Suomi-NPP VIIRS aerosol algorithms and data products

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument on board the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) spacecraft was launched in October 2011. The instrument has 22 spectral channels with band centers from 412nm to 12,050nm. The VIIRS aerosol data products are derived primarily from the radiometric channels covering the visible through the short-wave infrared spectral regions (412nm to 2250nm). The major components of the VIIRS aerosol retrieval process are data screening, land inversion, ocean inversion, suspended matter typing, and aggregation. The primary data product produced is the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) environmental data record. A higher resolution AOT intermediate product is also produced. These AOT products and their corresponding retrieval algorithms are described in detail, including theoretical basis, retrieval limitations, and data quality flagging. Preliminary evaluation of the data products has been undertaken by the VIIRS aerosol calibration/validation team using Aerosol Robotic Network ground-based observations to show that the performance of AOT retrievals meets the requirements specified in the Joint Polar Satellite System Level 1 requirements.