Significance of simultaneous observations of polarization and radiance with SGLI

Abstract

The Japanese space mission, JAXA/GCOM (Global Change Observation Mission-Climate)-C (SHIKISAI in Japanese), was launched in 2017, carrying the Second-Generation Global Imager (SGLI). The SGLI performs wide-swath multispectral measurements in 19 channels from near-ultraviolet to thermal infrared (IR), including red (674 nm designated as the PL1 band) and near-IR (869 nm; PL2 band) polarization channels. This work presents retrieval of Severe Biomass Burning Aerosols (SBBAs) generated by severe wildfires using the advantage of SGLI features. Namely, it is shown that simultaneous observation of polarization and radiance is useful not only for retrieval of optical properties but also vertical variation of SBBAs. The obtained results are validated by comparison with a meteorological regional model CTM.