Download or read book Improved Retrieval of Aerosol Optical Depth by Satellite written by Easan Evans Drury and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We further improve the AOD retrieval method using an extensive ensemble of aircraft, ground-based, and satellite aerosol observations during the ICARTT field campaign over eastern North America in summer 2004. The aircraft measurements show narrower aerosol size distributions than those typically assumed in models, and correcting this leads to higher model and satellite retrieved AODs. We find that single scattering albedos calculated assuming externally mixed aerosol more closely represent observations than those calculated assuming internal mixing. Our improved MODIS AOD retrieval compares well to the ground-based AERONET data (R = 0.84, slope = 1.02), significantly improving on the MODIS operational products. Inference of surface PM 2.5 from our MODIS AOD retrieval shows good correlation to the EPA-AQS data (R = 0.78) but a high regression slope (slope = 1.48). The high slope is seen in all AOD inferred PM2 5 concentrations (AERONET: slope = 2.04; MODIS c005: slope = 1.51) and is caused by an overestimate of PM2 5 over strong source regions which could reflect the mid day peak in sulfate concentrations corresponding to AOD sampling times.