Satellite and in-situ aerosol optical closure efforts in Hawaii

The ability to model aerosol optical properties is important for climate models and tests of this ability are required. The authors discuss two types of validation efforts they are carrying out in Hawaii. The first involves comparing optical properties derived from in-situ aerosol size distribution measurements with nephelometers. These comparisons are also made on aircraft and then further compared to Sun photometer and satellite measurements of aerosol optical depth. In the second approach the authors are beginning to carry out radiation measurements of the upward scattered radiance near the ocean surface and above the marine boundary layer. This second type of closure effort is needed for comparison with the satellite aerosol model.