Satellite retrieval of atmospheric water vapor is intended to further understand the role played by the energy and water cycle to determine the Earth's weather and climate.The algorithm for operational retrieval o...Satellite retrieval of atmospheric water vapor is intended to further understand the role played by the energy and water cycle to determine the Earth's weather and climate.The algorithm for operational retrieval of total precipitable water (TPW) from the visible and infrared radiometer (VIRR) onboard Fengyun 3A (FY-3A) employs a split window technique for clear sky radiances over land and oceans during both day and night.The retrieved TPW is compared with that from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Terra satellite and data from radiosonde observations (RAOB).During the study period,comparisons show that the FY-3A TPW is in general agreement with the gradients and distributions from the Terra TPW.Their zonal mean difference over East Asia is smaller in the daytime than at night,and the main difference occurs in the complex terrain at mid latitude near 30°N.Compared with RAOB,the zonal FY-3A and the Terra TPW have a moist bias at low latitudes and a dry bias at mid and high latitudes;in addition,the FY-3A TPW performs slightly better in zonal mean biases and the diurnal cycle.The temporal variation of the FY-3A and the Terra TPW generally fits the RAOB TPW with the FY-3A more accurate at night while Terra TPW more accurate during the daytime.Comparisons of correlations,root mean square differences and standard deviations indicate that the FY-3A TPW series is more consistent with the RAOB TPW at selected stations.As a result,the FY-3A TPW has some advantages over East Asia in both spatial and temporal dimensions.展开更多
Aerosol optical depths (AODs) from MODIS and MISR onboard the Terra satellite are assessed by comparison with measurements from four AERONET sites located in northern China for the period 2006-2009. The results show t...Aerosol optical depths (AODs) from MODIS and MISR onboard the Terra satellite are assessed by comparison with measurements from four AERONET sites located in northern China for the period 2006-2009. The results show that MISR performs better than MODIS at the SACOL and Beijing sites. For the Xianghe and Xinglong sites, MODIS AOD retrievals are better than those of MISR. Overall, the relative error of the Angstrom exponent from MISR compared with AERONET is about 14%, but the MODIS error can reach 30%. Thus, it may be better to use the MISR Angstrom exponent to derive wavelength-dependent AOD values when calculating the aerosol radiative forcing in a radiative transfer model. Seasonal analysis of AOD over most of China shows two main areas with high aerosol loading: the Taklimakan Desert region and the southern part of North China and northern part of East China. The locations of these two areas of high aerosol loading do not change with season, but the AOD values have significant seasonal variation. The largest AOD value in the Taklimakan appears in spring when the Angstrom exponents are the lowest, which means the particle radii are relatively large. Over North and East China, the highest aerosol loading appears in summer. The aerosol particles are smallest in summer over both high-AOD areas.展开更多
基金supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China(Grant No. 2007AA12Z144)the Professional Projects (Grant Nos.GYHY200706005 and GYHY200906036)the China Meteoro-logical Administration New Technology Promotion Project (GrantNo. CMATG2008Z04)
文摘Satellite retrieval of atmospheric water vapor is intended to further understand the role played by the energy and water cycle to determine the Earth's weather and climate.The algorithm for operational retrieval of total precipitable water (TPW) from the visible and infrared radiometer (VIRR) onboard Fengyun 3A (FY-3A) employs a split window technique for clear sky radiances over land and oceans during both day and night.The retrieved TPW is compared with that from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Terra satellite and data from radiosonde observations (RAOB).During the study period,comparisons show that the FY-3A TPW is in general agreement with the gradients and distributions from the Terra TPW.Their zonal mean difference over East Asia is smaller in the daytime than at night,and the main difference occurs in the complex terrain at mid latitude near 30°N.Compared with RAOB,the zonal FY-3A and the Terra TPW have a moist bias at low latitudes and a dry bias at mid and high latitudes;in addition,the FY-3A TPW performs slightly better in zonal mean biases and the diurnal cycle.The temporal variation of the FY-3A and the Terra TPW generally fits the RAOB TPW with the FY-3A more accurate at night while Terra TPW more accurate during the daytime.Comparisons of correlations,root mean square differences and standard deviations indicate that the FY-3A TPW series is more consistent with the RAOB TPW at selected stations.As a result,the FY-3A TPW has some advantages over East Asia in both spatial and temporal dimensions.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program (2012CB955302)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41105019 and 41175042)+1 种基金the Specialized Research Fund for Doctoral Program of Higher Education (20110211120021)the Fundamental Research Fund for Central Uni versities (lzujbky-2011-4)
文摘Aerosol optical depths (AODs) from MODIS and MISR onboard the Terra satellite are assessed by comparison with measurements from four AERONET sites located in northern China for the period 2006-2009. The results show that MISR performs better than MODIS at the SACOL and Beijing sites. For the Xianghe and Xinglong sites, MODIS AOD retrievals are better than those of MISR. Overall, the relative error of the Angstrom exponent from MISR compared with AERONET is about 14%, but the MODIS error can reach 30%. Thus, it may be better to use the MISR Angstrom exponent to derive wavelength-dependent AOD values when calculating the aerosol radiative forcing in a radiative transfer model. Seasonal analysis of AOD over most of China shows two main areas with high aerosol loading: the Taklimakan Desert region and the southern part of North China and northern part of East China. The locations of these two areas of high aerosol loading do not change with season, but the AOD values have significant seasonal variation. The largest AOD value in the Taklimakan appears in spring when the Angstrom exponents are the lowest, which means the particle radii are relatively large. Over North and East China, the highest aerosol loading appears in summer. The aerosol particles are smallest in summer over both high-AOD areas.
