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Articles 1 - 30 of 35
Full-Text Articles in Atmospheric Sciences
A Climatology Of Mesoscale Airmasses With High Theta-E, Charles J. Kropiewnicki
A Climatology Of Mesoscale Airmasses With High Theta-E, Charles J. Kropiewnicki
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
A Mesoscale Airmass with High Theta-E (MAHTE) is a narrow region of larger theta-e located on the cool side of an airmass boundary. MAHTEs typically possesses higher CAPE than the warm side of the boundary, creating a more favorable environment for severe convection. MAHTEs can also be characterized by larger low-level shear and lower LCLs and may also have a propensity for supporting tornadogenesis. The majority of MAHTE research to date has been comprised of case studies, and the prevalence of MAHTEs is not well understood. This project fills that knowledge gap by creating a climatology of MAHTE occurrence. This …
An Empirical Examination Of The Environmental Variability That Impacted Supercell Evolution, Longevity, And Severe Weather Production On 22 May 2019 In Oklahoma, Kyle D. Pittman
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Mesoscale environmental heterogeneity can have significant impacts on thunderstorm organization, evolution, longevity, and severe weather production. This study examines the 22 May 2019 thunderstorm event in Oklahoma, where a relatively broad area of strong instability and vertical wind shear existed along a synoptic boundary and in the open warm sector that would seem to support long-lived supercells and tornadoes. There were two particularly dangerous situation (PDS) tornado watches issued during the event, but few severe reports and no tornadoes formed in the watch that covered the southwestern portion of the state. Several tornadic supercells and many more severe reports occurred …
Radar Signatures In Tropical Cyclone Tornadic And Nontornadic Supercells, Michaela Wood
Radar Signatures In Tropical Cyclone Tornadic And Nontornadic Supercells, Michaela Wood
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Tropical cyclones (TCs) contain highly-sheared environments that are conducive for supercell thunderstorms. These TC supercells sometimes produce tornadoes, often with little warning. Given the often-close proximity of tornadic and nontornadic TC supercells, environments may not be well-distinguished, pointing to the potential value of radar observations. In this study, dual-polarimetric radar signatures of a sample of TC supercells are examined in the context of known supercell structure and microphysics. Tornadic and nontornadic TC supercells are compared with their midlatitude counterparts, and the environments and characteristic structure of these storms are shown to be notably different. An attempt is made to distinguish …
Impacts Of Physical Parameterization Schemes And Soil Moisture Initialization On Boundary Layer Evolution In The Weather Research And Forecasting (Wrf) Model, Grace Cutting
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Numerical weather prediction (NWP) models have become a necessary addition to the atmospheric research community over the last several decades, and atmospheric modeling has been used internationally for numerous operational and research purposes. NWP models contain a vast number of combinations of physical and dynamical parameterization schemes; however, they are not always accurate in forecasting weather phenomena at a particular location, as different combinations of parameterization schemes represent differing conditions. Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulations were run to explore which of the commonly used planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes best represented upper-air data (as well as PBL evolution) …
Using Remote And In Situ Observations From Torus To Investigate A Preexisting Airmass Boundary And Its Influence On A Tornadic Supercell On 28 May 2019, Kristen Axon
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
During the 2019 field phase of Targeted Observation by Radars and UAS of Supercells (TORUS), a preexisting airmass boundary was sampled on 28 May 2019 in north-central Kansas in close proximity to a tornadic supercell. This work hypothesized that the preexisting airmass boundary was associated with a mesoscale air mass with high theta-E (MAHTE) that favorably interacted with the tornadic supercell to increase the likelihood of tornadogenesis. Observations from TORUS including mobile mesonets, unoccupied aerial vehicles, soundings, and ground-based mobile radar were used along with GOES-16 visible satellite imagery, Kansas mesonet surface stations, and KUEX WSR-88D data to investigate this …
An Investigation Of Water Obstructions And Related Weather Conditions For Nebraska Roadways, Logan Bundy
An Investigation Of Water Obstructions And Related Weather Conditions For Nebraska Roadways, Logan Bundy
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Roadway resilience across the 10,000 miles of road and 3,500 bridges in Nebraska is critical to the economic success of production and logistics. In a state where historical flooding scenarios, such as the one in March 2019 that caused $150 million in damage, could potentially be increasing, it has become essential to understand the spatial and temporal distribution of high-frequency water obstruction areas on roadways. Using Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) historical water obstruction data from June 2016 through August 2021, statistical and spatial analyses were conducted to quantify the relationship between water obstructions and their associated meteorological conditions, and …
An Analysis Of Associations Between Polarimetric Supercell Signatures, Erik Green
