AVHRR AOD

Daily, weekly, and monthly global 1 degree maps of Aerosol Optical Thickness derived from the AVHRR instrument onboard the NOAA satellites. The weekly products are based on a composite of one week's worth of data, and the monthly mean products are based on the average of each week's data for the month. Currently they are created from AVHRR channel 1, 2 and 3 optical thickness retrievals from AVHRR 4-km global area coverage (GAC) data.

Example result / latest result

 

Satellite: NOAA (NOAA)
Instrument(s): AVHRR
Instrument/algorithm PI: A. Ignatov, NOAA
Contact details: alex.ignatov[at]noaa.gov
Parameter(s): AOD
Aerosol algorithm: AEROBS
Cloud screening: CLAVR/CLAVR-x
Aerosol model: non-absorbing w. monomodal lognormal size distribution
Retrieval assumptions: ocean reflectance is accurately calculated
Retrieval limitations: glint area (<40° glint angle) & solar side of orbit are excluded;
View and solar zenith angles > 60° are excluded
Spatial, temporal coverage: 1988 onward, global oceans
Spatial, temporal resolution: 8 km/daily, 110 km analysis/day/week, month
Operations status: operational / reprocessing
Validation status: AERONET & other satellite inter-comparison studies
Quality control: self- and inter-consistency checks
last algorithm version: third-generation algorithm (09/2000)
last validation: 07/2002