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Measurement of Aerosols Optical Thickness of the Atmosphere using the GLOBE Handheld Sun Photometer
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Inferring aerosol layer properties from the spatial structure of satellite images
Applied Optics
|February 15, 2008
Summary
Satellite images are blurred by atmospheric aerosols. This study shows aerosol properties like height and optical depth can be determined from images if ground reflectivity variations are known.
Area of Science:
- Remote Sensing
- Atmospheric Science
- Optics
Background:
- Atmospheric aerosols significantly impact satellite image quality by causing blurring.
- Understanding aerosol properties is crucial for accurate remote sensing applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of extracting aerosol properties from satellite imagery.
- To determine if aerosol layer height and optical depth can be evaluated.
Main Methods:
- Modeling light scattering from an aerosol layer over surfaces with known reflectivity variations.
- Utilizing a single scattering approximation for analysis.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that aerosol properties can be extracted from satellite images.
- Confirmed that aerosol layer height and optical depth are derivable parameters.
Conclusions:
- The study validates the possibility of retrieving aerosol characteristics from satellite data.
- Knowledge of ground reflectivity variations is essential for accurate retrieval.
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