A comparison of atmospheric aerosol measurements by various satellite sensors

Investigations to measure the vertical optical thickness of aerosols over ocean surfaces has been conducted using several different satellite sensors. Landsat 1 and Landsat 2 data originally confirmed that a linear relationship exists between the upwelling visible radiance and the aerosol optical thickness (about 90% of this thickness is generally in the lowest 3 km of the atmosphere). Similar relationships have also been found for sensors on GOES-1, SMS-2, NOAA-5, and NOAA-6 satellites. The linear relationship has been shown theoretically to vary with the aerosol properties, such as size distribution and refractive index, although the Landsat data obtained at San Diego showed little variability in the relationship. The differences between the results found for the various satellite sensors are discussed, and are attributed mainly to uncertainties in the calibration of the sensors. To investigate the general applicability of the technique to different locations, a global-scale ground truth experiment was conducted with the AVHRR sensor on NOAA-6 to determine the relationship at eleven ocean sites around the globe. Analysis of the data shows good agreement between the satellite and ground truth values of the aerosol optical thickness, and indicates that the technique has global application. At two of the sites, multispectral radiometric measurements of the Junge aerosol size distribution parameter were made, and showed good agreement with a value inferred from the AVHRR Channels 1 and 2 radiances.     

Satellite measurements of tropospheric aerosols

The ability to measure tropospheric aerosols over ocean surfaces has been demonstrated using several different satellite sensors. Landsat data originally showed that a linear relationship exists between the upwelling visible radiance and the aerosol optical thickness (about 90% of this thickness is generally in the lowest 3 km of the atmosphere). Similar relationships have also been found for sensors on GOES, NOAA-5 and NOAA-6 satellites. The linear relationship has been shown theoretically to vary with the aerosol properties, such as size distribution and refractive index, although the Landsat data obtained at San Diego showed little variability in the relationship. To investigate the general applicability of the technique to different locations, a global-scale ground-truth experiment was conducted in 1980 with the AVHRR sensor on NOAA-6 to determine the relationship at ten ocean sites around the globe. The data for four sites have been analyzed, and show excellent agreement between the aerosol content measured by the AVHRR and by sunphotometers at San Diego, Sable Island and San Juan, but at Barbados, the AVHRR appears to overestimate the aerosol content. The reason for the different relationship at the Barbados site has not been definitely established, but is most likely related to problems in interpreting the sunphotometer data rather than to a real overestimation by the AVHRR. A preliminary analysis of AVHRR Channel 1 (0.65 μm) and Channel 2 (0.85 μm) radiances suggest that useful information on the aerosol size distribution may also be obtained from satellite observations.     

ISCCP cloud analysis algorithm intercomparison

The International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) will provide a uniform global climatology of satellite-measured radiances and derive a climatology of cloud radiative properties from these radiances. For this purpose, a pilot study of cloud analysis algorithms was initiated to define a state-of-the-art algorithm for ISCCP. This study compared the results of applying the nine different algorithms to the same satellite radiance data. The comparison allowed for a sharper understanding of the process of detecting clouds and shows that all algorithms can be improved by better information about clear sky radiance values (essentially equivalent to surface property information) and by better understanding of cloud size distribution variations. The dependence of all methods on cloud size distribution led to selection of an advanced bispectral threshold technique for ISCCP because this method is currently better understood and more developed. Further research on cloud algorithms is clearly suggested by these results.     

Retrieval of aerosol optical characteristics from polarization measurements of reflected solar radiation above the oceans

The reflected near infrared solar radiation observed from space above the oceans is due mainly to the atmosphere scattering, as the ocean surface is nearly black. The molecular Rayleigh contribution is also minimized at infrared wavelengths and it can be evaluated. It is shown that the degree of polarization is much more sensitive to the aerosol properties than the radiance. Measurements of polarization at two wavelengths and with an angular scanning are simulated and an inversion algorithm is proposed. It aims at finding an “equivalent aerosol model,” which reproduces the optical thickness and the asymmetry factor of the actual aerosol at all wavelengths in the solar spectrum.     

Can turbidity measurements be used for the estimation of aerosol parameters?

In a previous paper the authors showed that the aerosol size distribution can be estimated with reasonable accuracy from spectral extinction measurements in a limited spectral region (λ ≤ 1 μm) only. Using the same method it will be discussed if the anticipated WMO turbidity network with four spectral channels has the potential of estimating the aerosol size distribution.     

