Abstract

Atmospheric haze, or aerosols, can dramatically reduce the horizontal visibility in a region. During pollution outbreaks such haze can be so thick that it appears to hang in the air. Scientists have been studying the detailed composition, dynamics and effects of aerosols on emitted radiation for years. An eventual goal is to produce a global method for the remote determination of aerosol content. To date, results from these studies have had an impact on our understanding of the Earth-radiation budget, pollution source monitoring, and visible image correction. They have also indicated that the influence of aerosols is very difficult to assess because of its tremendous variation in time and space.

© 1993 Optical Society of America