Coordinated airborne, spaceborne, and ground‐based measurements of massive thick aerosol layers during the dry season in southern Africa

During the dry season airborne campaign of the Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000), coordinated observations were made of massive thick aerosol layers. These layers were often dominated by aerosols from biomass burning. We report on airborne Sun photometer measurements of aerosol optical depth (λ = 0.354–1.557 μm), columnar water vapor, and vertical profiles of aerosol extinction and water vapor density that were obtained aboard the University of Washington's Convair‐580 research aircraft. We compare these with ground‐based AERONET Sun/sky radiometer results, with ground based lidar data (MPL‐Net), and with measurements from a downward pointing lidar aboard the high‐flying NASA ER‐2 aircraft. Finally, we show comparisons between aerosol optical depths from the Sun photometer and those retrieved over land and over water using four spaceborne sensors (TOMS, MODIS, MISR, and ATSR‐2).