TROPOMI aerosol products: evaluation and observations of synoptic-scale carbonaceous aerosol plumes during 2018–2020

<p>TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) near-ultraviolet (near-UV) radiances are used as input to an inversion algorithm that simultaneously retrieves aerosol optical depth (AOD), single-scattering albedo (SSA), and the qualitative UV aerosol index (UVAI). We first present the TROPOMI...

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Main Authors: O. Torres, H. Jethva, C. Ahn, G. Jaross, D. G. Loyola
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2020-12-01
Series:Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
Online Access:https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/13/6789/2020/amt-13-6789-2020.pdf
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author O. Torres
H. Jethva
C. Ahn
G. Jaross
D. G. Loyola
author_facet O. Torres
H. Jethva
C. Ahn
G. Jaross
D. G. Loyola
author_sort O. Torres
collection DOAJ
description <p>TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) near-ultraviolet (near-UV) radiances are used as input to an inversion algorithm that simultaneously retrieves aerosol optical depth (AOD), single-scattering albedo (SSA), and the qualitative UV aerosol index (UVAI). We first present the TROPOMI aerosol algorithm (TropOMAER), an adaptation of the currently operational OMI near-UV (OMAERUV and OMACA) inversion schemes that takes advantage of TROPOMI's unprecedented fine spatial resolution at UV wavelengths and the availability of ancillary aerosol-related information to derive aerosol loading in cloud-free and above-cloud aerosols scenes. TROPOMI-retrieved AOD and SSA products are evaluated by direct comparison to sun-photometer measurements. A parallel evaluation analysis of OMAERUV and TropOMAER aerosol products is carried out to separately identify the effect of improved instrument capabilities and algorithm upgrades. Results show TropOMAER improved levels of agreement with respect to those obtained with the heritage coarser-resolution sensor. OMI and TROPOMI aerosol products are also intercompared at regional daily and monthly temporal scales, as well as globally at monthly and seasonal scales. We then use TropOMAER aerosol retrieval results to discuss the US Northwest and British Columbia 2018 wildfire season, the 2019 biomass burning season in the Amazon Basin, and the unprecedented January 2020 fire season in Australia that injected huge amounts of carbonaceous aerosols in the stratosphere.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-d310a7c63a9b459aaad449c612968c302022-12-21T22:33:59ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Measurement Techniques1867-13811867-85482020-12-01136789680610.5194/amt-13-6789-2020TROPOMI aerosol products: evaluation and observations of synoptic-scale carbonaceous aerosol plumes during 2018–2020O. Torres0H. Jethva1C. Ahn2G. Jaross3D. G. Loyola4NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAUniversities Space Research Association USRA/GESTAR, Columbia, MD, USAScience Systems and Applications Inc., Lanham, MD, USANASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAGerman Aerospace Center (DLR), Remote Sensing Technology Institute, Oberpfaffenhofen, 82234 Weßling, Germany<p>TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) near-ultraviolet (near-UV) radiances are used as input to an inversion algorithm that simultaneously retrieves aerosol optical depth (AOD), single-scattering albedo (SSA), and the qualitative UV aerosol index (UVAI). We first present the TROPOMI aerosol algorithm (TropOMAER), an adaptation of the currently operational OMI near-UV (OMAERUV and OMACA) inversion schemes that takes advantage of TROPOMI's unprecedented fine spatial resolution at UV wavelengths and the availability of ancillary aerosol-related information to derive aerosol loading in cloud-free and above-cloud aerosols scenes. TROPOMI-retrieved AOD and SSA products are evaluated by direct comparison to sun-photometer measurements. A parallel evaluation analysis of OMAERUV and TropOMAER aerosol products is carried out to separately identify the effect of improved instrument capabilities and algorithm upgrades. Results show TropOMAER improved levels of agreement with respect to those obtained with the heritage coarser-resolution sensor. OMI and TROPOMI aerosol products are also intercompared at regional daily and monthly temporal scales, as well as globally at monthly and seasonal scales. We then use TropOMAER aerosol retrieval results to discuss the US Northwest and British Columbia 2018 wildfire season, the 2019 biomass burning season in the Amazon Basin, and the unprecedented January 2020 fire season in Australia that injected huge amounts of carbonaceous aerosols in the stratosphere.</p>https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/13/6789/2020/amt-13-6789-2020.pdf
spellingShingle O. Torres
H. Jethva
C. Ahn
G. Jaross
D. G. Loyola
TROPOMI aerosol products: evaluation and observations of synoptic-scale carbonaceous aerosol plumes during 2018–2020
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
title TROPOMI aerosol products: evaluation and observations of synoptic-scale carbonaceous aerosol plumes during 2018–2020
title_full TROPOMI aerosol products: evaluation and observations of synoptic-scale carbonaceous aerosol plumes during 2018–2020
title_fullStr TROPOMI aerosol products: evaluation and observations of synoptic-scale carbonaceous aerosol plumes during 2018–2020
title_full_unstemmed TROPOMI aerosol products: evaluation and observations of synoptic-scale carbonaceous aerosol plumes during 2018–2020
title_short TROPOMI aerosol products: evaluation and observations of synoptic-scale carbonaceous aerosol plumes during 2018–2020
title_sort tropomi aerosol products evaluation and observations of synoptic scale carbonaceous aerosol plumes during 2018 2020
url https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/13/6789/2020/amt-13-6789-2020.pdf
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