Retrieving Aerosol Optical Depth over Land from Landsat-8 Satellite Images with the Aid of Cloud Shadows
Clouds and their shadows can be clearly identified from high-spatial-resolution satellite images, such as those provided by Landsat-8/9 with a spatial resolution of approximately 30 m and Sentinel-2 with a spatial resolution of around 20 m. Consequently, the difference between satellite measurements...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/2/176 |
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| author | Jingmiao Zhu Congcong Qiao Minzheng Duan |
| author_facet | Jingmiao Zhu Congcong Qiao Minzheng Duan |
| author_sort | Jingmiao Zhu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Clouds and their shadows can be clearly identified from high-spatial-resolution satellite images, such as those provided by Landsat-8/9 with a spatial resolution of approximately 30 m and Sentinel-2 with a spatial resolution of around 20 m. Consequently, the difference between satellite measurements over cloud-shadowed and nearby illuminated pixels can be used to derive the aerosol optical depth (AOD), even in the absence of detailed surface optical properties. Based on this assumption, an algorithm for AOD retrieval over land is developed and tested using Landsat-8/9 images containing scattered clouds over Xuzhou, China, and Dalanzadgad, Mongolia. The retrieved AODs are compared against MODIS and ground-based sun photometer measurements. The findings reveal that, in cloudy regions, over 90% of the discrepancies between the AODs retrieved using the cloud-shadow method and ground-based measurements fall within 0.05 ± 0.20 AOD. This cloud-shadow algorithm represents a valuable complement to existing satellite aerosol retrieval methods, particularly in sparsely cloud-covered areas. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b7e77fd20bbc46fcbe2b3eb3d8185292 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj-art-b7e77fd20bbc46fcbe2b3eb3d81852922025-01-24T13:47:37ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922025-01-0117217610.3390/rs17020176Retrieving Aerosol Optical Depth over Land from Landsat-8 Satellite Images with the Aid of Cloud ShadowsJingmiao Zhu0Congcong Qiao1Minzheng Duan2Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaInstitute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaInstitute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaClouds and their shadows can be clearly identified from high-spatial-resolution satellite images, such as those provided by Landsat-8/9 with a spatial resolution of approximately 30 m and Sentinel-2 with a spatial resolution of around 20 m. Consequently, the difference between satellite measurements over cloud-shadowed and nearby illuminated pixels can be used to derive the aerosol optical depth (AOD), even in the absence of detailed surface optical properties. Based on this assumption, an algorithm for AOD retrieval over land is developed and tested using Landsat-8/9 images containing scattered clouds over Xuzhou, China, and Dalanzadgad, Mongolia. The retrieved AODs are compared against MODIS and ground-based sun photometer measurements. The findings reveal that, in cloudy regions, over 90% of the discrepancies between the AODs retrieved using the cloud-shadow method and ground-based measurements fall within 0.05 ± 0.20 AOD. This cloud-shadow algorithm represents a valuable complement to existing satellite aerosol retrieval methods, particularly in sparsely cloud-covered areas.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/2/176aerosoloptical depthcloud shadow |
| spellingShingle | Jingmiao Zhu Congcong Qiao Minzheng Duan Retrieving Aerosol Optical Depth over Land from Landsat-8 Satellite Images with the Aid of Cloud Shadows Remote Sensing aerosol optical depth cloud shadow |
| title | Retrieving Aerosol Optical Depth over Land from Landsat-8 Satellite Images with the Aid of Cloud Shadows |
| title_full | Retrieving Aerosol Optical Depth over Land from Landsat-8 Satellite Images with the Aid of Cloud Shadows |
| title_fullStr | Retrieving Aerosol Optical Depth over Land from Landsat-8 Satellite Images with the Aid of Cloud Shadows |
| title_full_unstemmed | Retrieving Aerosol Optical Depth over Land from Landsat-8 Satellite Images with the Aid of Cloud Shadows |
| title_short | Retrieving Aerosol Optical Depth over Land from Landsat-8 Satellite Images with the Aid of Cloud Shadows |
| title_sort | retrieving aerosol optical depth over land from landsat 8 satellite images with the aid of cloud shadows |
| topic | aerosol optical depth cloud shadow |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/2/176 |
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