U.S. Air Quality

Note on MODIS AOD in the North

Nikisa posted MODIS AOD and true color images that reveal some interesting features of the MODIS AOD product. First, it captured the light smoke in Iowa and Illinois quite well considering there were a few clouds mixed in. This helps validate our prediction of smoke. Where it failed is in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota where there are clear skies but snow on the ground. The MODIS AOD product incorrectly indicates very high AOD (>0.8) in those areas. Once again, it is valuable to review the true color imagery in conjunction with the AOD data, especially in areas where dense haze would not normally be expected.