Evaluating 4 years of atmospheric ammonia (NH3) over Europe using IASI satellite observations and LOTOS-EUROS model results

Monitoring ammonia (NH3) concentrations on a global to regional scale is a challenge. Due to the limited availability of reliable ground-based measurements, the determination of NH3 distributions generally relies on model calculations. Novel remotely sensed NH3burdens provide valuable insights to complement traditional assessments for clear-sky...

Aerosol optical depth retrieval in the Arctic region using MODIS data over snow

The Arctic is vulnerable to the long-term transport of aerosols because they affect the surface albedo when particles are deposited on snow and ice. However, aerosol observations for this area are sparse and hence there is considerable uncertainty in the knowledge on the properties of the Arctic aerosol. Atmospheric remote sensing using...

TROPOMI on the ESA Sentinel-5 Precursor: A GMES mission for global observations of the atmospheric composition for climate, air quality and ozone layer applications

The ESA (European Space Agency) Sentinel-5 Precursor (S-5 P) is a low Earth orbit polar satellite to provide information and services on air quality, climate and the ozone layer in the timeframe 2015-2022. The S-5 P mission is part of the Global Monitoring of the Environment and Security (GMES) Space Component Programme. The payload of the...

The inter-comparison of AATSR dual-view aerosol optical thickness retrievals with results from various algorithms and instruments

The Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) dual-view (ATSRDV) aerosol retrieval algorithm is evaluated for a single scene over Germany (49-53° N, 7-12° E) on 13 October 2005 by comparison of the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) at 550 nm with products from Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), Moderate Resolution Imaging...

Construction of Satellite Derived PM2.5 Maps Using the Relationship between AOD and PM2.5 at the Cabauw Experimental Site for Atmospheric Research (CESAR) - The Netherlands

To acquire daily estimates of PM2.5 distributions based on satellite data one depends critically on a well established relation between AOD and ground level PM2.5. In this study we aimed to experimentally establish the AOD-PM2.5 relationship for the Netherlands. For that purpose an experiment was set-up at the AERONET site Cabauw. The average...

Comparison between satellite retrieved aerosol optical thickness and results obtained from the LOTOS model

Aerosols affect the Earth radiation balance by absorbing and scattering solar radiation and changing the albedo and the lifetime of clouds. Aerosols also play a role in health-related problems. The aerosol lifetime varies from a few days 10 about a week and their quite strong but rather Iocalised sources produce highly variable aerosol...

Satellite derived aerosol distributions over Europe

With the development of new satellite sensors with more spectral information and improved calibration, it is now also possible to retrieve over land surfaces. Results from two retrieval algorithms for use over land, different satellite instruments and different methods, are presented.