Monthly Global Aerosol Thickness Map at 1/12-Degree Resolution

28 geophysical variables related to the global climate system are observed by the SGLI sensor onboard the GCOM-C satellite. This Level 3 product provides monthly map-projected statistics, specifically aerosol optical thickness, at a spatial resolution of 1/12 degree. The data is produced by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) from observations by the GCOM-C satellite launched in December 2017.

Use Cases

• Analyzing spatial and temporal trends in aerosol optical thickness (AOT) using the monthly average (AVE) values.
• Assessing data quality for climate models by filtering pixels based on the provided quality flag (QA_flag).
• Comparing aerosol load over different surfaces by utilizing the integrated AOT over ocean (AOTO) and land (AOTL, AOTP) products.
• Studying aerosol transport and seasonal cycles using the 1-month, 1-day, and 8-day statistical periods available.

Strengths

• Global coverage for integrated analysis of atmospheric conditions.
• Provides data at three temporal resolutions (1-day, 8-day, 1-month) for trend analysis.
• Integrates aerosol optical thickness measurements over ocean and land from Version 3.

Limitations

• Specific row count and file size are unknown, limiting assessment of data volume.
• The spatial resolution of 1/12 degree may be coarse for localized or urban-scale aerosol studies.
• Relies on satellite sensor retrieval algorithms which can introduce uncertainty in AOT values, especially over bright surfaces.

Provenance

Source

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Collection Method

Derived from Level 1B and Level 2 products from the SGLI sensor on the GCOM-C satellite, statistically processed in time and space domains.

Time Range

Time series begins after the GCOM-C satellite launch on December 23, 2017; specific end date is unknown.

Freshness

Update frequency is monthly, but specific recency of the latest data is unknown.

Geography

Global coverage.