and from EPIC for the entire illuminated Earth.
Zhong Chen, Pawan K. Bhartia, Omar Torres, Glen Jaross, Robert Loughman, Matthew DeLand, Peter Colarco, Robert Damadeo, and Ghassan Taha
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 3471–3485, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3471-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3471-2020, 2020
Short summary
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The scope of the paper is the evaluation of stratospheric aerosols derived from the OMPS/LP instrument via comparison with independent datasets from the SAGE III/ISS instrument. Results show very good agreement for extinction profiles between an altitude of 19 and 27 km, to within ±25 %, and show systematic differences (LP-SAGE III/ISS) above 28 km and below 19 km (greater than ±25 %).
Larisa Sogacheva, Thomas Popp, Andrew M. Sayer, Oleg Dubovik, Michael J. Garay, Andreas Heckel, N. Christina Hsu, Hiren Jethva, Ralph A. Kahn, Pekka Kolmonen, Miriam Kosmale, Gerrit de Leeuw, Robert C. Levy, Pavel Litvinov, Alexei Lyapustin, Peter North, Omar Torres, and Antti Arola
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 2031–2056, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2031-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-2031-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The typical lifetime of a single satellite platform is on the order of 5–15 years; thus, for climate studies the usage of multiple satellite sensors should be considered.
Here we introduce and evaluate a monthly AOD merged product and AOD global and regional time series for the period 1995–2017 created from 12 individual satellite AOD products, which provide a long-term perspective on AOD changes over different regions of the globe.
Hiren Jethva, Omar Torres, and Yasuko Yoshida
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 4291–4307, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4291-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4291-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Accuracy assessment of the satellite-retrieved aerosol properties is an important exercise to validate and track the changes in the retrieval algorithm. Here, for the first time, three standard aerosol products derived from MODIS Aqua are compared against the ground-based AERONET dataset over the North American region. The present validation analysis provides guidance in the development of inversion schemes to derive aerosol properties from existing and future MODIS-like sensors.
Xiaoguang Xu, Jun Wang, Yi Wang, Jing Zeng, Omar Torres, Jeffrey S. Reid, Steven D. Miller, J. Vanderlei Martins, and Lorraine A. Remer
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 3269–3288, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3269-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-3269-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Detecting aerosol layer height from space is challenging. The traditional method relies on active sensors such as lidar that provide the detailed vertical structure of the aerosol profile but is costly with limited spatial coverage (more than 1 year is needed for global coverage). Here we developed a passive remote sensing technique that uses backscattered sunlight to retrieve smoke aerosol layer height over both water and vegetated surfaces from a sensor 1.5 million kilometers from the Earth.
Marc Mallet, Pierre Nabat, Paquita Zuidema, Jens Redemann, Andrew Mark Sayer, Martin Stengel, Sebastian Schmidt, Sabrina Cochrane, Sharon Burton, Richard Ferrare, Kerry Meyer, Pablo Saide, Hiren Jethva, Omar Torres, Robert Wood, David Saint Martin, Romain Roehrig, Christina Hsu, and Paola Formenti
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 4963–4990, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4963-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4963-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The model is able to represent LWP but not the LCF. AOD is consistent over the continent but also over ocean (ACAOD). Differences are observed in SSA due to the absence of internal mixing in ALADIN-Climate. A significant regional gradient of the forcing at TOA is observed. An intense positive forcing is simulated over Gabon. Results highlight the significant effect of enhanced moisture on BBA extinction. The surface dimming modifies the energy budget.
Jin Liao, Thomas F. Hanisco, Glenn M. Wolfe, Jason St. Clair, Jose L. Jimenez, Pedro Campuzano-Jost, Benjamin A. Nault, Alan Fried, Eloise A. Marais, Gonzalo Gonzalez Abad, Kelly Chance, Hiren T. Jethva, Thomas B. Ryerson, Carsten Warneke, and Armin Wisthaler
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 2765–2785, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2765-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-2765-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Organic aerosol (OA) intimately links natural and anthropogenic emissions with air quality and climate. Direct OA measurements from space are currently not possible. This paper describes a new method to estimate OA by combining satellite HCHO and in situ OA and HCHO. The OA estimate is validated with the ground network. This new method has a potential for mapping observation-based global OA estimate.
Hiren Jethva, Omar Torres, and Changwoo Ahn
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 5837–5864, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5837-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-5837-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We introduce a new global satellite product of aerosol amounts lofted above the clouds from near-UV observations of Aura/OMI. The global decadal record derived from the product has revealed unprecedented quantitative information of light-absorbing aerosols above the cloud over several oceanic and continental regions of the world. The new dataset characterizing the optical properties of aerosol-cloud overlap will help quantify their radiative effects and representation in climate models.
Igor B. Konovalov, Daria A. Lvova, Matthias Beekmann, Hiren Jethva, Eugene F. Mikhailov, Jean-Daniel Paris, Boris D. Belan, Valerii S. Kozlov, Philippe Ciais, and Meinrat O. Andreae
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 14889–14924, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14889-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-14889-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
A good knowledge of black carbon (BC) emissions from open biomass burning (BB) is an important prerequisite for reliable climate predictions, especially in the Arctic. This paper introduces a method to constrain a regional budget of BB BC emissions using satellite measurements of the absorption and extinction optical depths and evaluates its potential application in a large Siberian region.
Melanie S. Hammer, Randall V. Martin, Chi Li, Omar Torres, Max Manning, and Brian L. Boys
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 8097–8112, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-8097-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-8097-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We apply a simulation of the Ultraviolet Aerosol Index (UVAI), a method of detecting aerosol absorption from satellite observations, to interpret UVAI values observed by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) from 2005 to 2015 to understand global trends in aerosol composition. We find that global trends in the UVAI are largely explained by trends in absorption by mineral dust, absorption by brown carbon, and scattering by secondary inorganic aerosol.
Omar Torres, Pawan K. Bhartia, Hiren Jethva, and Changwoo Ahn
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 2701–2715, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-2701-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-2701-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Since about three years after the launch the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on the EOS-Aura satellite, the sensor’s viewing capability has been affected by what is believed to be an internal obstruction that has reduced OMI’s spatial coverage. It currently affects about half of the instrument’s 60 viewing positions. In this work we carry out an analysis to assess the effect of the reduced spatial coverage on the monthly average values of retrieved parameters.
