AERONET—A Federated Instrument Network and Data Archive for Aerosol Characterization

The concept and description of a remote sensing aerosol dardization for these measurements. The system’s auto-monitoring network initiated by NASA, developed to sup- matic data acquisition, transmission, and processing fa-port NASA, CNES, and NASDA’s Earth satellite systems cilitates aerosol characterization on local, regional, and under the name AERONET and expanded by national global scales with applications to transport and radiation and international collaboration, is described. Recent de- budget studies, radiative transfer-modeling and valida-velopment of weather-resistant automatic sun and sky tion of satellite aerosol retrievals. This article discusses scanning spectral radiometers enable frequent measure- the operation and philosophy of the monitoring system, ments of atmospheric aerosol optical properties and pre- the precision and accuracy of the measuring radiometers, cipitable water at remote sites. Transmission of automatic a brief description of the processing system, and access measurements via the geostationary satellites GOES and to the database. Ó Elsevier Science Inc., 1998 METEOSATS ’ Data Collection Systems allows reception and processing in near real-time from approximately 75% GMS, the coverage will increase to 90 % in 1998. NASA Accurate knowledge of the spatial and temporal extentdeveloped a UNIX-based near real-time processing, displa