Absorbing Aerosol Index

The Absorbing Aerosol Index (AAI) indicates the presence of elevated absorbing aerosols in the Earth's atmosphere. The aerosol types that are mostly seen in the AAI are desert dust and biomass burning aerosols. The AAIs provided here are derived from the reflectances measured by GOME-1, SCIAMACHY and GOME-2 at 340 and 380 nm, and from the reflectances measured by OMI at 354 and 388 nm. The pictures below present the most recent AAI measurements obtained by GOME-2 and TROPOMI. Below these there are links to all the aerosol data products that are currently available.

Latest results from GOME-2 and TROPOMI

Latest Absorbing Aerosol Index (AAI) results obtained by GOME-2 (left) and TROPOMI (right)

Archives

TROPOMI Absorbing Aerosol Index

GOME-2 Absorbing Aerosol Index

GOME-2 / MetOp-A:

AAI monthly images:	2007 |  2008 |  2009 |  2010 |  2011 |  2012 |  2013 |  2014 |  2015 |  2016 |  2017 |  2018 |  2019 |  2020 |  2021
AAI monthly data files:	2007 |  2008 |  2009 |  2010 |  2011 |  2012 |  2013 |  2014 |  2015 |  2016 |  2017 |  2018 |  2019 |  2020 |  2021
AAI daily images (AC SAF style):	2007 |  2008 |  2009 |  2010 |  2011 |  2012 |  2013 |  2014 |  2015 |  2016 |  2017 |  2018 |  2019 |  2020 |  2021
AAI daily images (SACS style):	2007 |  2008 |  2009 |  2010 |  2011 |  2012 |  2013 |  2014 |  2015 |  2016 |  2017 |  2018 |  2019 |  2020 |  2021
AAI daily gridded data:	2007 |  2008 |  2009 |  2010 |  2011 |  2012 |  2013 |  2014 |  2015 |  2016 |  2017 |  2018 |  2019 |  2020 |  2021

GOME-2 / MetOp-B:

AAI monthly images:	2012 |  2013 |  2014 |  2015 |  2016 |  2017 |  2018 |  2019 |  2020 |  2021 |  2022 |  2023 |  2024
AAI monthly data files:	2012 |  2013 |  2014 |  2015 |  2016 |  2017 |  2018 |  2019 |  2020 |  2021 |  2022 |  2023 |  2024
AAI daily images (AC SAF style):	2012 |  2013 |  2014 |  2015 |  2016 |  2017 |  2018 |  2019 |  2020 |  2021 |  2022 |  2023 |  2024
AAI daily images (SACS style):	2012 |  2013 |  2014 |  2015 |  2016 |  2017 |  2018 |  2019 |  2020 |  2021 |  2022 |  2023 |  2024
AAI daily gridded data:	2012 |  2013 |  2014 |  2015 |  2016 |  2017 |  2018 |  2019 |  2020 |  2021 |  2022 |  2023 |  2024

GOME-2 / MetOp-C:

AAI monthly images:	2019 |  2020 |  2021 |  2022 |  2023 |  2024
AAI monthly data files:	2019 |  2020 |  2021 |  2022 |  2023 |  2024
AAI daily images (AC SAF style):	2019 |  2020 |  2021 |  2022 |  2023 |  2024
AAI daily images (SACS style):	2019 |  2020 |  2021 |  2022 |  2023 |  2024
AAI daily gridded data:	2019 |  2020 |  2021 |  2022 |  2023 |  2024

The data of the GOME-2 Absorbing Aerosol Index are provided by KNMI in the framework of the EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facility on Atmospheric Composition Monitoring (AC SAF).








