Simultaneous retrieval of AOD and BRDF from AATSR single image under MODIS a priori knowledge

What is it about?

We propose a new algorithm to simultaneously retrieve Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and land surface Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) from Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) single image by adopting gradient optimization method under MODIS a priori knowledge.

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Why is it important?

The land surface reflectance shows annual variation in many places on the earth (for example, the deciduous forest or crop land). Dramatic changes can take place in a short period of time. The traditional method retrieve the BRDF property using data in multiple days, which is not well suitable for the above mentioned cases. Different from traditional method the approach presented here can perform simultaneous retrieval of AOD and BRDF from each individual AATSR swath rather than multiple days by adopting gradient optimization method. The proposed method ensures the "freshness" of the retrieval result, while having considerable accuracy.

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