Retrieval of aerosol optical depth over Bohai rim region by exploiting multifunctional transport satellite and MODIS data

Abstract

Atmospheric aerosol particles have a significant impact on global climate change. For the purpose of estimating the effect of aerosols on climate, information on the spatial and temporal distribution of the aerosols is necessary. In this study, we developed an algorithm to retrieve hourly aerosol optical depth (AOD) by using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the data from the multifunctional transport satellite (MTSAT) visible channel over Bohai rim region. First, the MODIS data was used to identify aerosol module, and then the MTSAT data was used to calculate hourly AOD. The results show that the AOD derived from AERONET observations agrees well with the MTSAT-AOD products with spatio-temporal scale, as well as spectral scale. Therefore, the algorithm developed in this study has potential for monitoring AOD hourly.