A multi-instrument approach for characterizing the atmospheric aerosol optical thickness during the STAAARTE/DAISEX-99 campaign

This work deals with the retrieval of the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) needed to carry out the atmospheric correction of remote sensing data measured in Barrax (Spain) on 4 June 1999 in the framework of 1999 Digital Airbone Imaging Spectrometer Experiment (DAISEX'99). The AOT was estimated through three approaches based on: spectral extinction of direct solar irradiance at ground level, airborne nephelometer measurements at different altitudes, and backscatter lidar in the lower troposphere. We found extremely low AOT values due to a cold Atlantic front that swept across the Iberian Peninsula from west to east producing light rain over the test area on 2 June 1999. The results were solar…