A global survey of the effect of cloud contamination on the aerosol optical thickness and its long-term trend derived from operational AVHRR satellite observations

Subpixel cloud contamination is one of the major issues plaguing passive satellite aerosol remote sensing. Its impact on the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) retrieval has been analyzed/evaluated by many studies. However, the question of how it influences the AOT trend remains to be answered. In this paper, four long‐term advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) AOT data sets from 1981 to 2009 over global oceans for four different definitions of clear sky, respectively, are produced by applying a two‐channel aerosol retrieval algorithm to the AVHRR clear‐sky reflectances derived by combining NOAA Pathfinder Atmosphere's Extended AVHRR climate data record level‐2b all‐sky reflectances with the cloud probability parameter determined from the Bayesian probabilistic cloud detection technique. A global analysis of the effect of cloud contamination on the AVHRR AOT retrieval as well as on its long‐term trend is then performed by comparing the results from the four data sets. It was found that cloud contamination imposes not only a positive bias on AOT values but also a positive bias on its long‐term trend such that negative trends become less negative and positive trends become more positive. A cloud probability value of ≤1% has been identified as an optimal criterion for clear‐sky definition to minimize the cloud contamination in the AVHRR aerosol retrieval while still retaining strong aerosol signals. In order for a satellite aerosol product to be useful and reliable in aerosol trend detection, the cloud contamination effect on aerosol trends needs to be studied/evaluated carefully along with the effects of calibration error, surface disturbance, and aerosol model assumptions. Key Points cloud contamination imposes positive bias on aerosol optical thickness (AOT)cloud contamination also imposes positive bias on AOT long‐term trendcloud contamination effect on aerosol trends needs to be evaluated carefully