MISR Level 3 Component Global Aerosol Regional public Product covering a month V002

MI3MAER_2 is the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) Level 3 Component Global Aerosol Regional public Product covering a month version 2. It contains a monthly statistical summary of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and single scattering albedo (SSA) model parameters. Data collection for this product was complete in August 2007.

MISR itself is an instrument designed to view Earth with cameras pointed in 9 different directions. As the instrument flies overhead, each piece of Earth's surface below is successively imaged by all 9 cameras, in each of 4 wavelengths (blue, green, red, and near-infrared). The goal of MISR is to improve our understanding of the affects of sunlight on Earth, as well as distinguish different types of clouds, particles and surfaces. Specifically, MISR monitors the monthly, seasonal, and long-term trends in three areas: 1) amount and type of atmospheric particles (aerosols), including those formed by natural sources and by human activities; 2) amounts, types, and heights of clouds, and 3) distribution of land surface cover, including vegetation canopy structure.