Pieternel F. Levelt, Joanna Joiner, Johanna Tamminen, J. Pepijn Veefkind, Pawan K. Bhartia, Deborah C. Stein Zweers, Bryan N. Duncan, David G. Streets, Henk Eskes, Ronald van der A, Chris McLinden, Vitali Fioletov, Simon Carn, Jos de Laat, Matthew DeLand, Sergey Marchenko, Richard McPeters, Jerald Ziemke, Dejian Fu, Xiong Liu, Kenneth Pickering, Arnoud Apituley, Gonzalo González Abad, Antti Arola, Folkert Boersma, Christopher Chan Miller, Kelly Chance, Martin de Graaf, Janne Hakkarainen, Seppo Hassinen, Iolanda Ialongo, Quintus Kleipool, Nickolay Krotkov, Can Li, Lok Lamsal, Paul Newman, Caroline Nowlan, Raid Suleiman, Lieuwe Gijsbert Tilstra, Omar Torres, Huiqun Wang, and Krzysztof Wargan
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 5699–5745, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-5699-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-5699-2018, 2018
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The aim of this paper is to highlight the many successes of the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) spanning more than 13 years. Data from OMI have been used in a wide range of applications. Due to its unprecedented spatial resolution, in combination with daily global coverage, OMI plays a unique role in measuring trace gases important for the ozone layer, air quality, and climate change. OMI data continue to be used for new research and applications.
Jungbin Mok, Nickolay A. Krotkov, Omar Torres, Hiren Jethva, Zhanqing Li, Jhoon Kim, Ja-Ho Koo, Sujung Go, Hitoshi Irie, Gordon Labow, Thomas F. Eck, Brent N. Holben, Jay Herman, Robert P. Loughman, Elena Spinei, Seoung Soo Lee, Pradeep Khatri, and Monica Campanelli
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 2295–2311, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-2295-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-2295-2018, 2018
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Measuring aerosol absorption from the shortest ultraviolet (UV) to the near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths is important for studies of climate, tropospheric photochemistry, human health, and agricultural productivity. We estimate the accuracy and demonstrate consistency of aerosol absorption retrievals from different instruments, after accounting for spectrally varying surface albedo and gaseous absorption.
Peter R. Colarco, Santiago Gassó, Changwoo Ahn, Virginie Buchard, Arlindo M. da Silva, and Omar Torres
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 4121–4134, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4121-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4121-2017, 2017
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We need satellite observations to characterize the properties of atmospheric aerosols. Those observations have uncertainties associated with them because of assumptions made in their algorithms. We test the assumptions on a part of the aerosol algorithms used with the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) flying on the NASA Aura spacecraft. We simulate the OMI observations using a global aerosol model, and then compare what OMI tells us about the simulated aerosols with the model results directly.
Hiren Jethva, Omar Torres, Lorraine Remer, Jens Redemann, John Livingston, Stephen Dunagan, Yohei Shinozuka, Meloe Kacenelenbogen, Michal Segal Rosenheimer, and Rob Spurr
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 5053–5062, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-5053-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-5053-2016, 2016
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Validation of the above-cloud aerosol optical depth retrieved using the "color ratio" method applied to MODIS cloudy-sky
measurements against airborne direct measurements made by NASA’s AATS and 4STAR sun photometers during SAFARI-2000,
ACE-ASIA 2001, and SEAC4RS 2013 reveals a good level of agreement (difference < 0.1), in which most matchups are found
be constrained within the estimated uncertainties associated with the MODIS retrievals (-10 % to +50 %).
Santiago Gassó and Omar Torres
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 3031–3052, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-3031-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-3031-2016, 2016
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Aerosol optical depths derived by the OMI near-UV algorithm are evaluated against independent observations over the ocean. The comparison resulted in differences within the expected levels of uncertainty. In addition, in clear sky conditions, the retrieved AODs compare well with independent measurements but they are biased high in partially cloud-contaminated pixels. Additional sources of discrepancies are documented and will be corrected in future versions of the algorithm.
Melanie S. Hammer, Randall V. Martin, Aaron van Donkelaar, Virginie Buchard, Omar Torres, David A. Ridley, and Robert J. D. Spurr
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 2507–2523, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-2507-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-2507-2016, 2016
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We interpret satellite observations to infer the global absorption properties of brown carbon (BrC) aerosols. We incorporate these BrC absorption properties into a chemical transport model to estimate global direct radiative effects and changes in hydroxyl radical (OH) concentrations. To our knowledge, this is the first time the effect of BrC absorption on atmospheric photochemistry has been considered in a global chemical transport model.
Sang Seo Park, Jhoon Kim, Hanlim Lee, Omar Torres, Kwang-Mog Lee, and Sang Deok Lee
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 1987–2006, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1987-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-1987-2016, 2016
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The sensitivities of oxygen-dimer (O4) slant column densities (SCDs) to changes in aerosol layer height are investigated using simulated radiances by a linearized pseudo-spherical vector discrete ordinate radiative transfer (VLIDORT) model, and the differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) technique. A new algorithm is developed and tested to derive the aerosol effective height for cases over East Asia using radiance data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI).
U. Jeong, J. Kim, C. Ahn, O. Torres, X. Liu, P. K. Bhartia, R. J. D. Spurr, D. Haffner, K. Chance, and B. N. Holben
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 177–193, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-177-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-177-2016, 2016
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An aerosol retrieval and error analysis algorithm using OMI measurements based on an optimal-estimation method was developed in this study. The aerosol retrievals were validated using the DRAGON campaign products. The estimated errors of the retrievals represented the actual biases between retrieval and AERONET measurements well. The retrievals, with their estimated uncertainties, are expected to be valuable for relevant studies, such as trace gas retrieval and data assimilation.
P. Castellanos, K. F. Boersma, O. Torres, and J. F. de Haan
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 3831–3849, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3831-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-3831-2015, 2015
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Inaccuracies in the retrieval of NO2 tropospheric columns due to the radiative effects of light-absorbing aerosols are not well understood. Here we explicitly account for the effects of aerosols in the Dutch OMI NO2 (DOMINO) tropospheric AMF calculation by including aerosol observations collocated with OMI pixels. The AMF calculations that included aerosol absorption and scattering were on average 10% higher than traditional AMFs. Errors can reach a factor of 2 for individual pixels.
L. Zhang, D. K. Henze, G. A. Grell, G. R. Carmichael, N. Bousserez, Q. Zhang, O. Torres, C. Ahn, Z. Lu, J. Cao, and Y. Mao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 10281–10308, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10281-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10281-2015, 2015
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We attempt to reduce uncertainties in BC emissions and improve BC model simulations by developing top-down, spatially resolved, estimates of BC emissions through assimilation of OMI observations of aerosol absorption optical depth (AAOD) with the GEOS-Chem model and its adjoint for April and October of 2006. Despite the limitations and uncertainties, using OMI AAOD to constrain BC sources we are able to improve model representation of BC distributions, particularly over China.
