A31D-0078
From OLS to VIIRS, an overview of nighttime satellite aerosol retrievals using artificial light sources
Wednesday, 16 December 2015
Poster Hall (Moscone South)
Jianglong Zhang1, Steven D Miller2, Jeffrey S. Reid3, Edward J. Hyer4 and Theodore M McHardy1, (1)University of North Dakota, Atmospheric Sceinces, Grand Forks, ND, United States, (2)Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Fort Collins, CO, United States, (3)Naval Research Lab Monterey, Monterey, CA, United States, (4)Naval Research Laboratory, Marine Meteorology Division, Monterey, CA, United States
Abstract:
Compared to abundant daytime satellite-based observations of atmospheric aerosol, observations at night are relatively scarce. In particular, conventional satellite passive imaging radiometers, which offer expansive swaths of spatial coverage compared to non-scanning lidar systems, lack sensitivity to most aerosol types via the available thermal infrared bands available at night. In this talk, we make the fundamental case for the importance of nighttime aerosol information in forecast models, and the need to mitigate the existing nocturnal gap. We review early attempts at estimating nighttime aerosol optical properties using the modulation of stable artificial surface lights. Initial algorithm development using DMSP Operational Linescan System (OLS) has graduated to refined techniques based on the Suomi-NPP Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Day/Night Band (DNB). We present examples of these retrievals for selected cases and compare the results to available surface-based point-source validation data.
