Recent Upgrades to the Dark Water MISR Research Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm and Potential Implications for the Aerosol/Ocean Color Community

The Multi-Angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) measures upwelling spectral radiance at four wavelengths and nine view angles. Previously, the MISR research aerosol retrieval algorithm (RA) was focused primarily on reporting aerosol type/amount for limited case studies, as well as for validation of algorithmic updates that could be incorporated into the MISR standard aerosol retrieval algorithm (SA). Recent improvements to RA efficiency should soon enable us to process much of the MISR mission (likely at 1.1 km resolution) on NASA supercomputers. Current upgrades to the RA include: 1.1 km self-consistent retrieval of aerosol amount/type and a physically based chlorophyll-a (Chl) retrieval, removal of modified-linear-mixing approximation, greatly expanded aerosol mixture climatology (74 -> 774 aerosol mixtures, including smoke-dust combinations), reflectance uncertainty determined by vicarious calibration, and substantial improvements to stray-light characterization and calibration. We present initial validation of the improved RA, individual cases highlighting the performance of the MISR RA, and discuss potential impacts to the aerosol/ocean color community.