Groundbreaking method to speed up aerosol retrieval data from Chinese optical satellite

Groundbreaking method to speed up aerosol retrieval data from Chinese optical satellite
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jul 25, 2023

A groundbreaking method for rapidly obtaining detailed observations of atmospheric aerosols via a new Chinese optical satellite has been proposed by a team of scientists. Aerosols, atmospheric particles that have a significant impact on our planet's climate system, influence solar and terrestrial radiation, and modify cloud properties.

While the launch of new satellite sensors often comes with challenges, particularly when it comes to swiftly collecting sufficient data to support the development of constraints for aerosol retrieval, a promising solution has emerged. A generalized land surface reflectance (LSR) reconstruction method that delivers efficient constraints for high-precision aerosol retrieval has been proposed by a research team spearheaded by Prof. Li Zhengqiang from the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with other researchers.

The group's study, "A Generalized Land Surface Reflectance Reconstruction Method for Aerosol Retrieval: Application to the Particulate Observing Scanning Polarimeter (POSP) Onboard GaoFen-5 (02) Satellite," has been published in the journal Remote Sensing of Environment.

The innovative method proposed by the team requires minimal time observation from the target sensor. It leverages spatial-temporal minimum reflectance technology to recreate the long-time historical surface reflectance product from the reference sensor. Following this reconstruction, the virtual LSR data can be utilized to build reliable surface constraints for high-precision retrieval of aerosol parameters.

This process has seen successful implementation with the Particulate Observing Scanning Polarimeter (POSP) on the Gaofen-5 (02) satellite. The researchers discovered that by overlapping POSP and MODIS observations for just one month, a stable surface reflectance reconstruction relationship could be established. Moreover, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieved from the reconstructed LSR demonstrated high levels of accuracy when validated against AERONET observations.

The research by the team at AIR and CAS marks significant advancements in the swift decoupling of surface and atmosphere and in global aerosol retrieval for new Chinese optical satellites. The team's efforts are not only pioneering in the field of satellite data gathering and interpretation, but also crucial in understanding and mitigating the impact of aerosols on our climate system.