Collection 1 - SNPP Atmosphere Product Descriptions: VIIRS Level 2 Dark Target Aerosol

Last update: May 10, 2019

Data Set Short Name:
AERDT_L2_VIIRS_SNPP

Data Set Long Name:
VIIRS/SNPP Dark Target Aerosol L2 6-Min Swath 6 km

Platform:
Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (S-NPP)

Instrument:
Visible-Infrared Imaging-Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)

Product Description:
The Dark Target product for the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) is designed to facilitate continuity in the aerosol record beyond the lifespan of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) version of the Dark Target product on the Terra and Aqua platforms. The Dark Target algorithm masks cloud-covered areas from retrieval with a process supplemented by the MODIS-VIIRS Cloud Mask (MVCM), and it does not retrieve over snow or bright land surfaces. The algorithm requires daytime input from VIIRS visible and infrared reflective solar bands. Nighttime granules are therefore absent. The product resolution is 6 km at nadir. The primary retrieval is aerosol optical depth at multiple wavelengths, accompanied by information about particle size and size distribution.

File_naming_convention = AERDT_L2_VIIRS_SNPP.AYYYYDDD.HHMM.CCC.YYYYDDDHHMMSS.nc

• AYYYYDDD = Acquisition Year and Day of Year
• HHMM = Acquisition Hour and Minute
• CCC = Collec tion number
• YYYYDDDHHMMSS = Production Date and Time
• nc = NetCDF4

Production Frequency:
~130 files per day

Spatial Coverage:
Global (daytime only)

Spatial Resolution:
6 km at nadir

File Size:
Variable, but typically 7-12 MB

Related Links:
https://darktarget.gsfc.nasa.gov
(Dark Target aerosol project website)

Citation:
We kindly request that you cite the use of this data set in a publication using the following references.

Sawyer, V., R.C. Levy, S. Mattoo, G. Cureton, Y. Shi, and L.A. Remer (2019), Continuing the MODIS aerosol time series by applying the Dark Target aerosol retrieval to VIIRS, in preparation.br />
Levy, R.C., L. A. Munchak, S. Mattoo, F. Patadia, L. A. Remer, and R. E. Holz (2015), Towards a long-term global aerosol optical depth record: applying a consistent aerosol retrieval algorithm to MODIS and VIIRS-observed reflectance, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 4083–4110.

Data Authors:
R.C. Levy, S. Mattoo, V. Sawyer, L.A. Munchak

Dataset Originator/Creator:
Dark Target aerosol team, Climate and Radiation Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Dataset DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/VIIRS/AERDT_L2_VIIRS_SNPP.001