Validation of the first algorithm applied for deriving the aerosol properties over the ocean using the POLDER/ADEOS measurements

Global map of aerosol parameters (optical thickness, Angstrom exponent, and refractive index) are derived from the POLDER instrument on board the ADEOS-1 platform. This paper focuses on aerosol optical thickness and Angstrom exponent retrievals that are based on visible and near infrared back scattering measurements. Assessment of the retrieval quality is achieved by means of comparison with AERONET sunphotometer data. The results show that the POLDER measurements can be used to distinguish several aerosol types from their Angstrom coefficients, in addition to a precise estimate of the aerosol optical thickness.