V. Buchard, A. M. da Silva, P. R. Colarco, A. Darmenov, C. A. Randles, R. Govindaraju, O. Torres, J. Campbell, and R. Spurr
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 5743–5760, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5743-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-5743-2015, 2015
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MERRAero is an aerosol reanalysis based on the GEOS-5 earth system model that incorporates an online aerosol module and assimilation of AOD from MODIS sensors. This study assesses the quality of MERRAero absorption using independent OMI observations. In addition to comparisons to OMI absorption AOD, we have developed a radiative transfer interface to simulate the UV aerosol index from assimilated aerosol fields at OMI footprint. Also, we fully diagnose the model using MISR, AERONET and CALIPSO.
S. DeSouza-Machado, L. Strow, E. Maddy, O. Torres, G. Thomas, D. Grainger, and A. Robinson
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amtd-8-443-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/amtd-8-443-2015, 2015
Revised manuscript not accepted
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The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and the Moderate Resolution
Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are instruments on the 1.30 pm polar
orbiting Aqua spacecraft. We describe a daytime estimation of dust and
volcanic ash layer heights, using a retrieval algorithm that uses the
information in the AIRS L1B thermal infrared data, constrained by the
MODIS L2 aerosol optical depths. CALIOP aerosol centroid heights are
used for dust height comparisons, as are AATSR volcanic plume heights.
M. Chin, T. Diehl, Q. Tan, J. M. Prospero, R. A. Kahn, L. A. Remer, H. Yu, A. M. Sayer, H. Bian, I. V. Geogdzhayev, B. N. Holben, S. G. Howell, B. J. Huebert, N. C. Hsu, D. Kim, T. L. Kucsera, R. C. Levy, M. I. Mishchenko, X. Pan, P. K. Quinn, G. L. Schuster, D. G. Streets, S. A. Strode, O. Torres, and X.-P. Zhao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 14, 3657–3690, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3657-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-3657-2014, 2014
A. Gkikas, N. Hatzianastassiou, N. Mihalopoulos, V. Katsoulis, S. Kazadzis, J. Pey, X. Querol, and O. Torres
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 13, 12135–12154, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-12135-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-13-12135-2013, 2013
O. Torres, C. Ahn, and Z. Chen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 6, 3257–3270, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-3257-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-3257-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Aerosols | Technique: Remote Sensing | Topic: Validation and Intercomparisons
Intercomparison of aerosol optical depth retrievals from GAW-PFR and SKYNET sun photometer networks and the effect of calibration
Evaluation of Aeolus feature mask and particle extinction coefficient profile products using CALIPSO data
Assessment of the impact of NO2 contribution on aerosol-optical-depth measurements at several sites worldwide
Improved mean field estimates from the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) Level-3 aerosol optical depth (L3 AOD) product: using spatiotemporal variability
Evaluation of on-site calibration procedures for SKYNET Prede POM sun–sky photometers
Aerosol optical property measurement using the orbiting high-spectral-resolution lidar on board the DQ-1 satellite: retrieval and validation
Regional validation of the solar irradiance tool SolaRes in clear-sky conditions, with a focus on the aerosol module
An empirical characterization of the aerosol Ångström exponent interpolation bias using SAGE III/ISS data
Retrievals of aerosol optical depth over the western North Atlantic Ocean during ACTIVATE
Characterization of dust aerosols from ALADIN and CALIOP measurements
Lidar depolarization characterization using a reference system
Algorithm evaluation for polarimetric remote sensing of atmospheric aerosols
Validation of initial observation from the first spaceborne high-spectral-resolution lidar with a ground-based lidar network
Ozone and aerosol optical depth retrievals using the ultraviolet multi-filter rotating shadow-band radiometer
Aerosol layer height (ALH) retrievals from oxygen absorption bands: Intercomparison and validation among different satellite platforms, GEMS, EPIC, and TROPOMI
Expanding the coverage of Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) aerosol retrievals over shallow, turbid, and eutrophic waters
Aerosol properties derived from ground-based Fourier transform spectra within the COllaborative Carbon Column Observing Network
Spectral aerosol optical depth from SI-traceable spectral solar irradiance measurements
Quality assessment of aerosol lidars at 1064 nm in the framework of the MEMO campaign
Satellite-based, top-down approach for the adjustment of aerosol precursor emissions over East Asia: the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) NO2 product and the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) aerosol optical depth (AOD) data fusion product and its proxy
Assessment of severe aerosol events from NASA MODIS and VIIRS aerosol products for data assimilation and climate continuity
First assessment of Aeolus Standard Correct Algorithm particle backscatter coefficient retrievals in the eastern Mediterranean
Remote sensing of aerosol water fraction, dry size distribution and soluble fraction using multi-angle, multi-spectral polarimetry
Estimates of remote sensing retrieval errors by the GRASP algorithm: application to ground-based observations, concept and validation
Sensitivity of aerosol optical depth trends using long-term measurements of different sun photometers
Extended validation and evaluation of the OLCI–SLSTR SYNERGY aerosol product (SY_2_AOD) on Sentinel-3
Performance evaluation for retrieving aerosol optical depth from the Directional Polarimetric Camera (DPC) based on the GRASP algorithm
Assessment of tropospheric CALIPSO Version 4.2 aerosol types over the ocean using independent CALIPSO–SODA lidar ratios
Real-time UV index retrieval in Europe using Earth observation-based techniques: system description and quality assessment
Evaluation of UV–visible MAX-DOAS aerosol profiling products by comparison with ceilometer, sun photometer, and in situ observations in Vienna, Austria
Experimental assessment of a micro-pulse lidar system in comparison with reference lidar measurements for aerosol optical properties retrieval
Characterization of aerosol size properties from measurements of spectral optical depth: a global validation of the GRASP-AOD code using long-term AERONET data
Retrieval of aerosol fine-mode fraction over China from satellite multiangle polarized observations: validation and comparison
Retrieval and evaluation of tropospheric-aerosol extinction profiles using multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) measurements over Athens, Greece
Empirically derived parameterizations of the direct aerosol radiative effect based on ORACLES aircraft observations
TROPOMI aerosol products: evaluation and observations of synoptic-scale carbonaceous aerosol plumes during 2018–2020
Combining low-cost, surface-based aerosol monitors with size-resolved satellite data for air quality applications
Interannual and seasonal variations in the aerosol optical depth of the atmosphere in two regions of Spitsbergen (2002–2018)
Evaluation of UV aerosol retrievals from an ozone lidar
Aerosol data assimilation in the MOCAGE chemical transport model during the TRAQA/ChArMEx campaign: lidar observations
Application of low-cost fine particulate mass monitors to convert satellite aerosol optical depth to surface concentrations in North America and Africa
Evaluation of the OMPS/LP stratospheric aerosol extinction product using SAGE III/ISS observations
A fast visible-wavelength 3D radiative transfer model for numerical weather prediction visualization and forward modeling
A first comparison of TROPOMI aerosol layer height (ALH) to CALIOP data
The 2018 fire season in North America as seen by TROPOMI: aerosol layer height intercomparisons and evaluation of model-derived plume heights
Evaluation of satellite-based aerosol datasets and the CAMS reanalysis over the ocean utilizing shipborne reference observations
Aerosol and cloud top height information of Envisat MIPAS measurements
Assessment of urban aerosol pollution over the Moscow megacity by the MAIAC aerosol product
Aerosol retrievals from different polarimeters during the ACEPOL campaign using a common retrieval algorithm
A review and framework for the evaluation of pixel-level uncertainty estimates in satellite aerosol remote sensing
Angelos Karanikolas, Natalia Kouremeti, Monica Campanelli, Victor Estellés, Masahiro Momoi, Gaurav Kumar, Stephan Nyeki, and Stelios Kazadzis
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 6085–6105, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6085-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-6085-2024, 2024
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Different sun photometer networks use different instruments, post-processing algorithms and calibration protocols for aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval. Such differences can affect the homogeneity and comparability of their measurements. In this study, we assess the homogeneity between the sun photometer networks GAW-PFR and SKYNET, analysing common measurements during three campaigns between 2017–2021, and investigate the main cause of the differences.
