Process / pipelineAtmospheric aerosol measurement

Aerosol Optical Depth

Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is a dimensionless measure of aerosol light extinction in the atmosphere, quantifying how much sunlight is scattered and absorbed by particles suspended in air. Formalized by Ångström in 1929 and now routinely measured via satellite (MODIS, Sentinel-5P) and ground networks (AERONET), AOD is essential for air quality monitoring, climate forcing assessment, and visibility prediction.

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Sources

  1. Ångström, A. (1929). On the atmospheric transmission of sun radiation and on dust in the air. Geografiska Annaler, 11(2), 156-166. DOI: 10.1080/20014422.1929.11881985
  2. Holben, B. N., et al. (1998). AERONET: A federated instrument network and data archive for aerosol characterization. Remote Sensing of Environment, 66(1), 1-16. DOI: 10.1016/S0034-4257(98)00031-5

Related methods

ScholarGateAerosol Optical Depth (Aerosol Optical Depth). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/geophysics/aerosol-optical-depth