Comparison of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) remote‐sensing retrievals of aerosol fine mode fraction over ocean

摘要

Aerosol particle size is one of the fundamental quantities needed to determine the role of aerosols in forcing climate, modifying the hydrological cycle, and affecting human health and to separate natural from man‐made aerosol components. Aerosol size information can be retrieved from remote‐sensing instruments including satellite sensors such as Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and ground‐based radiometers such as Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). Both satellite and ground‐based instruments measure the total column ambient aerosol characteristics. Aerosol size can be characterized by a variety of parameters. Here we compare remote‐sensing retrievals of aerosol fine mode fraction over ocean. AERONET retrieves fine mode fraction using two methods: the Dubovik inversion of sky radiances and the O'Neill inversion of spectral Sun measurements. Relative to the Dubovik inversion of AERONET sky measurements, MODIS slightly overestimates fine fraction for dust‐dominated aerosols and underestimates in smoke‐ and pollution‐dominated aerosol conditions. Both MODIS and the Dubovik inversion overestimate fine fraction for dust aerosols by 0.1–0.2 relative to the O'Neill method of inverting AERONET aerosol optical depth spectra. Differences between the two AERONET methods are principally the result of the different definitions of fine and coarse mode employed in their computational methodologies. These two methods should come into better agreement as a dynamic radius cutoff for fine and coarse mode is implemented for the Dubovik inversion. MODIS overestimation in dust‐dominated aerosol conditions should decrease significantly with the inclusion of a nonspherical model.