Ping Wang, David Patrick Donovan, Gerd-Jan van Zadelhoff, Jos de Kloe, Dorit Huber, and Katja Reissig
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5935–5955, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5935-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5935-2024, 2024
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We describe the new feature mask (AEL-FM) and aerosol profile retrieval (AEL-PRO) algorithms developed for Aeolus lidar and present the evaluation of the Aeolus products using CALIPSO data for dust aerosols over Africa. We have found that Aeolus and CALIPSO show similar aerosol patterns in the collocated orbits and have good agreement for the extinction coefficients for the dust aerosols, especially for the cloud-free scenes. The finding is applicable to Aeolus L2A product Baseline 17.
Akriti Masoom, Stelios Kazadzis, Masimo Valeri, Ioannis-Panagiotis Raptis, Gabrielle Brizzi, Kyriakoula Papachristopoulou, Francesca Barnaba, Stefano Casadio, Axel Kreuter, and Fabrizio Niro
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5525–5549, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5525-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5525-2024, 2024
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Aerosols, which have a wide impact on climate, radiative forcing, and human health, are widely represented by aerosol optical depth (AOD). AOD retrievals require Rayleigh scattering and atmospheric absorption (ozone, NO2, etc.) corrections. We analysed the NO2 (which has a high spatiotemporal variation) uncertainty impact on AOD retrievals using the synergy of co-located ground-based instruments with a long-term dataset at worldwide sites and found significant AOD over- or underestimations.
Sooyon Kim, Yeseul Cho, Hanjeong Ki, Seyoung Park, Dagun Oh, Seungjun Lee, Yeonghye Cho, Jhoon Kim, Wonjin Lee, Jaewoo Park, Ick Hoon Jin, and Sangwook Kang
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5221–5241, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5221-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5221-2024, 2024
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This paper describes new work that improves the processing of GEMS AOD data. First, we enhance the inverse-distance-weighting algorithm by incorporating quality flag information, assigning weights that are inversely proportional to the number of unreliable grids. Second, we leverage a spatiotemporal merging method to address both spatial and temporal variability. Finally, we estimate the mean field values for GEMS AOD data, enhancing our understanding of the impact of aerosols on climate change.
Monica Campanelli, Victor Estellés, Gaurav Kumar, Teruyuki Nakajima, Masahiro Momoi, Julian Gröbner, Stelios Kazadzis, Natalia Kouremeti, Angelos Karanikolas, Africa Barreto, Saulius Nevas, Kerstin Schwind, Philipp Schneider, Iiro Harju, Petri Kärhä, Henri Diémoz, Rei Kudo, Akihiro Uchiyama, Akihiro Yamazaki, Anna Maria Iannarelli, Gabriele Mevi, Annalisa Di Bernardino, and Stefano Casadio
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 5029–5050, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5029-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-5029-2024, 2024
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To retrieve columnar aerosol properties from sun photometers, some calibration factors are needed. The on-site calibrations, performed as frequently as possible to monitor changes in the machine conditions, allow operators to track and evaluate the calibration status on a continuous basis, reducing the data gaps incurred by the periodic shipments for performing centralized calibrations. The performance of the on-site calibration procedures was evaluated, providing very good results.
Chenxing Zha, Lingbing Bu, Zhi Li, Qin Wang, Ahmad Mubarak, Pasindu Liyanage, Jiqiao Liu, and Weibiao Chen
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4425–4443, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4425-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4425-2024, 2024
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China has launched the atmospheric environment monitoring satellite DQ-1, which consists of an advanced lidar system. Our research presents a retrieval algorithm of the DQ-1 lidar system, and the retrieval results are consistent with other datasets. We also use the DQ-1 dataset to investigate dust and volcanic aerosols. This research shows that the DQ-1 lidar system can accurately measure the Earth's atmosphere and has potential for scientific applications.
Thierry Elias, Nicolas Ferlay, Gabriel Chesnoiu, Isabelle Chiapello, and Mustapha Moulana
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 4041–4063, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4041-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-4041-2024, 2024
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In the solar energy application field, it is key to simulate solar resources anywhere on the globe. We conceived the Solar Resource estimate (SolaRes) tool to provide precise and accurate estimates of solar resources for any solar plant technology. We present the validation of SolaRes by comparing estimates with measurements made on two ground-based platforms in northern France for 2 years at 1 min resolution. Validation is done in clear-sky conditions where aerosols are the main factors.
Robert P. Damadeo, Viktoria F. Sofieva, Alexei Rozanov, and Larry W. Thomason
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 3669–3678, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3669-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-3669-2024, 2024
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Comparing different aerosol data sets for scientific studies often requires converting aerosol extinction data between different wavelengths. A common approximation for the spectral behavior of aerosol is the Ångström formula; however, this introduces biases. Using measurements across many different wavelengths from a single instrument, we derive an empirical relationship to both characterize this bias and offer a correction for other studies that may employ this analysis approach.
Leong Wai Siu, Joseph S. Schlosser, David Painemal, Brian Cairns, Marta A. Fenn, Richard A. Ferrare, Johnathan W. Hair, Chris A. Hostetler, Longlei Li, Mary M. Kleb, Amy Jo Scarino, Taylor J. Shingler, Armin Sorooshian, Snorre A. Stamnes, and Xubin Zeng
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 2739–2759, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2739-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2739-2024, 2024
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An unprecedented 3-year aerosol dataset was collected from a recent NASA field campaign over the western North Atlantic Ocean, which offers a special opportunity to evaluate two state-of-the-art remote sensing instruments, one lidar and the other polarimeter, on the same aircraft. Special attention has been paid to validate aerosol optical depth data and their uncertainties when no reference dataset is available. Physical reasons for the disagreement between two instruments are discussed.