Data use / License / Citation:

When the data are used in scientific publications, please refer to the following publication:

L.G. Tilstra, O.N.E. Tuinder, and P. Stammes, GOME-2 Absorbing Aerosol Index: Statistical analysis, comparison to GOME-1 and impact of instrument degradation, Proceedings of the 2010 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference, 2010. (PDF file)

 

Documentation:

• Data description of the gridded (level-3) data on this website

• Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document

• Product Specification Document for the original level-2 data that can be obtained from the AC SAF

• Validation Report

• M. de Graaf, P. Stammes, O. Torres, and R.B.A. Koelemeijer, Absorbing Aerosol Index: Sensitivity analysis, application to GOME and comparison with TOMS, J. Geophys. Res. 110, D010201, doi:10.1029/2004JD005178, 2005.

• L.G. Tilstra, O.N.E. Tuinder, and P. Stammes, GOME-2 Absorbing Aerosol Index: Statistical analysis, comparison to GOME-1 and impact of instrument degradation, Proceedings of the 2010 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference, 2010. (PDF file)

• L.G. Tilstra, M. de Graaf, O.N.E. Tuinder, R.J. van der A, and P. Stammes, Studying trends in aerosol presence using the Absorbing Aerosol Index derived from GOME-1, SCIAMACHY, and GOME-2, Proceedings of the 2011 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference, 2011. (PDF file)

• L.G. Tilstra, O.N.E. Tuinder, and P. Stammes, A new method for in-flight degradation correction of GOME-2 Earth reflectance measurements, with application to the Absorbing Aerosol Index, Proceedings of the 2012 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference, 2012. (PDF file)

• L.G. Tilstra, M. de Graaf, O.N.E. Tuinder, R.J. van der A, and P. Stammes, Monitoring aerosol presence over a 15-year period using the Absorbing Aerosol Index measured by GOME-1, SCIAMACHY, and GOME-2, Proceedings of the ESA Living Planet Symposium 2013, ESA Special Publication SP-722, 2014. (PDF file)

• L.G. Tilstra, O.N.E. Tuinder, M. de Graaf, and P. Stammes, Comparison of Absorbing Aerosol Index products from GOME-2 and SCIAMACHY, Proceedings of the 2015 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference, 2015. (PDF file)

OMI Absorbing Aerosol Index

• Gridded global daily level-3 data (NetCDF data format)

• Level-2 data with AAI, time, and geolocation information (NetCDF data format)

• Data description

• Product Specification Document of the OMAERO (level-2) data from which the level-2 data on this website are extracted

SCIAMACHY Absorbing Aerosol Index

 
The SCIAMACHY daily data are available in two flavours:

• Gridded global daily level-3 data (NetCDF data format)

• Level-2 data with AAI, time, and geolocation information (ASCII data format)

 

Data use / License / Citation:

When the data are used in scientific publications, please refer to the following publication:

L.G. Tilstra, M. de Graaf, I. Aben, and P. Stammes, In-flight degradation correction of SCIAMACHY UV reflectances and Absorbing Aerosol Index, J. Geophys. Res. 117, D06209, doi:10.1029/2011JD016957, 2012. (PDF file)

 

Documentation:

• Data description

• Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document

• Product Specification Document

• M. de Graaf and P. Stammes, First verification of SCIAMACHY's Absorbing Aerosol Index product, Proceedings of the Envisat Validation Workshop, ESA Special Publication SP-531, 2003. (PDF file)

• M. de Graaf, L.G. Tilstra, and P. Stammes, SCIAMACHY Absorbing Aerosol Index: The scientific product compared to the operational product and TOMS data, Proceedings of the Second Workshop on the Atmospheric Chemistry Validation of ENVISAT (ACVE-2), ESA Special Publication SP-562, 2004. (PDF file)

• M. de Graaf and P. Stammes, SCIAMACHY Absorbing Aerosol Index - calibration issues and global results from 2002-2004, Atmos. Chem. Phys. 5, 2385-2394, doi:10.5194/acp-5-2385-2005, 2005. (PDF file)

• L.G. Tilstra, M. de Graaf, S. Noël, I. Aben, and P. Stammes, SCIAMACHY's Absorbing Aerosol Index and the consequences of instrument degradation, Proceedings of the Third Workshop on the Atmospheric Chemistry Validation of ENVISAT (ACVE-3), ESA Special Publication SP-642, 2007. (PDF file)

