Retrieval on mass concentration of urban surface suspended particulate matter with LIDAR and satellite remotesensing

The aerosol optical depth (AOD) products from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), aerosol extinction coefficient profiles from Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), surface relative humidity data and particulate matter (PM) mass concentration data over Yuan Long, Hong Kong in 2008 were used in the remote sensing of surface suspended particulate matter mass distribution. LIDAR data were used to get the relationship among surface aerosol extinction coefficient, LIDAR AOD and aerosol scale height, which was further applied in the retrieval of the distribution of surface aerosol extinction coefficients with satellite AOD. After considering relative humidity effect, the correlation between satellite estimated aerosol extinction coefficients and the corresponding surface PM mass was investigated. Finally, the surface PM mass distribution was obtained by synergy usage of satellite and LIDAR measurements. The results show that the correlation coefficients between the estimated aerosol extinction coefficients and the surface PM mass are 0.57-0.86 for PM2.5 and 0.59-0.78 for PM10, respectively. The Root Mean Square Errors (RMSEs) between estimated PM and surface measured PM mass are 11.64-25.34 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 24.64-91.64 μg/m3 for PM10. Satellite remote sensing provides a promising way in atmospheric suspended particulate matter monitoring. The 1-km resolution AOD product is more suitable for describing the pollution in the urban areas with complicated topography. © 2013 Peking University