星下目标的光谱反射特性分析及云层的自动识别

本文着重讨论了遥感数据的实时分类和星载相机快门的自动关启问题.首先建立了计算各类目标景象亮度的物理模型,分析了大气等因素对遥感数据的影响及各类自然目标的光谱反射特性,计算了三十四种目标在九种大气条件下的亮度值.进而提出了识别植被、土壤、水、冰雪和云等五类目标的最佳波段和分类函数及分类流程图,得到了很高的分类精度.然后又特别讨论了云层和所有非云目标(包括混合目标)的分类问题,并用密度计测量了十张MSS卫星图片上的180个目标的亮度值.最后提出了云层开关的实现途径和系统设计的基本思想.      

观测路径和光谱分辨率对吸收性气溶胶指数的影响

吸收性气溶胶指数（AAI）在监测污染物方面有较好的应用,其反演结果受边界层高度、云高、相对湿度以及仪器指标和观测几何路径等因素影响.利用大气辐射传输模型MODTRAN,对辐射传输方程中多次散射计算的不同近似方法和不同观测几何角度下的AAI进行模拟,研究这些因素对AAI结果的作用,并分析仪器光谱分辨率对AAI探测结果的影响.结果表明,折衷考虑计算效率与精度的情况下,应选择8流近似的离散坐标法进行带有多次散射计算的辐射方程解析.AAI在不同浓度和不同类型气溶胶下随观测角度变化的趋势相同:相对方位角<120°时,AAI误差在太阳天顶角和卫星方位角均为40°～60°时最大;相对方位角在120°～180°时误差均较小;光谱分辨率对AAI反演结果无明显影响.      

Boundary layer aerosol retrieval from thermal infrared nadir sounding – Preliminary results

A non-empirical algorithm is presented to retrieve the optical depth in the 750–1250 cm⁻¹ spectral range, of aerosol located in the boundary layer over the ocean, from nadir high-resolution radiance spectra in the thermal infrared. The algorithm is based on a line-by-line radiative transfer forward model and used the Optimal Estimation Method for the retrieval. Its performance strongly depends on the quality of the a priori temperature and H₂O atmospheric profiles. To demonstrate the relevance of the algorithm, distributions of maritime aerosol parameters have been retrieved from IMG/ADEOS data for December 1996, using the algorithm with the LBLRTM radiative transfer code, and ERA40 (ECMWF) a priori atmospheric profiles and surface conditions.     

Aerosol observations from Nimbus-7 CZCS along the South African West Coast

In the course of the South African participation in the Nimbus-7 CZCS project, a fair amount of cloud-free data were collected along the South African West Coast, mainly to study upwelling phenomena. Examples of aerosol radiance maps produced during analysis of these data, including some anomalous results, are discussed.     

Passive remote sensing of aerosols from space now and in the future

Aerosols modify scattered solar radiation leaving the atmosphere and this fact will be exploited to determine the aerosol optical depth. The interaction processes between solar radiation and aerosol particles are outlined. A quasi-linear relationship (‘conversion curves’) between the radiance at the satellite, L_sat, and the aerosol optical depth, a_Dλ, is found from both numerical and empirical studies. Because L_sat is not only controlled by a_Dλ, but also by a series of other atmospheric parameters (perturbing quantities), the concept of ‘favourable viewing conditions’ is presented, where the effects of the perturbing quantities are minimal. The paper ends with some lines of thought on a concept for a turbidity satellite.     

复杂背景红外成像系统作用距离估算方法

传统红外成像系统作用距离模型只有在背景单一不变的条件下有效,引入概率分布的思想对传统作用距离方程进行了改进,将方程中的作用距离和背景红外辐射亮度由变量更换为向量,向量维数由背景红外图像的灰度值分布确定.改进后的作用距离模型将应用条件拓展到任意背景,打破了传统模型对背景条件的局限.针对作用距离计算过程中复杂背景红外辐射亮度难以获取的问题,提出建立红外成像系统的亮度-灰度函数,通过背景的红外图像灰度信息计算其红外辐射亮度的方法.计算实例表明,该模型能够解决复杂背景下红外成像系统作用距离的估算问题.     

复杂目标GRECO方法的分屏显示计算

图形电磁计算(GRECO)是一种计算复杂目标雷达散射截面(RCS)的有效方法,但必须先有一个易于提取外形参数的数据文件.基于GRECO法,针对用各种通用商业软件造型生成的模型文件,利用商业软件Rhino进行转化,生成适于RCS计算的数据文件,这种处理数据的方法具有广泛的适用性,且不会丢失任何局部细节.通过分屏显示计算方法,提高了对电大尺寸目标的计算精度;采用OpenGL的显示列表技术使得程序运行花费较少的时间.结合GRECO的特点,提出了一种分析目标散射源的简便的方法,便于分析目标的雷达散射截面特性.结果表明,本方法与面劈法的计算结果吻合较好,具有较好的工程应用价值.     

