Validation of Global Gridded Aerosol Models in Inland/Coastal Water Atmospheric Correction for MODIS, VIIRS, and Landsat

Correcting atmospheric effects over inland and coastal waters poses a significant challenge in ocean color applications due to the prevalence of strongly absorbing aerosols, often resulting in overcorrection during atmospheric correction (AC) processes. To address this challenge, our previous study introduced novel global gridded aerosol models tailored for inland and coastal regions. However, further comprehensive validation is needed to assess the performance of these new aerosol models in obtaining remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) under different water conditions and across various satellite missions. In this study, we compiled global in situ Rrs data to compare the performance of the new gridded aerosol models with NASA’s standard aerosol models in AC across three satellite missions: MODIS Aqua (MODISA), Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI). Our findings indicate that the new aerosol model consistently outperforms the standard aerosol model across nearly all spectral bands of the three satellite missions. Importantly, it notably mitigates the overcorrections typically observed with the standard models. These results underscore the effectiveness and applicability of globally gridded aerosol models for AC over inland and coastal waters across different satellite missions.