Evaluation of MODIS Dark Target AOD Product with 3 and 10 km Resolution in Amazonia

Evaluation of MODIS Dark Target AOD Product with 3 and 10 km Resolution in Amazonia

The techniques and analyses employed by remote sensing provide key information about atmospheric particle properties at regional and global scales. However, limitations in optical spectral models used to represent the different types of aerosols in the atmosphere and their effects (direct and indire...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Atmosphere Vol. 13; no. 11; p. 1742
Main Authors: Palácios, Rafael, Nassarden, Danielle C. S., Franco, Marco A., Morais, Fernando G., Machado, Luiz A. T., Rizzo, Luciana V., Cirino, Glauber, Pereira, Augusto G. C., Ribeiro, Priscila dos S., Barros, Lucas R. C., Biudes, Marcelo S., Curado, Leone F. A., Rodrigues, Thiago R., Menezes, Jorge, Landulfo, Eduardo, Artaxo, Paulo
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-10-2022
Subjects:
AERONET
Aerosol Robotic Network
Aerosols
Algorithms
Amazon
Atmospheric aerosols
Atmospheric models
Biomass
Biomass burning
Burning
Climate prediction
Deserts
Distribution
Environmental aspects
Environmental monitoring
MODIS
MODIS DT
Optical properties
Optical thickness
Performance evaluation
Rainforests
Records
Reflectance
Regional analysis
Regional planning
Regions
Remote sensing
Resolution
River basins
Rivers
Satellites
Spectroradiometers
Amazon River region
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Summary:The techniques and analyses employed by remote sensing provide key information about atmospheric particle properties at regional and global scales. However, limitations in optical spectral models used to represent the different types of aerosols in the atmosphere and their effects (direct and indirect) are still one of the major causes of sources of uncertainties and substantial impacts in climate prediction. There are no studies yet in South America, especially in the Amazon Basin, that have evaluated the advantages, disadvantages, inconsistencies, applicability, and suitability of the MODIS sensor (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) destined for monitoring the ambient aerosol optical thickness over rivers and continents. In this study, the results of the DT (Dark Target) algorithm for products with 3 km and 10 km resolutions were systematically evaluated for six sites in the Amazon rainforest. The comparisons between the products were carried out with the AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) measurements, which were used as reference. Statistical parameters between AERONET vs. MODIS were also evaluated based on biomass burning records in the site regions. Here, the DT 10 km product showed satisfactory performance for the Amazon region, with observations between the expected error (EE) limits above 66%, in addition to R > 0.8 and RMSE < 0.3. However, the regional analysis for the two sites in the central and southern regions of the Amazon basin did not have the same performance, where the results showed an EE of 24 and 47%, respectively. The DT 3 km product did not perform well in any site, with an EE below 50%. Both products overestimated the AOD, but the 3 km product overestimated it approximately four times more due to its algorithm setup. Thus, we recommend the 10 km product for general analysis in Amazonia. Regional biomass burning records showed a direct relationship with the AERONET vs. MODIS DT with overestimation of both products. All variations between products and sites were justified based on the difficulty of retrieving surface reflectance and the model selected for local aerosols. Improvements in the optical spectral model currently implemented in the algorithms, with more realistic representations of the main types of the aerosol present in the Amazon Basin, may contribute to better performance among the evaluated products.
ISSN:2073-4433
2073-4433
DOI:10.3390/atmos13111742