BetaBetaDataset
To provide a measure of how much light the airborne particles prevent from traveling through the atmosphere.
Tiny solid and liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere are called aerosols. Examples of aerosols include windblown dust, sea salts, volcanic ash, smoke from fires, and pollution from factories. These particles are important to scientists because they can affect climate, weather, and people's health
Dataset consists of: dark brown pixels showing high aerosol concentrations, tan pixels show lower concentrations, light yellow areas show little or no aerosols and black shows areas where sensor could not make its measurement. Optical thickness of less than 0.1 indicates a crystal clear sky with maximum visibility, whereas a value of 1 shows minimum visibility. Types of aerosols are: windblown dust, sea salts, volcanic ash, smoke from wildfires and pollution from factories.
Data is obtained by MODIS sensor aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites.