First retrieval of absorbing aerosol height over dark target using TROPOMI oxygen B band: Algorithm development and application for surface particulate matter estimates

Xi Chen; Jun Wang; Xiaoguang Xu; Meng Zhou; Huanxin Zhang; Lorena Castro Garcia; Peter R Colarco; Scott J Janz; John Yorks; Matthew McGill; Jeffrey S Reid; Martin de Graaf; Shobha Kondragunta

doi:10.1016/j.rse.2021.112674

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First retrieval of absorbing aerosol height over dark target using TROPOMI oxygen B band: Algorithm development and application for surface particulate matter estimates

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First retrieval of absorbing aerosol height over dark target using TROPOMI oxygen B band: Algorithm development and application for surface particulate matter estimates

Xi Chen, Jun Wang, Xiaoguang Xu, Meng Zhou, Huanxin Zhang, Lorena Castro Garcia, Peter R Colarco, Scott J Janz, John Yorks, Matthew McGill, …

Remote sensing of environment, Vol.265, 112674

11/2021

DOI: 10.1016/j.rse.2021.112674

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Abstract

Constraint of the vertical distribution of aerosol particles is crucial for the study of aerosol plume structure, aerosol radiative effects, and ultimately monitoring surface air pollution. We developed an algorithm to retrieve the aerosol optical central height (AOCH) of absorbing aerosols by using, for the first time, the oxygen (O2) A and B absorption band measurements from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) over dark targets. For the retrieval, narrow band radiance at seven channels ranging from ultraviolet (UV) to shortwave infrared (SWIR) are convolved from TROPOMI hyperspectral measurements. Subsequently, cloudy pixels are screened out by using the slope of spectral reflectance, while aerosol types (dust and smoke) are classified by the wavelength dependence of aerosol path radiance in conjunction with UV aerosol index. Surface reflectance over land is derived from the MODIS surface bi-directional reflectance climatology, and over water from the GOME-2 surface Lambert-equivalent reflectivity (LER) database. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) and AOCH are retrieved through an approach of look-up-table accounting for AERONET-based dust and smoke optical properties. For multiple smoke and dust plume events around the world, our retrieved AOCH values agree with space-borne lidar CALIOP counterparts, with a mean bias of <0.15 km and a correlation coefficient of 0.85–0.87. Due in part to adding the O2 B band, our retrieval represents an aerosol extinction peak height better than the TROPOMI operational Level 2 aerosol layer height retrieved from only the O2 A band. The latter shows 0.5–2 km low bias, especially over land. Finally, the high potential of AOCH for improving surface PM2.5 estimates is also illustrated with a case study in which the high bias of surface PM2.5 in MERRA-2 data is corrected after being scaled by the retrieved AOCH. •We retrieve aerosol optical central height (AOCH) from TROPOMI O2 A and B bands.•The retrieval algorithm can be applied in smoke and dust plume cases.•AOCH-O2AB agrees better with lidar CALIOP than only O2 A band retrieval.•Satellite AOCH retrieval can improve surface PM2.5 concentration from the model.

Aerosol optical central height

O2 absorption band

PM2.5

Retrieval algorithm

TROPOMI

Details

Title: Subtitle: First retrieval of absorbing aerosol height over dark target using TROPOMI oxygen B band: Algorithm development and application for surface particulate matter estimates
Creators: Xi Chen - Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Jun Wang - Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Xiaoguang Xu - Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, University of Maryland – Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
Meng Zhou - Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, and Iowa Technology Institute, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Huanxin Zhang - Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Lorena Castro Garcia - Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Peter R Colarco - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Scott J Janz - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
John Yorks - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Matthew McGill - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Jeffrey S Reid - Marine Meteorology Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Monterey, CA 93943, USA
Martin de Graaf - Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), De Bilt, Netherlands
Shobha Kondragunta - Center for Satellite Applications and Research, NOAA/NESDIS, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Remote sensing of environment, Vol.265, 112674
DOI: 10.1016/j.rse.2021.112674
ISSN: 0034-4257
eISSN: 1879-0704
Publisher: Elsevier Inc
Language: English
Date published: 11/2021
Academic Unit: Civil and Environmental Engineering; Iowa Technology Institute; Physics and Astronomy; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Record Identifier: 9984161597902771

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