"A static algorithm is a dead algorithm." (Yoram Kaufman, 2004) Aerosol science and the science of remote sensing of aerosol is not yet at a stage where we can create an algorithm, validate it once, and let it run unattended for the remainder of the mission. We learn more about aerosol characteristics and remote sensing every week. As soon as the understanding of aerosols outstrips the knowledge embedded in the aerosol retrieval algorithm, the products become less useful. Therefore, we must continue to evaluate the aerosol products retrieved by MODIS, contribute to discovering new knowledge and work to keep the retrieval algorithms innovative and alive. Thus, maintenance and refinement of the MODIS aerosol algorithms is fundamentally intertwined with obtaining new science results. It is within this spirit of coupling maintenance activities with pursuit of new scientific knowledge that we propose research that will meet the following goals.
- Continue to produce a high quality aerosol product from MODIS that can be applied with confidence to applications of both global climate change and local environmental quality.
- Maintain continuity between the years of data already produced and future data collected after proposed modifications.
- Maintain the validation infrastructure that automatically co-locates MODIS aerosol retrievals with AERONET data.
- Evaluate the immediate and long-term statistics produced by the Collection 005 code that is currently being used for reprocessing.
- Develop a global aerosol climatology from MODIS Collection 005 results.
- Create a fine resolution (1 km) alternative product.
- Implement specific assumptions of surface reflectance applicable for urban surfaces.
- Investigate and quantify the contamination arising from light scattering from cloud sides and residual cloud contamination in general.
- Determine aerosol nonsphericity.
- When the "Deep Blue" algorithm becomes operational, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the traditional MOD04/MYD04 products with the new Deep Blue products. Create a combined product if it makes sense.
The proposing team represents a total of 53 years of experience in developing, maintaining and exploring the MODIS aerosol algorithms and using the resulting data for scientific purposes. The community has come to depend on the MODIS aerosol products, and they have come to expect a straightforward, honest and cutting edge product. NASA cannot afford to allow these important products to lapse into mediocrity. To produce a cutting edge product, we must discover new science, new understanding of aerosols. We propose to build on the traditions of the MODIS aerosol algorithm's success, continue to produce new science side by side with algorithm refinement and to add value to an already valuable suite of products.
