Assessment of MODIS Aerosol Optical Depth over Oceans using 1-year Data from Maritime Aerosol Network

摘要

We apply recent (2009-2010) level 2.0 MAN-based AODs for assessing those from two MODIS sensors aboard Terra and Aqua satellites with morning and afternoon equatorial crossing times, respectively. To compare correctly the MAN- and MODIS-based AODs (550 nm), considerable attention is given to match ship tracks and satellite overpasses both temporally (within +-1.5h) and spatially (within 10 km). Overall, analysis of collocated and coincident satellite and shipboard data reveals capabilities of two MODIS sensors to capture the strong spatial and temporal variations of AOD quite well, although a better agreement between the MAN- and MODIS-based AODs is observed for Aqua instrument. Our results further highlight the importance of unique MAN AODs for assessment of over-ocean satellite retrievals.