Development of Satellite-derived Information on Tropospheric Actinic Flux and Aerosol Particulate Matter

An algorithm to generate vertically resolved actinic flux maps has been developed and demonstrated in a stand-alone mode. A semi-empirical method has been devised and tested to derive routinely the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) from satellite-measured “Top of Atmosphere” (TOA) radiance in the visible region, over sites previously documented by ground measurements. It has been successfully demonstrated over three very different sites and using data from both the VEGETATION and SeaWiFS satellite instruments.