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Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity of Aerosol and Cloud Properties Over the Southeast Atlantic: An Observational Analysis
Author(s) -
Chang Ian,
Gao Lan,
Burton Sharon P.,
Chen Hong,
Diamond Michael S.,
Ferrare Richard A.,
Flynn Connor J.,
Kacenelenbogen Meloë,
LeBlanc Samuel E.,
Meyer Kerry G.,
Pistone Kristina,
Schmidt Sebastian,
SegalRozenhaimer Michal,
Shinozuka Yohei,
Wood Robert,
Zuidema Paquita,
Redemann Jens,
Christopher Sundar A.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2020gl091469
Subject(s) - aerosol , moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer , environmental science , remote sensing , radiometer , lidar , spectroradiometer , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , climatology , satellite , geology , reflectivity , geography , engineering , aerospace engineering , physics , optics
The southeast Atlantic has expansive aerosol plumes overlying clouds for a third of each year. Aerosol optical depths (AODs) were measured from the airborne Sun photometer and lidar during the 2016 NASA ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS (ORACLES) field campaign. We compare these measurements with one another and with collocated Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations at native spatial resolutions using <15‐min and 3‐h temporal collocation criteria. We find better statistical relationships for the <15‐min temporal resolution, indicating that AODs in the southeast Atlantic commonly vary below three‐hourly temporal scales over MODIS spatial resolutions. We also use the airborne Solar Spectral Flux Radiometer (SSFR) to conduct the first comprehensive evaluation of attenuation‐corrected below‐aerosol cloud optical depths (CODs) from MODIS and the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI). MODIS COD retrievals improve their agreement with the SSFR when accounting for overlying aerosol attenuation whereas SEVIRI CODs are mostly underestimated.