The effects of non-sphericity on geostationary satellite retrievals of dust aerosols

Wang, J., X. Liu, S. Christopher, J.S. Reid, E. Reid, and H. Maring (2003), The effects of non-sphericity on geostationary satellite retrievals of dust aerosols, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30, 2293, doi:10.1029/2003GL018697.
Abstract

Using data collected during the Puerto Rico Dust Experiment (PRIDE), we examine the effect of nonspherical phase functions on dust aerosol retrievals from geostationary satellites. We utilize a statistical model based on Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) analysis of individual dust particles. Using T-matrix calculations and assuming that dust particles are randomly-orientated oblate spheroids we compute the dust phase function and scattering properties. Although the non-spherical function developed in this study compares well with the synthetic non-spherical phase functions [Liu et al., 2003], new retrievals using the non-spherical phase function only show slight improvement at scattering angles (Â) from 110° $ 150°, and become worse for  between 150° $ 170°. However the retrievals are greatly improved at all angles when retrieval algorithms account for the combined effect of both spherical and non-spherical phase functions.

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Research Program
Atmospheric Composition Modeling and Analysis Program (ACMAP)
Radiation Science Program (RSP)