Aerosol retrieval and atmospheric correction

Apart from clouds, water vapour and aerosols constitute the primary limitations for the remote sensing of surface features in the AVHRR visible and near-infrared channels. The following chapter presents methods for correcting data in these channels for water vapour and aerosol interference using AVHRR data alone. Included are two methods for aerosol retrieval which are applicable for AVHRR visible and near-infrared radiance data. The first method is the "dark target' approach that currently has applicability over oceans and dense dark vegetation. The second method, the "contrast reduction' method, is complimentary to the first method in that it can be applied in regions of invariant surface cover. The dark target retrieval is demonstrated on a global-type data set over oceans and land targets. Included is a discussion of calibration, water vapour correction and cloud-screening methods. A method of atmospheric correction for the Pinatubo stratospheric aerosol is then given and applied to part of the same global data set. -from Authors