Rui Song, Adam Povey, and Roy G. Grainger
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 2521–2538, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2521-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2521-2024, 2024
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In our study, we explored aerosols, tiny atmospheric particles affecting the Earth's climate. Using data from two lidar-equipped satellites, ALADIN and CALIOP, we examined a 2020 Saharan dust event. The newer ALADIN's results aligned with CALIOP's. By merging their data, we corrected CALIOP's discrepancies, enhancing the dust event depiction. This underscores the significance of advanced satellite instruments in aerosol research. Our findings pave the way for upcoming satellite missions.
Alkistis Papetta, Franco Marenco, Maria Kezoudi, Rodanthi-Elisavet Mamouri, Argyro Nisantzi, Holger Baars, Ioana Elisabeta Popovici, Philippe Goloub, Stéphane Victori, and Jean Sciare
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 1721–1738, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1721-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1721-2024, 2024
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We propose a method to determine depolarization parameters using observations from a reference instrument at a nearby location, needed for systems where a priori knowledge of cross-talk parameters is not available. It uses three-parameter equations to compare VDR between two co-located lidars at dust and molecular layers. It can be applied retrospectively to existing data acquired during campaigns. Its application to Cimel CE376 corrected VDR bias at high- and low-depolarizing layers.
Otto Hasekamp, Pavel Litvinov, Guangliang Fu, Cheng Chen, and Oleg Dubovik
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 1497–1525, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1497-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1497-2024, 2024
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Aerosols are particles in the atmosphere that cool the climate by reflecting and absorbing sunlight (direct effect) and changing cloud properties (indirect effect). The scale of aerosol cooling is uncertain, hampering accurate climate predictions. We compare two algorithms for the retrieval of aerosol properties from multi-angle polarimetric measurements: Generalized Retrieval of Atmosphere and Surface Properties (GRASP) and Remote sensing of Trace gas and Aerosol Products (RemoTAP).
Qiantao Liu, Zhongwei Huang, Jiqiao Liu, Weibiao Chen, Qingqing Dong, Songhua Wu, Guangyao Dai, Meishi Li, Wuren Li, Ze Li, Xiaodong Song, and Yuan Xie
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 1403–1417, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1403-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1403-2024, 2024
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The achieved results revealed that the ACDL observations were in good agreement with the ground-based lidar measurements during dust events. The heights of cloud top and bottom from these two measurements were well matched and comparable. This study proves that the ACDL provides reliable observations of aerosol and cloud in the presence of various climatic conditions, which helps to further evaluate the impacts of aerosol on climate and the environment, as well as on the ecosystem in the future.
Joseph Michalsky and Glen McConville
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 17, 1017–1022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1017-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-1017-2024, 2024
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The ozone in the atmosphere is measured by looking at the sun and measuring how diminished the light in the ultraviolet is relative to how bright it is above the Earth's atmosphere. This typically uses spectral instruments that are either costly or no longer manufactured. This paper uses a relatively inexpensive interference filter instrument to perform the same task. Daily ozone measurements with the latter and this filter instrument are compared. Aerosols are calculated as a by-product.
Hyerim Kim, Xi Chen, Jun Wang, Zhendong Lu, Meng Zhou, Gregory Carmichael, Sang Seo Park, and Jhoon Kim
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-3115, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-3115, 2024
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We compare aerosol layer height (ALH) derived from satellite platforms (GEMS, EPIC, TROPOMI). Validation against CALIOP shows high correlation for EPIC and TROPOMI (R > 0.7, overestimation ~0.8 km), while GEMS displays minimal bias (0.1 km) with a lower correlation (R = 0.64). Categorizing GEMS ALH with UVAI ≥ 3 improves agreement. GEMS exhibits a narrower ALH range and lower mean value than TROPOMI and EPIC. Diurnal variation of EPIC and GEMS ALH aligns with the boundary layer development.
Robert R. Nelson, Marcin L. Witek, Michael J. Garay, Michael A. Bull, James A. Limbacher, Ralph A. Kahn, and David J. Diner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 4947–4960, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4947-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4947-2023, 2023
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Shallow and coastal waters are nutrient-rich and turbid due to runoff. They are also located in areas where the atmosphere has more aerosols than open-ocean waters. NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) has been monitoring aerosols for over 23 years but does not report results over shallow waters. We developed a new algorithm that uses all four of MISR’s bands and considers light leaving water surfaces. This algorithm performs well and increases over-water measurements by over 7 %.
Óscar Alvárez, África Barreto, Omaira E. García, Frank Hase, Rosa D. García, Julian Gröbner, Sergio F. León-Luis, Eliezer Sepúlveda, Virgilio Carreño, Antonio Alcántara, Ramón Ramos, A. Fernando Almansa, Stelios Kazadzis, Noémie Taquet, Carlos Toledano, and Emilio Cuevas
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 4861–4884, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4861-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4861-2023, 2023
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In this work, we have extended the capabilities of a portable Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) instrument, which was originally designed to provide high-quality greenhouse gas monitoring within COCCON (COllaborative Carbon Column Observing Network). The extension allows the spectrometer to now also provide coincidentally column-integrated aerosol information. This addition of a reference instrument to a global network will be utilised to enhance our understanding of atmospheric chemistry.
Julian Gröbner, Natalia Kouremeti, Gregor Hülsen, Ralf Zuber, Mario Ribnitzky, Saulius Nevas, Peter Sperfeld, Kerstin Schwind, Philipp Schneider, Stelios Kazadzis, África Barreto, Tom Gardiner, Kavitha Mottungan, David Medland, and Marc Coleman
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 4667–4680, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4667-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4667-2023, 2023
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Spectral solar irradiance measurements traceable to the International System of Units (SI) allow for intercomparability between instruments and for their validation according to metrological standards. Here we also validate and reduce the uncertainties of the top-of-atmosphere TSIS-1 Hybrid Solar Reference Spectrum (HSRS). The management of large networks, e.g. AERONET or GAW-PFR, will benefit from reducing logistical overhead, improving their resilience and achieving metrological traceability.
Longlong Wang, Zhenping Yin, Zhichao Bu, Anzhou Wang, Song Mao, Yang Yi, Detlef Müller, Yubao Chen, and Xuan Wang
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 4307–4318, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4307-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4307-2023, 2023
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We report the lidar inter-comparison results with a reference lidar at 1064 nm, in order to homogenize the signals provided by different lidar systems for establishing a lidar network in China. The profiles of relative deviation of lidar signals are less than 5 % within 500–2000 m and 10 % within 2000–5000 m, increasing confidence in the reliability of the signals provided by each lidar system in the channels at 1064 nm for a future lidar network in China.
