Characteristics of distribution and seasonal variation of aerosol optical depth in eastern China with MODIS products

The accuracy of MODIS aerosol products from the NASA Terra Satellite is validated in comparison with the results of sun-photometer observations in Beijing and Hong Kong. By analyzing the MODIS aerosol products within the period of August 2000 to April 2003, it is believed that human activities are the main source of aerosols in the eastern part of China. This is based on the facts that all areas with relatively high values are consistent with regions of dense population and fast economic development, such as the North China Plain, the Sichuan Basin and the Pearl River Delta. It is also supported by the distribution of Ångström exponents showing that most aerosols in the eastern part of China are closely related to human activities, excepting the strong sandstorm episodes occurring in spring, fall and winter. In contrast to developed countries, the Ångström exponent of urban area in China is lower than its surroundings, indicating that the contribution of local floating dust and soot attributed to human activities is significant. Results presented in this paper provide important data for further research on climatic change and environmental study.