An Analysis Of Associations Between Polarimetric Supercell Signatures, Erik Green
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Supercell thunderstorms produce unique polarimetric radar signatures that are not often observed in unorganized deep convection. Repetitive signatures include deep and persistent differential reflectivity (ZDR) columns and the ZDR arc signature, which are both indicative of thermodynamic and microphysical processes intrinsic to supercells. Prior investigations of supercell polarimetric signatures, both those observed by operational and research radars, and those simulated numerically, reveal positive correlations between the ZDR column depth and cross-sectional area and quantitative characteristics of the radar reflectivity field. This study expands upon prior work by incorporating a dataset of discrete, right moving supercells …
An Observational Study Of Winter Weather-Related Traffic Crashes In Nebraska, Jacob Petr
An Observational Study Of Winter Weather-Related Traffic Crashes In Nebraska, Jacob Petr
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
The responsibilities of meteorologists have evolved over time from simply providing a forecast to needing to also understand how those predictions will impact society and then communicating those risks in a clear, concise, and consistent manner. Increased motor vehicle crash numbers due to adverse weather conditions represent one such impact worthy of further study. Snowfall, in particular, significantly increases the overall risk of a crash, which can result in extensive property damage, severe injuries, and even loss of life.This project seeks to supplement traffic crash information in Nebraska by assessing how snowfall impacts crashes across the state. Crash data were …
Evaluation Of Viirs Nightfire Product And Comparison With Modis And Viirs Active Fire Products In A Russian Gas Flaring Region., Ambrish Sharma
Evaluation Of Viirs Nightfire Product And Comparison With Modis And Viirs Active Fire Products In A Russian Gas Flaring Region., Ambrish Sharma
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Gas flaring is a commonly used practice for disposing of waste gases emerging from industrial oil drilling and production processes. It is a serious environmental and economic hazard with adverse impacts on air quality, climate, and the public health. Accurate determination of flare locations and estimation of associated emissions are therefore of prime importance. Recently developed Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Nightfire product (VNF) has shown remarkable efficiency in detecting gas flares globally, owing primarily to its use of Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) band in its detection algorithm. This study compares and contrast nocturnal hot source detection by VNF to …
Quantification Of Cloud Condensation Nuclei Effects On The Microphysical Structure Of Continental Thunderstorms Using Polarimetric Radar Observations, Kun-Yuan Lee
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Aerosols serving as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) are crucial to the microphysical structure of thunderstorms. They can also alter the rate of cloud microphysical processes, the moisture profile and the local temperature as a result of latent heating/cooling in the early stage of thunderstorm development. Continental thunderstorms are characterized by high complexity and are highly influenced by environmental conditions. The purpose of this study is to determine the influences of CCN concentration on the microphysics of continental thunderstorms, using a sample of storms from northwestern Oklahoma. The Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) at Vance Air Force Base (KVNX) was upgraded …
Evaluation Of Nocturnal Convective Precipitation Over The Great Plains Using Reanalysis Data And A Wrf-Based Regional Climate Model, Xu Deng
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
This study aims to analyze what processes are mainly responsible for nocturnal convective precipitation during the 1991-2000 period for May-June-July over the Great Plains. Firstly, based on the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) coupled with the NCAR Community Land Model (CLM) and the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) reanalysis data, the simulations of the diurnal cycles of LLJ and the convective precipitation are examined. Then, the LLJ-related moisture transport is evaluated since the moisture supply is critical for the development of the heavy rainfall. Results show that the WRF model fails to simulate the nocturnal peak rainfall shown in …
Land Use Land Cover Change Effects On Southern Great Plains Precipitation, Alexandra Caruthers
Land Use Land Cover Change Effects On Southern Great Plains Precipitation, Alexandra Caruthers
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Great Plains land use has changed substantially over the last 160 years, altering the properties of the land through increased settlement and advances in irrigation. Changing the interface between the land and atmosphere has implications for the atmospheric boundary layer, the regional circulation, the local surface energy budget and resulting precipitation patterns. Land use land cover (LULC) changes are an important topic for this region due to its heavy dependence on agriculture. This study investigates differences in Southern Great Plains precipitation patterns between four LULC scenarios: the pre-settlement, 1920’s, Dust Bowl and present day eras. Using the Weather Research and …
Spatial Continuous Biomass Burning Emission Inventory: Application To Wrf-Chem Model Over The Northern Sub-Saharan African Region, Yun Yue
