Semi - annual report on activities associated with the MODIS task : Global Monitoring of Aerosol Properties , Water Vapor , Cloud Structure

The overall objective of this investigation is to develop algorithms, based on the unique properties of the MODIS sensor, for remote sensing of aerosol and cloud characteristics, and remote sensing of water vapor. The derived aerosol, cloud and water vapor properties will be used to develop aerosol climatology, to perform atmospheric corrections of the MODIS imagery in the solar region, as well as to conduct studies of the environment. These remote sensing products, derived from the MODIS imagery, will contain a unique source of information that will be used to answer basic scientific questions regarding the impact of human activity on the environment: What is the contribution of tropical biomass burning on atmospheric concentrations of trace gases and the resulting climate change and changes in atmospheric chemistry. What is the effect of particulates formed in the air, from emission of SO2 in the process of fossil fuel burning, on counteracting the greenhouse effect of the emitted CO2. What is the effect of anthropogenic pollution on natural vegetation and on the quality of life in a densely populated urban environment. How do clouds interact with aerosol and water vapor, and what is the impact of this interaction on cloud microphysics, structure and climate. The team member leads 6 core products and one post launch products, as well as 7 scientific investigations using MODIS data.