Abstract
The Japanese space mission JAXA/GCOM (Global Change Observation Mission-Climate)-C launched in 2017 carries a second-generation global imager (SGLI). The SGLI contains 19 channels from near-UV to thermal infrared (IR), including red (674 nm named PL1 band) and near-IR (869 nm; PL2 band) polarization channels. The SGLI's spatial resolution is fine as the instantaneous field-of-view (IFOV) is 250 m from the near-UV to short-IR wavelength range for radiometry and 1 km for the polarization measurements. This work presents the retrieval algorithms for BBA (biomass burning aerosol) using the advantages of the SGLI features. The BBA generated by wildfires causes long-range advection migration. Severe wildfires, which now frequently occur around the world, have become a major environmental problem. Using as an example the large scale wildfires in September of 2020 around western North America, we show that the SGLI's simultaneous observation of radiance and polarization is useful for the characterization of BBA. Furthermore, a regional numerical model SCALE (Scalable Computing for Advanced Library and Environment) is used to consider meteorological conditions and/or topography. The objective of this study is to better understand the BBA events through the integration of space-borne and ground-based measurements as well as the regional meteorological model.
Funding Information
  • Global Change Observation Mission-Climate
  • Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JXER3-GCF)

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