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Fire, as a significant global source of trace gases and aerosol particles, plays an important role in perturbations of the chemical and physical properties of the atmosphere. Fire products from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor on polar-orbiting satellites Terra and Aqua are largely used in several emission inventories. However, the MODIS fire products have inherent limitations due to the following reasons: (a) they cannot detect fires underneath clouds; (b) the fire detection sensitivity decreases at the edge of MODIS scan where viewing angles and MODIS pixel sizes are bigger than at nadir; and (c) there are gaps between MODIS …
Modeling And Satellite Remote Sensing Of The Meteorological Impacts Of Irrigation During The 2012 Central Plains Drought, Clint Aegerter
Modeling And Satellite Remote Sensing Of The Meteorological Impacts Of Irrigation During The 2012 Central Plains Drought, Clint Aegerter
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
As irrigation is increasingly needed for agricultural production, it is becoming progressively more important to understand not only how irrigation impacts water availability, but how the introduction of this water into the soil impacts weather and climate through land-atmosphere interactions. In the summer of 2012, the Central Plains of the United States experienced one of its most severe droughts on record. This study examines the meteorological impacts of irrigation during this drought through observations and model simulations using the Community Land Model (CLM) coupled to the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. A simple parameterization of irrigation processes is added …
Differing Roles Of The Great Plains Low-Level Jet In Producing Warm Season Precipitation Over The Central United States In 2002, Mengyuan Shang
Differing Roles Of The Great Plains Low-Level Jet In Producing Warm Season Precipitation Over The Central United States In 2002, Mengyuan Shang
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
The purpose of this research is to describe and compare different roles of the Great Plains low-level jet (GPLLJ) in producing warm season precipitation over the central United States by model simulation. After going through 35 years’ (from 1979- 2013) NCEP North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) data, year 2002 was selected for model simulation as it contained a “wet period” (May- June) and a “dry period” (July- August). The model simulation was done by using Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Regional Model. In this study, the GPLLJ was defined by the low-level wind at 925 hPa. The results showed the …
Effects Of Meteorological Conditions On Sulfur Dioxide Air Pollution In The North China Plain During Winter Of 2006-2015, Chase C. Calkins
Effects Of Meteorological Conditions On Sulfur Dioxide Air Pollution In The North China Plain During Winter Of 2006-2015, Chase C. Calkins
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
The last decade has seen frequent occurrences of severe air pollution episodes of high concentration in SO2 during winters in the North China Plain (NCP). Using satellite data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), chemistry transport model (GEOS-Chem) simulations, and National Center for Environmental Predication (NCEP) meteorological reanalyzes, this study examines meteorological and synoptic conditions associated with these air pollution episodes during winters of 2006-2015. OMI-based data suggest a large decrease (~30% in area average) of emission since 2010. Statistical analyzes show that meteorological conditions associated with the top 10% of OMI-based high days are found in average to …
Retrieval Of Aerosol Microphysical Properties From Aeronet Photopolarimetric Measurements, Xiaoguang Xu
Retrieval Of Aerosol Microphysical Properties From Aeronet Photopolarimetric Measurements, Xiaoguang Xu
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Atmospheric aerosols play an important role in earth climate by scattering and absorbing solar and terrestrial radiation, and indirectly through altering the cloud formation, life- time, and radiative properties. However, accurate quantification of these effects is in no small part hindered by our limited knowledge about the particle size distribution (PSD) and refractive index, the aerosol microphysical properties essentially pertain to aerosol optical and cloud-forming properties. The research goal of this thesis is to obtain the aerosol microphysical properties of both fine and coarse modes from the polarimetric solar radiation measured by the SunPhotometer of the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). …
Improving Nocturnal Fire Detection With The Viirs Day-Night Band, Thomas N. Polivka
Improving Nocturnal Fire Detection With The Viirs Day-Night Band, Thomas N. Polivka
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
As an important component in the Earth-atmosphere system, wildfires are a serious threat to life and property that—despite improving warning systems—have exacted greater costs in recent years. In addition, they impact global atmospheric chemistry by releasing potent trace gasses and aerosols. Using the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), this study investigates the adjustment of fire pixel selection criteria to include visible light signatures at night, creating the Firelight Detection Algorithm (FILDA). This allows for greatly improved detection of smaller and cooler fires from satellite observations. VIIRS scenes with coincident Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection (ASTER) overpasses are examined …
Springtime Melt Onset On Arctic Sea Ice From Satellite Observations And Related Atmospheric Conditions, Angela C. Bliss