Jincheol Park, Jia Jung, Yunsoo Choi, Hyunkwang Lim, Minseok Kim, Kyunghwa Lee, Yun Gon Lee, and Jhoon Kim
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 3039–3057, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3039-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3039-2023, 2023
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In response to the recent release of new geostationary platform-derived observational data generated by the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) and its sister instruments, this study utilized the GEMS data fusion product and its proxy data in adjusting aerosol precursor emissions over East Asia. The use of spatiotemporally more complete observation references in updating the emissions resulted in more promising model performances in estimating aerosol loadings in East Asia.
Amanda Gumber, Jeffrey S. Reid, Robert E. Holz, Thomas F. Eck, N. Christina Hsu, Robert C. Levy, Jianglong Zhang, and Paolo Veglio
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 2547–2573, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2547-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-2547-2023, 2023
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The purpose of this study is to create and evaluate a gridded dataset composed of multiple satellite instruments and algorithms to be used for data assimilation. An important part of aerosol data assimilation is having consistent measurements, especially for severe aerosol events. This study evaluates 4 years of data from MODIS, VIIRS, and AERONET with a focus on aerosol severe event detection from a regional and global perspective.
Antonis Gkikas, Anna Gialitaki, Ioannis Binietoglou, Eleni Marinou, Maria Tsichla, Nikolaos Siomos, Peristera Paschou, Anna Kampouri, Kalliopi Artemis Voudouri, Emmanouil Proestakis, Maria Mylonaki, Christina-Anna Papanikolaou, Konstantinos Michailidis, Holger Baars, Anne Grete Straume, Dimitris Balis, Alexandros Papayannis, Tomasso Parrinello, and Vassilis Amiridis
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 1017–1042, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-1017-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-1017-2023, 2023
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We perform an assessment analysis of the Aeolus Standard Correct Algorithm (SCA) backscatter coefficient retrievals against reference observations acquired at three Greek lidar stations (Athens, Thessaloniki and Antikythera) of the PANACEA network. Overall, 43 cases are analysed, whereas specific aerosol scenarios in the vicinity of Antikythera island (SW Greece) are emphasised. All key Cal/Val aspects and recommendations, and the ongoing related activities, are thoroughly discussed.
Bastiaan van Diedenhoven, Otto P. Hasekamp, Brian Cairns, Gregory L. Schuster, Snorre Stamnes, Michael Shook, and Luke Ziemba
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 7411–7434, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7411-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-7411-2022, 2022
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The strong variability in the chemistry of atmospheric particulate matter affects the amount of water aerosols absorb and their effect on climate. We present a remote sensing method to determine the amount of water in particulate matter. Its application to airborne instruments indicates that the observed aerosols have rather low water contents and low fractions of soluble particles. Future satellites will be able to yield global aerosol water uptake data.
Milagros E. Herrera, Oleg Dubovik, Benjamin Torres, Tatyana Lapyonok, David Fuertes, Anton Lopatin, Pavel Litvinov, Cheng Chen, Jose Antonio Benavent-Oltra, Juan L. Bali, and Pablo R. Ristori
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 6075–6126, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6075-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-6075-2022, 2022
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This study deals with the dynamic error estimates of the aerosol-retrieved properties by the GRASP algorithm, which are provided for directly retrieved and derived parameters. Moreover, GRASP provides full covariance matrices that appear to be a useful approach for optimizing observation schemes and retrieval set-ups. The validation of the retrieved dynamic error estimates is done through real and synthetic measurements using sun photometer and lidar observations.
Angelos Karanikolas, Natalia Kouremeti, Julian Gröbner, Luca Egli, and Stelios Kazadzis
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 5667–5680, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5667-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5667-2022, 2022
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The aim of this work is to investigate the limitations of calculating long-term trends of a parameter that quantifies the overall effect of atmospheric aerosols on the solar radiation. A main finding is that even instruments with good agreement between their observations can show significantly different linear trends. By calculating time-varying trends, the trend agreement is shown to improve. We also show that different methods of trend estimation can result in significant trend differences.
Larisa Sogacheva, Matthieu Denisselle, Pekka Kolmonen, Timo H. Virtanen, Peter North, Claire Henocq, Silvia Scifoni, and Steffen Dransfeld
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 5289–5322, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5289-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-5289-2022, 2022
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The aim of this study was to provide global characterisation of a new SYNERGY aerosol product derived from the data from the OLCI and SLSTR sensors aboard the Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B satellites. Over ocean, the performance of SYNERGY-retrieved AOD is good. Reduced performance over land was expected since the surface reflectance and angular distribution of scattering are more difficult to treat. Validation statistics are often slightly better for S3B and in the Southern Hemisphere.
Shikuan Jin, Yingying Ma, Cheng Chen, Oleg Dubovik, Jin Hong, Boming Liu, and Wei Gong
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 4323–4337, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4323-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-4323-2022, 2022
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Aerosol parameter retrievals have always been a research focus. In this study, we used an advanced aerosol algorithms (GRASP, developed by Oleg Dubovik) to test the ability of DPC/Gaofen-5 (the first polarized multi-angle payload developed in China) images to obtain aerosol parameters. The results show that DPC/GRASP achieves good results (R > 0.9). This research will contribute to the development of hardware and algorithms for aerosols
Zhujun Li, David Painemal, Gregory Schuster, Marian Clayton, Richard Ferrare, Mark Vaughan, Damien Josset, Jayanta Kar, and Charles Trepte
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 15, 2745–2766, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2745-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-15-2745-2022, 2022
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For more than 15 years, CALIPSO has revolutionized our understanding of the role of aerosols in climate. Here we evaluate CALIPSO aerosol typing over the ocean using an independent CALIPSO–CloudSat product. The analysis suggests that CALIPSO correctly categorizes clean marine aerosol over the open ocean, elevated smoke over the SE Atlantic, and dust over the tropical Atlantic. Similarities between clean and dusty marine over the open ocean implies that algorithm modifications are warranted.
Panagiotis G. Kosmopoulos, Stelios Kazadzis, Alois W. Schmalwieser, Panagiotis I. Raptis, Kyriakoula Papachristopoulou, Ilias Fountoulakis, Akriti Masoom, Alkiviadis F. Bais, Julia Bilbao, Mario Blumthaler, Axel Kreuter, Anna Maria Siani, Kostas Eleftheratos, Chrysanthi Topaloglou, Julian Gröbner, Bjørn Johnsen, Tove M. Svendby, Jose Manuel Vilaplana, Lionel Doppler, Ann R. Webb, Marina Khazova, Hugo De Backer, Anu Heikkilä, Kaisa Lakkala, Janusz Jaroslawski, Charikleia Meleti, Henri Diémoz, Gregor Hülsen, Barbara Klotz, John Rimmer, and Charalampos Kontoes
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 5657–5699, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5657-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5657-2021, 2021
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Large-scale retrievals of the ultraviolet index (UVI) in real time by exploiting the modern Earth observation data and techniques are capable of forming operational early warning systems that raise awareness among citizens of the health implications of high UVI doses. In this direction a novel UVI operating system, the so-called UVIOS, was introduced for massive outputs, while its performance was tested against ground-based measurements revealing a dependence on the input quality and resolution.
