Introducing the MISR Level 2 Near Real-Time Aerosol Product

Atmospheric aerosols are an important element of Earth's climate system, and have significant impacts on the environment and on human health. Global aerosol modeling has been increasingly used for operational forecasting and as support to decision making. For example, aerosol analyses and forecasts are routinely used to provide air-quality information and alerts in both civilian and military applications. The growing demand for operational aerosol forecasting calls for additional observational data that can be assimilated into models to improve model accuracy and predictive skill. These factors have motivated the development, testing, and release of a new Near Real-Time (NRT) Level 2 aerosol product from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument on NASA's Terra platform. The NRT product capitalizes on the unique attributes of the MISR aerosol retrieval approach and product contents. In this presentation, several modifications are described that allow for rapid product generation within a 3-hour window following acquisition of the satellite observations, and implications for the product quality and consistency as compared to the operational V23 Level 2 processing are discussed. Several ways of implementing additional use-specific retrieval screenings are also highlighted.