Analyzing Sun Photometer Data to Discover Trends and to Create Educational Activities for Students

• Main Authors: Williams, Robyn, Gatebe, Charles
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DigitalCommons@CalPoly 2010
• Subjects: Aerosol Robotic Network
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/star/35; https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/context/star/article/1033/viewcontent/Williams__Robyn_Poster.pdf

The sun photometer data was collected and organized by the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) program at NASA GSFC. These sun photometers measure AOD by looking at the sun using 8 different filters that take measurements at various wavelengths. The larger the AOD at a particular wavelength means that less of that wavelength is being transmitted to the Earth's surface. An optical depth 1 or greater indicates a hazy sky condition while an optical depth of less than 0.1 indicates clear skies. This summer I decided to research whether elevation had any affect on the AOD value. I chose locations across the United States and others around the globe. In order to limit the amount of variables involved, I compared the AOD at locations along the East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast of the US. These locations also had a range of elevations.