Global Aerosol Optical Thickness Maps from ADEOS-II Satellite

Aerosol optical thickness at 0.5 microns is mapped globally from the GLI sensor on the ADEOS-II satellite. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) produced this Level 3 Standard Map product with a spatial resolution of 1/4 degree and monthly statistical periods. Data was last updated in October 2003, representing Version 2 of the product.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial and temporal patterns of aerosol optical thickness using the 1/4-degree gridded monthly maps.
• Validate other aerosol models or satellite products against the 0.5-micron aerosol optical thickness values derived from GLI's visible (678nm) and near-IR (865nm) channels.
• Study aerosol transport and climate interactions by correlating the mapped aerosol data with ancillary wind velocity, ozone, and water vapor data used in the retrieval process.

Strengths

• Global spatial coverage generated as a single unit.
• Data is provided at a consistent 1/4-degree spatial resolution.
• Product incorporates ancillary data (wind, ozone, water vapor) for atmospheric correction.

Limitations

• Data is from 2003, limiting analysis of recent atmospheric conditions.
• The primary statistical period is one month, which may smooth out shorter-term aerosol events.
• Specific row counts, sample sizes, and validation metrics for the gridded product are not provided.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Collection Method

Remote sensing data from the GLI (Global Imager) optical sensor onboard the ADEOS-II (Midori II) satellite, processed to Level 3 binned and mapped products.

Time Range

Temporal coverage is not specified, but data generation ended with the satellite mission; product version is from 2003.

Freshness

Last updated on 2003-10-25; no stated update frequency.

Geography

Global coverage.