Characteristics of Atmospheric Aerosol Optical Thickness over the Northeast Asia Using TERRA/MODIS Data during the Year 2000~2005

동북아시아 지역에서 TERRA/MODIS 위성자료를 이용한 2000~2005년 동안의 대기 에어러솔 광학두께 변화 특성

The six-year (2000~2005) record of aerosol optical thickness (AOT or $\tau$) data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) was analyzed over the Northeast Asia. The MODIS AOT standard products (MOD04_L2) over both ocean and land were collected to evaluate the spatial and temporal variability of the atmospheric aerosols over the study region ($32^{\circ}N{\sim}42^{\circ}N$ and $115^{\circ}E{\sim}133^{\circ}E$). The monthly averaged AOT result revealed slight changes(${\pm}0.002{\tau}/month$), which was almost unchangeable, over Korea. In contrast, the large AOT values (> 0.6) and a significant AOT increase (> 0.004 ${\tau}/month$) over East China were observed. For the analysis of spatio-temporal variability of AOT values, study area was divided by six sectors (I: North-East China, II: East China, III: Yellow Sea, IV: Korea Peninsular, V: East Sea, and VI: South Sea and Western part of Japan). The considerable result showed that particularly high AOT contribution was observed over sector I (32.5%) and II (25.5%) where some major urban and industrialized areas and agricultural fields are located and other cases were observed 13.2%, 14.6%, 7.1%, 7.0% over sector III, IV, V, and VI, respectively. In addition, yearly AOT changes based on seasons are observed differently at each sector but increasing trends reveal in summer and fall over all sectors.