Description
The VIIRS/SNPP Dark Target Aerosol L2 6-Min Swath 6 km product provides satellite-derived measurements of Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) and their properties over land and ocean, and spectral AOT and their size parameters over oceans every 6 minutes, globally. The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) incarnation of the dark target (DT) aerosol product is based on the same DT algorithm that was developed and used to derive products from the Terra and Aqua mission’s MODIS instruments. Two separate and distinct DT algorithms exist. One helps retrieve aerosol information over ocean (dark in visible and longer wavelengths), while the second aids retrievals over vegetated/dark-soiled land (dark in the visible).
This orbit-level product (Short-name: AERDT_L2_VIIRS_SNPP) has an at-nadir resolution of 6 km x 6 km, and progressively increases away from nadir given the sensor’s scanning geometry and Earth’s curvature. Viewed differently, this product’s resolution accommodates 8 x 8 native VIIRS moderate-resolution (M-band) pixels that nominally have ~750 m horizontal pixel size. Hence, the L2 DT AOT data product incorporates 64 (750 m) pixels over a 6-minute acquisition.
In contrast to collection 1 of this product, this collection 1.1 uses bowtie-restored pixels that are used for both cloud masking and for performing some retrievals using the restored pixels as well.
For more information consult LAADS product description page at:
https://ladsweb.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/missions-and-measurements/products/AERDT_L2_VIIRS_SNPP
Or, Dark Target aerosol team Page at:
https://darktarget.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Resources
| Name | Format | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| View this dataset's algorithm theoretical basis document | HTML | An Agorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD) for MODIS and VIIRS dark target products. | Open resource |
| View the primary investigator's documentation for this dataset | HTML | Data product documentation | Open resource |
| View this dataset's user's guide | A pdf version User's Guide for MODIS and VIIRS dark target products. | Open resource | |
| Use OPeNDAP to access the dataset's data | HTML | Direct link to Collection's OPeNDAP directory | Open resource |
| Download this dataset through LAADS | HTML | Search and order products from LAADS website. | Open resource |
| Google Scholar search results | HTML | Search results for publications that cite this dataset by its DOI. | Open resource |