Future Mission Concept for 3-D Remote Sensing of Aerosols from Low Earth Orbit

Abstract

Aerosols are generated and transformed by myriad processes, affecting Earth's climate, hydrological cycle, air quality, and human health. In this paper, we describe the scientific rationale and mission architecture for a future aerosol mission concept, the Aerosol Global Interactions Satellite (AEGIS). Its payload is designed to eliminate ambiguities in aerosol microphysical retrievals and contribute to the next generation of atmospheric models. By combining several satellite-based approaches aimed at observing the 3-D distribution of aerosol abundances, sizes, shapes, and absorption, AEGIS represents a major advance in our ability to monitor and characterize particulate matter from space, and comprises a logical next step beyond the Earth Observing System, the "A-train," and Glory.