Regional aerosol optical depth characteristics from satellite observations: ACE-1, TARFOX and ACE-2 results

Analysis of the aerosol properties during 3 recent international field camp aigns (ACE-1, TARFOX and ACE-2) are described using satellite retrievals fr om NOAA AVHRR data. Validation of the satellite retrieval procedure is perf ormed with airborne, shipboard, and land-based sunphotometry during ACE-2. The intercomparison between satellite and surface optical depths has a corr elation coefficient of 0.93 for 630 nm wavelength and 0.92 for 860 nm wave length. The standard error of estimate is 0.025 for 630 nm wavelength and 0 .023 for 860 nm wavelength. Regional aerosol properties are examined in com posite analysis of aerosol optical properties from the ACE-1, TARFOX and AC E-2 regions. ACE-1 and ACE-2 regions have strong modes in the distribution of optical depth around 0.1, but the ACE-2 tails toward higher values yield ing an average of 0.16 consistent with pollution and dust aerosol intrusion s. The TARFOX region has a noticeable mode of 0.2, but has significant spre ad of aerosol optical depth values consistent with the varied continental a erosol constituents off the eastern North American Coast.