Mixed surface reflection functions determined from a priori knowledge and satellite radiance

A method to derive mesoscale area means of surface solar flux densities from a priori knowledge and actual cloudfree satellite radiances is presented. It is based on the concept of the mixed reflection function which can be derived from existing data. Herewith and with actual atmospheric data derived from the operational meteorological network the cloudfree radiation field is computed. By comparison of computed and measured satellite radiance the surface albedo of the model is tuned. In a case study this method is applied to an agricultural region called La Mancha, Spain, and comprehensively checked against airborne radiance measurements. The surface albedo can be determined to about ± 0.01.     

Time dependent charging of layer clouds in the global electric circuit

There is much observational data consistent with the hypothesis that the ionosphere-earth current density (J_z) in the global electric circuit, which is modulated by both solar activity and thunderstorm activity, affects atmospheric dynamics and cloud cover. One candidate mechanism involves J_z causing the accumulation of space charge on droplets and aerosol particles, that affects the rate of scavenging of the latter, notably those of Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) and Ice Forming Nuclei (IFN) (  and ). Space charge is the difference, per unit volume, between total positive and total negative electrical charge that is on droplets, aerosol particles (including the CCN and IFN) and air ions. The cumulative effects of the scavenging in stratiform clouds and aerosol layers in an air mass over the lifetime of the aerosol particles of 1–10 days affects the concentration and size distribution of the CCN, so that in subsequent episodes of cloud formation (including deep convective clouds) there can be effects on droplet size distribution, coagulation, precipitation processes, and even storm dynamics.     

一种参数区间交叉类型的目标识别方法

针对参数区间为交叉类型的目标识别问题,提出了基于直觉模糊集和云模型的逼近理想点（TOPSIS）识别方法。构建了包含个体类和交叉类的目标数据库模型,根据云模型的多步估计算法,得到未知目标相对已知目标类的确定度,提出了确定度向隶属度和非隶属度的转化方法,基于直觉模糊熵计算特征属性的动态权重,形成了去模糊距离测度的TOPSIS识别方法,应用于辐射源信号识别。仿真结果表明,所提方法对参数区间交叉类型的目标正确识别率较高,具有一定的实际应用价值。      

智能交通系统中路况信息的编码

 根据提出的一种交通量生成模型所产生的仿真数据,对城市交通中路况信息数据流的信源编码进行了研究. 压缩数据的方法是对初始信源等效变换,使变换后等效信源的概率分布比原信源更加有序,熵值更小,从而压缩率更高. 传输时还要对等效信源使用霍夫曼(Huffman)算法编出即时可译码,使该变长码的平均码长接近熵值. 给出的编码方案可用于智能交通系统(ITS)的车辆导航中对路况信息的传输.     

Retrieval of aerosol size distribution from extinction measurements and verification with observations at a tropical station

Aerosol size distributions were retrieved by computing aerosol extinction parameters using extensive measurements of direct solar radiation made in the 0.4 and 0.6 μm wavelengths at Pune with Volz type sunphotometer during winter (November–February), pre-monsoon (March–May), monsoon (June–August) and post-monsoon (September–October) of 1980–1981. The computer aerosol size distributions are compared with the direct measurements made using Anderson eight-stage cascade impactor. There is agreement between the retrieved and measured size distributions. The retrieval method is simple and useful for intensive aerosol measurement programmes.     

Development of a new cloud model for Venus (MAD-VenLA) using the Modal Aerosol Dynamics approach

For decades, clouds have remained a central open question in understanding the climate system of Venus. We have developed a new microphysical model for the clouds of Venus that we describe in this paper. The model is a modal aerosol dynamical model that treats the formation and evolution of sulfuric acid solution droplets with a moderate computational cost. To this end, the microphysical equations are derived to describe the evolution of the size distribution of the particles using the moments of the distribution. We describe the derivation of the equations and their implementation in the model. We tested each microphysical process of the model separately in conditions of the Venus’ atmosphere and show that the model behaves in a physically sound manner in the tested cases. The model will be coupled in the future with a Venus Global Climate Model and used for elucidating the remaining mysteries.     

Most suitable conditions for aerosol monitoring from space

Numerical modelling is used to search for the most suitable conditions, with the object of determining the atmospheric turbidity (aerosol optical depth) from upward emerging spectral radiances in cloudfree pixels over water surfaces. The most suitable conditions are those where the influence of the turbidity on the radiance most strongly outweighs that of the other optically acting constituents. Since the actual values of these constituents of atmosphere and surface are usually known only within certain limits, using the most suitable conditions minimizes the uncertainty in the turbidity to be derived from satellite measurements. As a result, favorable zenith angles of the satellite and favorable wavelengths are presented for an atmosphere with maritime aerosols with and without Saharan dust. The results represent an advance on a paper published by the authors in 1981 [1].