Atmospheric ground-truth measurements in the marine boundary layer over the coastal aereas

Abstract

Due to its light attenuation and scattering properties, aerosols influence radiance measured by satellite for ocean color remote sensing. Therefore, atmospheric correction algorithms require the estimation of aerosol parameters from the same satellite data. Especially the vertical profiles of aerosol size distribution and concentrations are important in such validations. The measurements were carried out in the coastal areas of the southern Baltic Sea during eight measurement campaigns between 1998 and 2003 and in Duck N.C. (USA Atlantic coast) during the EOPACE campaign in 1999. The Baltic measurements were made simultaneously on shore and onboard the r/v Oceania using Microtops II sunphotometers and ozonometers, sun-radiometer Hires A, and a lidar system, which provided data regarding the vertical profiles of aerosol size distribution and concentrations. Several campaigns between 2000 and 2002 were aimed at the validation of data provided by the Modular Optoelectronic Scanner (MOS) onboard satellite IRS/P3. Thus the measurements were made during and beside satellite overpasses. During all campaigns the full meteorological coverage was obtained from the in-situ measurements and the coastal meteorological stations. The air mass trajectories were obtained from the British Atmospheric Data Center. The ground-truth data from the Baltic studies have been successfully used to both radiometric validation of MOS satellite data and for product validation of optical aerosol parameters estimated by atmospheric correction algorithms.