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Described is an improved algorithm that uses channel 1 and 2 radiances of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) to retrieve the aerosol optical thickness and Angstromngstrom exponent over the ocean. Specifically discussed are recent changes in the algorithm as well as the results of a sensitivity study analyzing the effect of several sources of retrieval errors not addressed previously. Uncertainties in the AVHRR radiance calibration (particularly in the deep-space count value) may be among the major factors potentially limiting the retrieval accuracy. A change by one digital count may lead to a 50% change in the aerosol optical thickness and a change of 0.4 in the Angstromngstrom exponent. On the other hand, the performance of two-channel algorithms weakly depends on a specific choice of the aerosol size distribution function with less than 10% changes in the optical thickness resulting from replacing a power law with a bimodal modified lognormal distribution. The updated algorithm is applied to a 10-yr period of observations (Jul 1983-Aug 1994), which includes data from NOAA-7, NOAA-9 (Feb 1985-Nov 1988), and NOAA-11 satellites. (The results are posted online at http://gacp.giss.nasa.gov/retrievals.)

The NOAA-9 record reveals a seasonal cycle with maxima occurring around January-February and minima in June-July in the globally averaged aerosol optical thickness. The NOAA-7 data appear to show a residual effect of the El Chichon eruption (Mar 1982) as increased optical thickness values in the beginning of the record. The June 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo resulted in a sharp increase in the aerosol load to more than double its normal value. The NOAA-9 record shows no discernible long-term trends in the global and hemisphere averages of the optical thickness and Angstromngstrom exponent. On the other hand, there is a discontinuity in the Angstromngstrom exponent values derived from NOAA-9 and NOAA-11 data and a significant temporal trend in the NOAA-11 record. The latter is unlikely to be related to the Mt. Pinatubo eruption and may be indicative of a serious calibration problem.

The NOAA-9 record shows that the Northern Hemisphere mean optical thickness systematically exceeds that averaged over the Southern Hemisphere. Zonal means of the optical thickness exhibit an increase in the tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere associated with annual desert dust outbursts and a springtime increase at middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Increased aerosol loads observed at middle latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere are probably associated with higher sea salt particle concentrations. Reliable extension of the retrieval record beyond the NOAA-9 lifetime will help to corroborate these findings.