Abstract
A procedure for aerosol retrieval by combining data provided by POLDER (Polarization and Directionality of the Earth's Reflectances) and GLI (Global Imager) sensors mounted on the ADEOS-2 satellite (Advanced Earth Observing Satellite-2) is proposed. The POLDER sensor provides three channels of unique directional polarization measurements, and the GLI sensor provides high-resolution images over a wide range of wavelengths from near-UV to thermal infrared. It is known that POLDER polarization data are effective for aerosol retrieval over land, and the ratio of reflectances at 0.40 and 0.38μm from GLI can be used to distinguish between nonabsorbing and absorbing aerosols. Our algorithm is tested by detecting the plume from Siberian biomass burning in May 2003. The retrieved aerosol properties are compared with model simulations and ground-based AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) data. The results show that our proposed algorithm provides improved data on the aerosol optical thickness.
