INTER-COMPARISON BETWEEN MODIS SATELLITE-BASED AND AERONET GROUND-BASED AEROSOL OPTICAL DEPTH PRODUCTS IN VIETNAM

Abstract

Although a number of studies have extensively inter-compared the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) with the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) ground-based AOD on both global and regional scales, almost no similar studies have been conducted for Vietnam - a humid subtropical climate region. For the first time, inter-comparison between the MODIS Terra and Aqua Collection 6.1 (C6.1) Dark Target (DT) 10 km, Deep Blue (DB) 10 km, and merged DT-DB 10 km with the AERONET AODs has been performed in different areas with different surface types and different climatic characteristics in Vietnam. Three investigated AERONET stations are Nghia Do (urban), Son La (mountainous rural), and Bac Lieu (coastal urban) with the studying periods of 2010 - 2016, 2012 - 2017, and 2010 - 2017, respectively. Our findings showed the better performances of DB algorithm than those of DT and DT-DB products in the urban area. Additionally, all MODIS AOD algorithm performed worse over the coastal area compared to those in the non-coastal areas. Generally, the ability of all the MODIS AODs to catch up the monthly-mean AERONET AODs has been expressed in this study.