• L.G. Tilstra, M. de Graaf, I. Aben, and P. Stammes, Analysis of 5 years of SCIAMACHY Absorbing Aerosol Index data, Proceedings of the 2007 Envisat Symposium, ESA Special Publication SP-636, 2007. (PDF file)

• L.G. Tilstra, M. de Graaf, O.N.E. Tuinder, R.J. van der A, and P. Stammes, Studying trends in aerosol presence using the Absorbing Aerosol Index derived from GOME-1, SCIAMACHY, and GOME-2, Proceedings of the 2011 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference, 2011. (PDF file)

• L.G. Tilstra, M. de Graaf, I. Aben, and P. Stammes, In-flight degradation correction of SCIAMACHY UV reflectances and Absorbing Aerosol Index, J. Geophys. Res. 117, D06209, doi:10.1029/2011JD016957, 2012. (PDF file)

• L.G. Tilstra, M. de Graaf, O.N.E. Tuinder, R.J. van der A, and P. Stammes, Monitoring aerosol presence over a 15-year period using the Absorbing Aerosol Index measured by GOME-1, SCIAMACHY, and GOME-2, Proceedings of the ESA Living Planet Symposium 2013, ESA Special Publication SP-722, 2014. (PDF file)

• L.G. Tilstra, O.N.E. Tuinder, M. de Graaf, and P. Stammes, Comparison of Absorbing Aerosol Index products from GOME-2 and SCIAMACHY, Proceedings of the 2015 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference, 2015. (PDF file)

GOME-1 Absorbing Aerosol Index

 
The GOME-1 daily data are available in two flavours:

• Gridded global daily level-3 data (NetCDF data format)

• Level-2 data with AAI, time, and geolocation information (ASCII data format)

 

Data use / License / Citation:

When the data are used in scientific publications, please refer to the following publication:

M. de Graaf, P. Stammes, O. Torres, and R.B.A. Koelemeijer, Absorbing Aerosol Index: Sensitivity analysis, application to GOME and comparison with TOMS, J. Geophys. Res. 110, D010201, doi:10.1029/2004JD005178, 2005.

 

Documentation:

• Data description

• M. de Graaf, P. Stammes, O. Torres, and R.B.A. Koelemeijer, Absorbing Aerosol Index: Sensitivity analysis, application to GOME and comparison with TOMS, J. Geophys. Res. 110, D010201, doi:10.1029/2004JD005178, 2005.

• L.G. Tilstra, O.N.E. Tuinder, and P. Stammes, GOME-2 Absorbing Aerosol Index: Statistical analysis, comparison to GOME-1 and impact of instrument degradation, Proceedings of the 2010 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference, 2010. (PDF file)

• L.G. Tilstra, M. de Graaf, O.N.E. Tuinder, R.J. van der A, and P. Stammes, Studying trends in aerosol presence using the Absorbing Aerosol Index derived from GOME-1, SCIAMACHY, and GOME-2, Proceedings of the 2011 EUMETSAT Meteorological Satellite Conference, 2011. (PDF file)

• L.G. Tilstra, M. de Graaf, O.N.E. Tuinder, R.J. van der A, and P. Stammes, Monitoring aerosol presence over a 15-year period using the Absorbing Aerosol Index measured by GOME-1, SCIAMACHY, and GOME-2, Proceedings of the ESA Living Planet Symposium 2013, ESA Special Publication SP-722, 2014. (PDF file)

Multi-Sensor Absorbing Aerosol Index

 
The following data products are available:

• Daily gridded global level-3 data (NetCDF data format)

• Monthly gridded global level-3 data (NetCDF data format)

 

Documentation:

• Data description

Tools

• IDL tools

Related subjects

• TROPOMI aerosol optical thickness (AER_OT) product

• OMI aerosol index images (NASA)

• MODIS aerosol product

• The AERONET aerosol robotic network