Stefan F. Schreier, Tim Bösch, Andreas Richter, Kezia Lange, Michael Revesz, Philipp Weihs, Mihalis Vrekoussis, and Christoph Lotteraner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 5299–5318, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5299-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5299-2021, 2021
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This paper reports on the evaluation of aerosol profiling products retrieved from ground-based MAX-DOAS instruments using the BOREAS algorithm. Aerosol extinction profiles, near-surface aerosol extinction, and aerosol optical depth are compared to measurements collected with ceilometer, sun photometer, and in situ instruments. We show that these MAX-DOAS aerosol profiling products provide useful information to study spatial and temporal variations above the urban area of Vienna.
Carmen Córdoba-Jabonero, Albert Ansmann, Cristofer Jiménez, Holger Baars, María-Ángeles López-Cayuela, and Ronny Engelmann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 5225–5239, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5225-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5225-2021, 2021
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An experimental assessment of a polarized micro-pulse lidar (P-MPL) in comparison to reference lidars is presented regarding the retrieval of aerosol optical properties. The evaluation is focused on both the optimally determined overlap function and volume linear depolarization ratio. A P-MPL overlap must be regularly estimated to derive suitable aerosol products (backscatter, extinction, and particle depolarization ratio). This methodology can be easily applied to other P-MPL systems.
Benjamin Torres and David Fuertes
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 4471–4506, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4471-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-4471-2021, 2021
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The article shows the capacity of the new GRASP-AOD approach to be used for large datasets of aerosol optical depth from ground-based observations, through a comparison with standard AERONET codes. This new approach reduces the requirements in terms of measurements (no need of scattering information) to derive some basic aerosol size and optical properties. A broad use of this algorithm would increase the datasets of aerosol properties from ground-based observations.
Yang Zhang, Zhengqiang Li, Zhihong Liu, Yongqian Wang, Lili Qie, Yisong Xie, Weizhen Hou, and Lu Leng
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 1655–1672, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1655-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-1655-2021, 2021
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The aerosol fine-mode fraction (FMF) is an important parameter reflecting the content of man-made aerosols. This study carried out the retrieval of FMF in China based on multi-angle polarization data and validated the results. The results of this study can contribute to the FMF retrieval algorithm of multi-angle polarization sensors. At the same time, a high-precision FMF dataset of China was obtained, which can provide basic data for atmospheric environment research.
Myrto Gratsea, Tim Bösch, Panagiotis Kokkalis, Andreas Richter, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Stelios Kazadzis, Alexandra Tsekeri, Alexandros Papayannis, Maria Mylonaki, Vassilis Amiridis, Nikos Mihalopoulos, and Evangelos Gerasopoulos
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 749–767, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-749-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-749-2021, 2021
Sabrina P. Cochrane, K. Sebastian Schmidt, Hong Chen, Peter Pilewskie, Scott Kittelman, Jens Redemann, Samuel LeBlanc, Kristina Pistone, Meloë Kacenelenbogen, Michal Segal Rozenhaimer, Yohei Shinozuka, Connor Flynn, Amie Dobracki, Paquita Zuidema, Steven Howell, Steffen Freitag, and Sarah Doherty
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 567–593, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-567-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-567-2021, 2021
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Based on observations from the 2016 and 2017 field campaigns of ORACLES (ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS), this work establishes an observationally driven link from mid-visible aerosol optical depth (AOD) and other scene parameters to broadband shortwave irradiance (and by extension the direct aerosol radiative effect, DARE). The majority of the case-to-case DARE variability within the ORACLES dataset is attributable to the dependence on AOD and scene albedo.
Omar Torres, Hiren Jethva, Changwoo Ahn, Glen Jaross, and Diego G. Loyola
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 6789–6806, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6789-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6789-2020, 2020
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TROPOMI measures the quantity of small suspended particles (aerosols). We describe initial results of aerosol measurements using a NASA algorithm that retrieves the UV aerosol index, aerosol optical depth, and single-scattering albedo. An evaluation of derived products using sun-photometer observations shows close agreement. We also use these results to discuss important biomass burning and wildfire events around the world that got the attention of scientists and news media alike.
Priyanka deSouza, Ralph A. Kahn, James A. Limbacher, Eloise A. Marais, Fábio Duarte, and Carlo Ratti
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 5319–5334, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5319-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5319-2020, 2020
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This paper presents a novel method to constrain the size distribution derived from low-cost optical particle counters (OPCs) using satellite data to develop higher-quality particulate matter (PM) estimates. Such estimates can enable cities that do not have access to expensive reference air quality monitors, especially those in the global south, to develop effective air quality management plans.
Dmitry M. Kabanov, Christoph Ritter, and Sergey M. Sakerin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 5303–5317, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5303-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5303-2020, 2020
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Long-term photometer measurements of two sites on Spitsbergen, Barentsburg and Ny-Ålesund, in the European Arctic are presented and compared. We find slightly higher aerosol optical depths at Barentsburg and attribute this to a higher concentration of small particles.
Shi Kuang, Bo Wang, Michael J. Newchurch, Kevin Knupp, Paula Tucker, Edwin W. Eloranta, Joseph P. Garcia, Ilya Razenkov, John T. Sullivan, Timothy A. Berkoff, Guillaume Gronoff, Liqiao Lei, Christoph J. Senff, Andrew O. Langford, Thierry Leblanc, and Vijay Natraj
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 5277–5292, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5277-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-5277-2020, 2020
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Ozone lidar is a state-of-the-art remote-sensing instrument to measure atmospheric ozone concentrations with high spatiotemporal resolution. In this study, we show that an ozone lidar can also provide reliable aerosol measurements through intercomparison with colocated aerosol lidar observations.
Laaziz El Amraoui, Bojan Sič, Andrea Piacentini, Virginie Marécal, Nicolas Frebourg, and Jean-Luc Attié
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 4645–4667, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4645-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-4645-2020, 2020
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The aim of this paper is to present the assimilation of lidar observations from the CALIOP instrument onboard the CALIPSO satellite in the chemistry-transport model of Météo-France, MOCAGE. We presented the first results of the assimilation of the extinction coefficient observations of the CALIOP lidar instrument during the pre-ChArMEx-TRAQA field campaign. We evaluated the added value of the assimilation product to better document a desert dust transport event compared to the model free run.
