Aerosol single-scattering albedo estimated from NOAA-14 AVHRR measurements: case studies over Brazil

Using NOAA-14 AVHRR satellite imagery and ground-based aerosol optical thickness ((tau) ) measurements, the single scattering albedo ((omega) 0) of biomass burning aerosols is estimated for selected days during the Smoke, Clouds and Radiation- Brazil (SCAR-B) experiment held in Brazil during 1995. The retrieved average aerosol single scattering albedos at 0.55 micrometer over the study areas range between 0.83 to 0.92 which is in good agreement with in situ measurements and previous studies. The uncertainty in the retrieved (omega) 0 due to the uncertainties in clear sky albedos and observed AVHRR reflectance is examined. When (tau) at 0.55 micrometer is smaller than 1.0, the retrieved (omega) 0 is sensitive to the assumed clear sky albedo values. When (tau) at 0.55 micrometer is larger than 2.0 , the retrieved (omega) 0 is less sensitive to clear sky albedos. This study shows that when ground-based aerosol (tau) is available, (omega) 0 can be retrieved to within 0.06 which could then be used to characterize biomass burning aerosols in radiative transfer calculations.