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Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

NOAA GOES-R Series Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) Level 2 Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD)

ABI-L2-AOD

browse graphicExample of Aerosol Optical Depth product retrieved over water from Terra/MODIS data during the Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland Volcano event, 19 April 2010 12:50 UTC.
The GOES-R Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) Aerosol Optical Depth product contains an image with pixel values identifying a measure of the extinction due to atmospheric aerosols at a wavelength of 550 nm over land and ocean. The product includes data quality information that provides an assessment of the quality of the algorithm retrievals for on-earth pixels. The aerosol optical depth value is a dimensionless quantity. The Aerosol Optical Depth product image is produced on the ABI fixed grid at 2 km resolution for Full Disk and CONUS coverage regions from GOES East and West. Product data is produced under the following conditions: Clear sky; snow-free; Geolocated source data to local zenith angles of 90 degrees, to solar zenith angles of 90 degrees, and sunglint angles greater than 40 degrees when over the ocean.
  • Cite as: GOES-R Algorithm Working Group and GOES-R Series Program, (2017): NOAA GOES-R Series Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) Level 2 Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. [access date].
  • doi:
  • ABI-L2-AOD
  • gov.noaa.ncdc:C01511
  • gov.noaa.class:GRABIPRD
gov.noaa.ncdc:C01511
Download Data
Order Data
Distribution Formats
  • NetCDF (Version: 4)
Ordering Instructions Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions.
Distributor NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
ncei.info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact Customer Engagement Branch
DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
ncei.sat.info@noaa.gov
Time Period 2017-12-12 to Present (time interval: 10-minute)
Spatial Reference System urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: -156.2995
East: 6.2995
South: -81.3282
North: 81.3282
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
Processing Documents
Associated Resources
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2017-12-12
Edition Provisional
Data Presentation Form Digital image
Dataset Progress Status Ongoing - data is continually being updated
Data Update Frequency Continual
Purpose The Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) product will utilize several spectral wavelengths of the ABI (Advanced Baseline Imager) to measure the reflectance properties of cloud-free pixels at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). These reflectance properties at the TOA are then fed into aerosol models to compute the surface reflectance and aerosol properties at the surface. The information provided by the AOD algorithm will aid meteorologists and others in making critical air quality, visibility, and aviation forecasts. In addition, AOD product will provide valuable data to be included in climate models and help climate scientists monitor and predict climate change.
Use Limitations
  • For a complete description of use limitations for this EDR, see the Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD).
Dataset Citation
  • Cite as: GOES-R Algorithm Working Group and GOES-R Series Program, (2017): NOAA GOES-R Series Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) Level 2 Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. [access date].
Cited Authors
  • GOES-R Algorithm Working Group
  • GOES-R Series Program
Principal Investigators
  • GOES-R Algorithm Working Group
Resource Providers
  • GOES-R Series Program
Publishers
  • NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Theme keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols > Aerosol Optical Depth/Thickness
  • Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols > Aerosol Particle Properties
Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Essential Climate Variables (ECVs)
  • Atmospheric - Composition - Aerosol Properties
Data Center keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
  • DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC > National Climatic Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
  • DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
  • DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/STAR > Center for Satellite Applications and Research, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
  • DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/OSPO > Office of Satellite and Product Operations, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Platform keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Platform Keywords
  • GOES-16 > Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 16
  • GOES-17 > Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 17
  • GOES-18 > Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 18
Instrument keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords
  • ABI > Advanced Baseline Imager
Place keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
  • Geographic Region > Equatorial
  • Geographic Region > Mid-Latitude
  • Geographic Region > Northern Hemisphere
  • Geographic Region > Southern Hemisphere
  • Geographic Region > Western Hemisphere
  • Geographic Region > Tropics
  • Continent > North America > United States Of America
  • Continent > North America > Central America
  • Continent > South America
  • Ocean > Atlantic Ocean
  • Ocean > Pacific Ocean
Project keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Project Keywords
  • GOES > Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites
  • ABI-L2-AOD
  • gov.noaa.class:GRABIPRD
  • GRABIPRD
  • gov.noaa.class:GRABIPRD
Data Resolution keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Horizontal Data Resolution Keywords
  • 1 km - < 10 km or approximately .01 degree - < .09 degree
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Temporal Data Resolution Keywords
  • 1 minute - < 1 hour
Stratum keywords Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
  • Vertical Location > Troposphere
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: GOES-R Algorithm Working Group and GOES-R Series Program, (2017): NOAA GOES-R Series Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) Level 2 Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. [access date].
  • Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Access Constraints
  • Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.
Fees
  • In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media.
Lineage information for: dataset
Lineage Statement These data were produced by the NOAA Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO) and are archived at the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
Processor
  • DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/OSPO > Office of Satellite and Product Operations, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce
Processing Steps
  • The Aerosol Optical Depth product is generated by the GOES-R ABI Aerosol Optical Depth ground processing algorithm. The algorithm determines ABI reflectance measurements using physical retrievals that utilize a lookup table of TOA reflectance that is pre-calculated from the Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM). The physical retrievals are performed separately over land and ocean. The algorithm computes the optical thickness of aerosols at wavelengths that depend on the surface type. ABI bands 1, 2, and 6 with central wavelengths of 0.47, 0.64, and 2.25 um are used for land retrievals over dark vegetated surfaces. ABI bands 2, 3, 5, and 6 with central wavelengths of 0.64, 0.865, 1.61, and 2.25 um are used for ocean retrievals. The aerosol type is evaluated based on the selection of an aerosol model from four prescribed land aerosol models, generic, dust, smoke, and urban, or for a pair of fine and coarse marine aerosol modes selected from four prescribed fine modes and five prescribed coarse modes. The suspended matter is derived from the computed aerosol optical depth. Pixels in the product image with out of range values are assigned the minimum or maximum value in the valid range. Clear sky is determined using clear and probably clear pixels indicated in the temporally coincident intermediate 4-level cloud mask generated by the Cloud Mask algorithm. Snow-free is determined using snow-free pixels indicated in the most recent intermediate binary snow mask generated by the Snow Cover algorithm. The latitude band statistics, whose extents are a function of the the ABI's fixed grid field of regard and latitude, use the CF metadata conventions hybrid grid mapping that includes both the grid_mapping for the "geostationary" and "latitude_longitude" projections.
  • 2017-05-24T00:00:00 - The GOES-16 ABI Aerosol Optical Depth algorithm reached beta maturity.
  • 2018-03-19T00:00:00 - The GOES-16 ABI Aerosol Optical Depth algorithm reached provisional maturity.
  • The GOES-16 ABI Aerosol Optical Depth algorithm reached full validation maturity.
  • 2018-08-27T00:00:00 - The GOES-17 ABI Aerosol Optical Depth algorithm reached beta maturity.
  • 2019-06-27T00:00:00 - The GOES-17 ABI Aerosol Optical Depth algorithm reached provisional maturity.
  • The GOES-17 ABI Aerosol Optical Depth algorithm reached full validation maturity.
Processing Documents
Source Datasets
  • NOAA GOES-R Series Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) Level 1b Radiances
    • Landing page for ABI-L1-RAD
      Source dataset landing page with general information and access links for the dataset.
    • Description of Source: Level 1b radiances
    • Temporal extent used: 2017-07-10 to Present
    • Spatial extent used: N:81.3282 S:-81.3282 E:6.2995 W:-156.2995
Lineage information for: repository
Processing Steps
  • 2015-04-22T00:00:00 - NOAA created the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) by merging NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), and National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), including the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC), per the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, Public Law 113-235. NCEI launched publicly on April 22, 2015.
Last Modified: 2023-09-18
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