An Analysis of Factors Influencing the Relationship between Satellite-Derived AOD and Ground-Level PM10
Air pollution can endanger human health, especially in urban areas. Assessment of air quality primarily relies on ground-based measurements, but these provide only limited information on the spatial distribution of pollutants. In recent years, satellite derived Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) has been u...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-08-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/10/9/1353 |
| _version_ | 1819111365635211264 |
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| author | Roland Stirnberg Jan Cermak Hendrik Andersen |
| author_facet | Roland Stirnberg Jan Cermak Hendrik Andersen |
| author_sort | Roland Stirnberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Air pollution can endanger human health, especially in urban areas. Assessment of air quality primarily relies on ground-based measurements, but these provide only limited information on the spatial distribution of pollutants. In recent years, satellite derived Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) has been used to approximate particulate matter (PM) with varying success. In this study, the relationship between hourly mean concentrations of particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less (PM10) and instantaneous AOD measurements is investigated for Berlin, Germany, for 2001–2015. It is found that the relationship between AOD and PM10 is rarely linear and strongly influenced by ambient relative humidity (RH), boundary layer height (BLH), wind direction and wind speed. Generally, when a moderately dry atmosphere (30% < RH ≤ 50%) coincides with a medium BLH (600–1200 m), AOD and PM10 are in the same range on a semi-quantitative scale. AOD increases with ambient RH, leading to an overestimation of the dry particle concentration near ground. However, this effect can be compensated if a low boundary layer (<600 m) is present, which in turn significantly increases PM10, eventually leading to satellite AOD and PM10 measurements of similar magnitude. Insights of this study potentially influence future efforts to estimate near-ground PM concentrations based on satellite AOD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T03:56:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5b0db4a7d07d4c48ad10bf007f546f3f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T03:56:28Z |
| publishDate | 2018-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-5b0db4a7d07d4c48ad10bf007f546f3f2022-12-21T18:39:51ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922018-08-01109135310.3390/rs10091353rs10091353An Analysis of Factors Influencing the Relationship between Satellite-Derived AOD and Ground-Level PM10Roland Stirnberg0Jan Cermak1Hendrik Andersen2Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, H.-v.-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Leopoldshafen, GermanyKarlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, H.-v.-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Leopoldshafen, GermanyKarlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, H.-v.-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Leopoldshafen, GermanyAir pollution can endanger human health, especially in urban areas. Assessment of air quality primarily relies on ground-based measurements, but these provide only limited information on the spatial distribution of pollutants. In recent years, satellite derived Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) has been used to approximate particulate matter (PM) with varying success. In this study, the relationship between hourly mean concentrations of particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less (PM10) and instantaneous AOD measurements is investigated for Berlin, Germany, for 2001–2015. It is found that the relationship between AOD and PM10 is rarely linear and strongly influenced by ambient relative humidity (RH), boundary layer height (BLH), wind direction and wind speed. Generally, when a moderately dry atmosphere (30% < RH ≤ 50%) coincides with a medium BLH (600–1200 m), AOD and PM10 are in the same range on a semi-quantitative scale. AOD increases with ambient RH, leading to an overestimation of the dry particle concentration near ground. However, this effect can be compensated if a low boundary layer (<600 m) is present, which in turn significantly increases PM10, eventually leading to satellite AOD and PM10 measurements of similar magnitude. Insights of this study potentially influence future efforts to estimate near-ground PM concentrations based on satellite AOD.http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/10/9/1353Aerosol Optical DepthPM10MAIACMODISair qualityboundary layer heightambient relative humidity |
| spellingShingle | Roland Stirnberg Jan Cermak Hendrik Andersen An Analysis of Factors Influencing the Relationship between Satellite-Derived AOD and Ground-Level PM10 Remote Sensing Aerosol Optical Depth PM10 MAIAC MODIS air quality boundary layer height ambient relative humidity |
| title | An Analysis of Factors Influencing the Relationship between Satellite-Derived AOD and Ground-Level PM10 |
| title_full | An Analysis of Factors Influencing the Relationship between Satellite-Derived AOD and Ground-Level PM10 |
| title_fullStr | An Analysis of Factors Influencing the Relationship between Satellite-Derived AOD and Ground-Level PM10 |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Analysis of Factors Influencing the Relationship between Satellite-Derived AOD and Ground-Level PM10 |
| title_short | An Analysis of Factors Influencing the Relationship between Satellite-Derived AOD and Ground-Level PM10 |
| title_sort | analysis of factors influencing the relationship between satellite derived aod and ground level pm10 |
| topic | Aerosol Optical Depth PM10 MAIAC MODIS air quality boundary layer height ambient relative humidity |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/10/9/1353 |
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