Springtime Melt Onset On Arctic Sea Ice From Satellite Observations And Related Atmospheric Conditions, Angela C. Bliss
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
The timing of snowmelt onset (MO) on Arctic sea ice derived from passive microwave satellite data is examined by determining the melting area (in km2) on a daily basis for the spring and summer melt season months over the 1979 – 2012 data record. The date of MO on Arctic sea ice has important implications for the amount of total solar energy absorbed by the ice-ocean system in a given year. Increasingly early mean MO dates have been recorded over the 34-year data record as evidenced by statistically significant trends of 6.6 days decade-1 over the extent …
Verification And Analysis Of Impact-Based Tornado Warnings In The Central Region Of The National Weather Service, Holly B. Obermeier
Verification And Analysis Of Impact-Based Tornado Warnings In The Central Region Of The National Weather Service, Holly B. Obermeier
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Tornado warnings are one of the most critical products issued by the National Weather Service (NWS), and favorable verification statistics are desirable. The 2011 NWS statistics for traditional tornado warnings indicate that the probability of detection (POD) is 70%, while the false alarm rate (FAR) is 76%. The recent Joplin, Missouri EF5 tornado event on 22 May 2011, which resulted in massive devastation and loss of life, prompted the NWS to re-evaluate the current tornado warning format. After the Joplin, MO event, the Central Region of the NWS implemented the impact-based tornado warning (IBTW) experiment in 2013. IBTWs consist of …
Eastern Us Dryline Climatology And Synoptic-Scale Environment, Rebecca S. Duell
Eastern Us Dryline Climatology And Synoptic-Scale Environment, Rebecca S. Duell
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
The dryline is an important focal point for convection initiation, and the subject of many studies. While the most common location for drylines is the southern Great Plains, dryline passages and subsequent severe weather outbreaks have been documented in the Mississippi River Valley and into portions of the southeastern United States. Little is known about these “eastern” drylines or how often they occur, as no climatologies or detailed studies have been published on them. This thesis presents a fifteen-year climatology (1999-2013) of eastern drylines in an effort to identify how often and where they typically occur, and to identify synoptic …
Aerosol Association With Severe Weather In The Great Plains, Gabriel A. Lojero
Aerosol Association With Severe Weather In The Great Plains, Gabriel A. Lojero
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Aerosols particles may serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and therefore play an important role in modulating cloud microphysics, to the point where convective storm intensity may be altered. The purpose of this study is to determine the impacts of biomass burning aerosols on convective storms over the Great Plains, especially the southern Great Plains, and to show synoptic regimes characterizing differing aerosol concentrations. A new technique to identify days with a high concentration of biomass burning aerosols was developed by using organic carbon, potassium, zinc, and bromine as the predominant tracers. An eleven-year climatology (2002-2012) for the biomass burning …
Springtime Atmospheric Responses To North Atlantic Sst Anomalies In Idealized Gcm Experiments: Northern Hemisphere Circulation And North American Precipitation, Michael C. Veres
Springtime Atmospheric Responses To North Atlantic Sst Anomalies In Idealized Gcm Experiments: Northern Hemisphere Circulation And North American Precipitation, Michael C. Veres
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
In this study, a series of experiments using idealized sea surface temperatures (SST), land and orography are performed to examine the interactions between the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), continents and major orography. Three sets of experiments are done using an increasingly realistic surface boundary (aqua-planet, land without orography and land with orography) and run using perpetual equinox conditions. For each land surface boundary, the model is forced with a zonally symmetric SST, with additional experiments with an imposed positive or negative SST anomalies in the North Atlantic. The experiments are then compared to determine how these forcings interact and what …
Environmental Analysis Of Goes-R Proving Ground Convection Initiation Forecasting Algorithms, Jason M. Apke
Environmental Analysis Of Goes-R Proving Ground Convection Initiation Forecasting Algorithms, Jason M. Apke
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
The enhanced temporal and spatial resolution of the GOES-R series will allow for the use of cloud top cooling based convection initiation (CI) forecasting algorithms. Two such algorithms have been created on the current generation of GOES satellites: theUniversityofWisconsincloud top cooling algorithm (UWCTC) and the University of Alabama-Huntsville’s satellite convection analysis and tracking algorithm (SATCAST). Preliminary analysis of algorithm products has led to speculation over pre-convective environmental effects on algorithm performance, which this study aims to examine. CI indications are used with objective segmentation tools to identify and cluster radar objects over theGreat Plainsbased on reflectivity quantitative and spatial thresholds. …
Mesoscale Modeling And Satellite Observation Of Transport And Mixing Of Smoke And Dust Particles Over Northern Sub-Saharan African Region, Zhifeng Yang
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
