HR: 08:45h
AN: A21E-04    [Abstracts]
TI: Characterization of Aerosol Absorption From Space Using Near UV TOMS and OMI Observations
AU: * Torres, O
EM: torres@qhearts.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: JCET, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, md 21250 United States
AU: Bhartia, P K
A21E-04 AF: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA GSFC Greenbelt Rd, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Massie, S
A21E-04 AF: National Center for Atmospheric Research, 1850 Table Mesa Dr, Boulder, co 80305 United States
AU: Andrade, M
A21E-04 AF: JCET, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, md 21250 United States
AB: The interaction of molecular scattering in the near UV and particle absorption produces a unique signature in the backscattered radiation measured from space. This information has been successfully used for the detection and quantification of aerosols absorption characteristics over the oceans and the continents using observations by the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). In addition to the Absorbing Aerosol Index, the TOMS and OMI observations yield quantitative information on the absorption capacity of the atmospheric aerosol load. A long-term (1979-1992, 1997-2000) global record of aerosol optical depth and single scattering albedo has been produced. The TOMS aerosol record reveals that in rapidly developing regions of the world, the atmospheric aerosol load has increased over the past 20 years. We will discuss the main features of the TOMS aerosol climatology, and the contribution of the TOMS aerosol products to the understanding of the temporal and spatial variability of the atmospheric aerosol load.
DE: 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801, 4906)
DE: 0345 Pollution: urban and regional (0305, 0478, 4251)
DE: 0360 Radiation: transmission and scattering
DE: 0365 Troposphere: composition and chemistry
DE: 0394 Instruments and techniques
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005