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SI-traceable solar irradiance measurements for aerosol optical depth retrieval

The overall aim of this study is to enable the traceable to International System of Units (SI) determination of column-integrated aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieved from the passive remote sensing of the atmosphere using SI-traceable direct solar spectral irradiance measurements. A precision filter radiometer that measures direct solar spectral irradiance for the retrieval of AOD has been characterized and calibrated at the state-of-the-art calibration facilities of Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt. The measured SI-traceable solar irradiances together with three state-of-the-art top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) solar spectra have been used for retrieving AODs, which were validated against the reference AOD instruments of the World Aerosol Optical Depth Calibration Centre of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Calibration factors agreed within ±0.57% (3σ) using all three TOA spectra except for 368 nm (−1.1%) and 862 nm (1.8%) channels for one out of the three TOA spectra. Application of these results to the AOD retrieval showed AOD differences with the current reference methods/instruments well within the recommended WMO limits. The work provides a first step to opening a new era of AOD measurements traceability, providing a link to the SI through a laboratory-based approach, with the main advantages being the low uncertainty, the possibility of enhancing global AOD homogenization efforts and the chance to avoid calibration activities based on instrument relocations.