Abstract
Various approaches have been proposed to derive aerosol optical properties from both passive and active measurements. Nakajima et al. (1983) used multi-wavelength passive measurements of atmospheric extinction and the sun's aureole to derive the aerosol size distribution. This approach assumed the aerosol index of refraction. More recently Wang and Gordon (1993) used solar extinction and full sky radiance measurements to derive the aerosol phase function and the aerosol single scatter albedo. This approach makes less assumptions about the aerosol composition but assumes that the aerosol column properties are identical over the range of sky measurements being made. LIDAR inversions include similar approaches such as Piskozub (1993) who assumed an aerosol composition and found eight wavelengths were needed to derive the aerosol size distribution. A different approach was used by Post (1996) who defined the aerosol composition and derived information on a monodisperse aerosol using ratios developed from two or more wavelengths. In general he found the wavelengths should be spaced far apart for best results. Porter et al. (1996) looked at aerosol single scatter for AVHRR channels 1 and (0.63 and 0.86 μm) for a range of realistic marine aerosol size distributions and compositions. They found side scattering angles were the best for deriving the aerosol phase function.
© 1997 Optical Society of America
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