Characterizing the Aerosol and Surface Reflectance Over Australia Using AATSR

We present a new algorithm that simultaneously retrieves aerosol properties and land surface bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) over Australian from Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer images. Three key components are addressed: (1) an analytical radiative transfer formulation, based on Green´s function, linking top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance to the surface BRDF; (2) a novel approach to modeling BRDF using an extended compositing period; and (3) a set of representative aerosol models based on a published typology of Australian aerosols. Due to the generally low aerosol loadings and widespread bright surfaces over Australia, BRDF modeling is crucial. By using a 9-month compositing period, 90% of the Australian continent can be modeled with an error in the forward-to-nadir reflectance ratio of 2.5% or less. Comparison with suitably processed Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer BRDF/albedo products demonstrates satisfactory agreement. For the studying period from 2002 to 2008, validation of aerosol optical depth (AOD) against eight sun photometers across Australia encompassing widely different atmospheric and surface regimes shows high accuracy, with a mean absolute error in AOD at 550 nm of 0.03 and a bias of 0.007. About 60% of the matchup points are within an absolute error of 0.03, 80% are within 0.05, and 96% are within 0.1. The algorithm selects for each cell an optimal aerosol type from a set of four predefined candidate models. Continental aerosol maps derived from the new method indicate broadscale agreement with known seasonal aerosol sources, while providing new insights into the spatial and temporal distributions of aerosol over the Australian continent.