Performance comparison between CERES-MODIS and OMI in retrieving SSA across diverse aerosol regimes

Abstract. A comparative evaluation of aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA) retrieved from CERES-MODIS and OMI satellite instruments is presented across diverse aerosol environments. The analysis focuses on seven key regions: biomass burning areas (Amazon and South African Congo forests), clean and polluted oceanic zones (South Pacific, Arabian Sea, and Bay of Bengal), clean and polluted land areas (North America, Europe, Indo-Gangetic Plain, and Eastern China), and the Sahara Desert. Monthly aerosol type concentrations from MERRA-2 reanalysis data are used to investigate the seasonal variation in aerosol loading and composition. Results show that CERES-MODIS consistently captures SSA variability more effectively than OMI, particularly in regions dominated by absorbing aerosols such as black carbon. In biomass burning regions, CERES-MODIS displays a strong negative correlation between fire count and SSA, unlike OMI, which shows weaker or negligible correlations. Over clean regions, both instruments perform comparably, while over polluted zones and deserts, CERES-MODIS demonstrates greater sensitivity to aerosol type and seasonal trends. The findings highlight the relative strengths and limitations of both algorithms in aerosol monitoring under diverse atmospheric conditions.