Atmospheric Aerosol Monitoring from Satellite Observations: A History of Three Decades

More than three decades have passed since the launch of the first satellite instrument used for atmospheric aerosol detection. Since then, various powerful satellite remote sensing technologies have been developed for monitoring atmospheric aerosols. The application of these new technologies to different satellite data have led to the generation of multiple aerosol products, such as aerosol spatial distribution, temporal variation, fraction of fine and coarse modes, vertical distribution, light absorption, and some spectral characteristics. These can be used to infer sources of major aerosol emissions, the transportation of aerosols, interactions between aerosols and energy and water cycles, and the involvement of aerosols with the dynamic system. The synergetic use of data from different satellite sensors provides more comprehensive information to better quantify the direct and indirect effects of aerosols on the Earth’s climate. This paper reviews how satellite remote sensing has been used in aerosol monitoring from its earliest beginnings and highlights future satellite missions.