Two aerosol optical depth retrieval algorithms, using different instruments
and different methods, are compared. The first method uses both the direct
ional and the spectral information of the Along Track Scanning Radiometer 2
(ATSR-2) to compute the aerosol optical depth in the visible and near-infr
ared ranges. The second algorithm uses data in the wavelength range between
0.340 mum and 0.400 mum from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME)
to determine the aerosol optical depth in the ultraviolet. Both ATSR-2 and
GOME are onboard the ERS-2 satellite. The two methods are applied to data
from the ERS-2 overpass over northwestern Europe on 25 July 1995. The retri
eved aerosol optical depths compare favorably. Also, there is good comparis
on between satellite retrievals and ground-based measurements. Optical dept
h images show a large aerosol plume over Belgium and northern France. Back-
trajectories indicate that the sources for this aerosol plume are the indus
trialized regions in Germany and Belgium. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 2000.