The transport and vertical distribution of smoke and mineral dust aerosols over the Northern Sub-Saharan African (NSSA) region have important implications for regional and global air quality and climate. This study employs ground-based and satellite observations, and numerical simulations conducted with a fully-coupled meteorology-chemistry-aerosol model, Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem). The WRF-Chem simulation is for February 2008 and uses hourly dynamic smoke emissions from the Fire Locating and Modeling of Burning Emissions (FLAMBE) database derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) fire products. Model performance of smoke and dust simulation is evaluated using numerous satellite and ground-based …
An Examination Of The Mechanisms And Environments Supportive Of Bow Echo Mesovortex Genesis, George Limpert
An Examination Of The Mechanisms And Environments Supportive Of Bow Echo Mesovortex Genesis, George Limpert
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Low-level mesovortices are associated with enhanced surface wind gusts and high-end wind damage in quasi-linear thunderstorms. Although damage associated with mesovortices can approach that of moderately strong tornadoes, skill in forecasting mesovortices is low. The overarching goal of this work is to understand mesovortices and how they develop, to improve the skill in forecasting them. This was done by developing a climatology of mesovortices, which required a tracking algorithm, and numerical simulations were conducted to answer questions that could not be answered through the observational data. A climatology of mesovortices was constructed from 44 events during 2009 and 2010 to …
Remote Sensing Of Surface Visibility From Space: A Look At The United States East Coast, Amy L. Kessner
Remote Sensing Of Surface Visibility From Space: A Look At The United States East Coast, Amy L. Kessner
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
While important for the management of air quality, human health and transportation, surface visibility data currently are only available through ground-based measurements, such as the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), and therefore lack spatial coverage. In analogy to the recent work of using satellite-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) to derive surface dry aerosol mass concentration at continental-to-global scale for cloud-free conditions, this study evaluates the potential of AOD retrieved from the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) for deriving surface visibility. For this purpose of evaluation, the truncated and discrete visibility data from daily weather reports are not suitable and the …
An Analysis Of Deep Convection Initiation Environments, Noah Lock
An Analysis Of Deep Convection Initiation Environments, Noah Lock
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Initiation is the part of the convective life cycle which is currently least understood and least well forecast. The inability to properly forecast the timing and/or location of deep convection initiation degrades forecast skill, especially during the warm season. The goals of this research are examine the spatiotemporal distribution of thunderstorm initiation points and to determine which atmospheric parameters (and ultimately processes) are most important for the initiation of thunderstorms. The spatiotemporal distribution of thunderstorm initiation points shows the expected peaks during summer and during the afternoon. The warm season also produces significant concentrations of initiation points near mountains, mainly …
Retrieval Of Sub-Pixel-Based Fire Intensity And Its Application For Characterizing Smoke Injection Heights And Fire Weather In North America, David Peterson
Retrieval Of Sub-Pixel-Based Fire Intensity And Its Application For Characterizing Smoke Injection Heights And Fire Weather In North America, David Peterson
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
For over two decades, satellite sensors have provided the locations of global fire activity with ever-increasing accuracy. However, the ability to measure fire intensity, know as fire radiative power (FRP), and its potential relationships to meteorology and smoke plume injection heights, are currently limited by the pixel resolution. This dissertation describes the development of a new, sub-pixel-based FRP calculation (FRPf) for fire pixels detected by the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) fire detection algorithm (Collection 5), which is subsequently applied to several large wildfire events in North America. The methodology inherits an earlier bi-spectral algorithm for retrieving sub-pixel …
Accuracy Assessment Of Aqua-Modis Aerosol Optical Depth Over Coastal Regions: Importance Of Quality Flag And Sea Surface Wind Speed, Jacob Anderson
Accuracy Assessment Of Aqua-Modis Aerosol Optical Depth Over Coastal Regions: Importance Of Quality Flag And Sea Surface Wind Speed, Jacob Anderson
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Using data collected from 62 coastal stations worldwide from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) from 2002-2011, accuracy assessments are made for coastal aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieved from MODIS aboard the Aqua satellite. It is found that coastal AODs (at 550 nm) characterized respectively by the MODIS Dark Land (Land) surface algorithm, the Open Ocean (Ocean) algorithm, and AERONET all exhibit a log-normal distribution. After filtering by quality flags, the coastal MODIS AODs retrieved from the Land and Ocean algorithms are highly correlated with AERONET (with R2≈0.8), but only the Land algorithm AODs fall within the expected error …