Carl Malings, Daniel M. Westervelt, Aliaksei Hauryliuk, Albert A. Presto, Andrew Grieshop, Ashley Bittner, Matthias Beekmann, and R. Subramanian
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 3873–3892, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3873-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3873-2020, 2020
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Most air quality information comes from accurate but expensive instruments. These can be supplemented by lower-cost sensors to increase the density of ground data and expand monitoring into less well-instrumented areas, like sub-Saharan Africa. In this paper, we look at how low-cost sensor data can be combined with satellite information on air quality (which requires ground data to properly calibrate measurements) and assess the benefits these low-cost sensors provide in this context.
Zhong Chen, Pawan K. Bhartia, Omar Torres, Glen Jaross, Robert Loughman, Matthew DeLand, Peter Colarco, Robert Damadeo, and Ghassan Taha
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 3471–3485, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3471-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3471-2020, 2020
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The scope of the paper is the evaluation of stratospheric aerosols derived from the OMPS/LP instrument via comparison with independent datasets from the SAGE III/ISS instrument. Results show very good agreement for extinction profiles between an altitude of 19 and 27 km, to within ±25 %, and show systematic differences (LP-SAGE III/ISS) above 28 km and below 19 km (greater than ±25 %).
Steven Albers, Stephen M. Saleeby, Sonia Kreidenweis, Qijing Bian, Peng Xian, Zoltan Toth, Ravan Ahmadov, Eric James, and Steven D. Miller
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 3235–3261, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3235-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3235-2020, 2020
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A fast 3D visible-light forward operator is used to realistically visualize, validate, and potentially assimilate ground- and space-based camera and satellite imagery with NWP models. Three-dimensional fields of hydrometeors, aerosols, and 2D land surface variables are considered in the generation of radiance fields and RGB imagery from a variety of vantage points.
Swadhin Nanda, Martin de Graaf, J. Pepijn Veefkind, Maarten Sneep, Mark ter Linden, Jiyunting Sun, and Pieternel F. Levelt
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 3043–3059, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3043-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-3043-2020, 2020
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This paper presents a first validation of the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) aerosol layer height (ALH) product, which is an estimate of the height of an aerosol layer using a spectrometer on board ESA's Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite mission. Comparison between the TROPOMI ALH product and co-located aerosol extinction heights from the CALIOP instrument on board NASA's CALIPSO mission show good agreement for selected cases over the ocean and large differences over land.
Debora Griffin, Christopher Sioris, Jack Chen, Nolan Dickson, Andrew Kovachik, Martin de Graaf, Swadhin Nanda, Pepijn Veefkind, Enrico Dammers, Chris A. McLinden, Paul Makar, and Ayodeji Akingunola
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 1427–1445, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-1427-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-1427-2020, 2020
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This study looks into validating the aerosol layer height product from the recently launched TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) for forest fire plume through comparisons with two other satellite products, and interpreting differences due to the individual measurement techniques. These satellite observations are compared to predicted plume heights from Environment and Climate Change's air quality forecast model.
Jonas Witthuhn, Anja Hünerbein, and Hartwig Deneke
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 1387–1412, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-1387-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-1387-2020, 2020
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Reliable reference measurements over ocean are essential for the evaluation and improvement of satellite- and model-based aerosol datasets. Here, a uniqe set of shipborne reference aerosol products obtained from Microtops sunphotometer and GUVis-3511 shadowband radiometer observations are compared to aerosol products from the MODIS and SEVIRI satellite sensors, and the CAMS reanalysis over the Atlantic Ocean. The present evaluation highlights the importance of an aerosol-type based analysis.
Sabine Griessbach, Lars Hoffmann, Reinhold Spang, Peggy Achtert, Marc von Hobe, Nina Mateshvili, Rolf Müller, Martin Riese, Christian Rolf, Patric Seifert, and Jean-Paul Vernier
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 1243–1271, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-1243-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-1243-2020, 2020
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In this paper we study the cloud top height derived from MIPAS measurements. Previous studies showed contradictory results with respect to MIPAS, both underestimating and overestimating cloud top height. We used simulations and found that overestimation and/or underestimation depend on cloud extinction. To support our findings we compared MIPAS cloud top heights of volcanic sulfate aerosol with measurements from CALIOP, ground-based lidar, and ground-based twilight measurements.
Ekaterina Y. Zhdanova, Natalia Y. Chubarova, and Alexei I. Lyapustin
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 877–891, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-877-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-877-2020, 2020
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We estimated the distribution of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) with a spatial resolution of 1 km over the Moscow megacity using the MAIAC satellite aerosol product from May to September over the years 2000–2017. We revealed that the MAIAC product is a reliable instrument for assessing the spatial features of urban aerosol pollution and its temporal dynamics. The local aerosol effect is about 0.02–0.04 in AOT in the visible spectral range over the Moscow megacity.
Guangliang Fu, Otto Hasekamp, Jeroen Rietjens, Martijn Smit, Antonio Di Noia, Brian Cairns, Andrzej Wasilewski, David Diner, Felix Seidel, Feng Xu, Kirk Knobelspiesse, Meng Gao, Arlindo da Silva, Sharon Burton, Chris Hostetler, John Hair, and Richard Ferrare
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 553–573, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-553-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-553-2020, 2020
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In this paper, we present aerosol retrieval results from the ACEPOL (Aerosol Characterization from Polarimeter and Lidar) campaign, which was a joint initiative between NASA and SRON (the Netherlands Institute for Space Research). We perform aerosol retrievals from different multi-angle polarimeters employed during the ACEPOL campaign and evaluate them against ground-based AERONET measurements and High Spectral Resolution Lidar-2 (HSRL-2) measurements.
Andrew M. Sayer, Yves Govaerts, Pekka Kolmonen, Antti Lipponen, Marta Luffarelli, Tero Mielonen, Falguni Patadia, Thomas Popp, Adam C. Povey, Kerstin Stebel, and Marcin L. Witek
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 13, 373–404, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-373-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-373-2020, 2020
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Satellite measurements of the Earth are routinely processed to estimate useful quantities; one example is the amount of atmospheric aerosols (which are particles such as mineral dust, smoke, volcanic ash, or sea spray). As with all measurements and inferred quantities, there is some degree of uncertainty in this process.
There are various methods to estimate these uncertainties. A related question is the following: how reliable are these estimates? This paper presents a method to assess them.
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Short summary
The intercomparison of satellite- and ground-measured aerosol absorption properties, such as presented here using Aura-OMI and SKYNET sensors, constitutes an important exercise to evaluate relative performance, track algorithm changes, and to diagnose retrieval accuracy and issues. The two datasets are found to agree reasonably well under moderate to higher aerosol loading but show disagreement under lower aerosol amounts due to retrieval issues in both techniques.
The intercomparison of satellite- and ground-measured aerosol absorption properties, such as...
