A multidimensional comparison between MODIS and VIIRS AOD in estimating ground-level PM2.5 concentrations over a heavily polluted region in China.

Satellite-derived aerosol optical depth (AOD) has been proven effective for estimating ground-level particles with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5μm (PM2.5) concentrations. Using a time fixed effects regression model, we compared the capacity of two AOD sources, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), to estimate ground-level PM2.5 concentrations over a heavily polluted region in China. Regarding high-quality AOD data, the results show that the VIIRS model performs better than the MODIS model with respect to all model accuracy evaluation indexes (e.g., the coefficient of determination, R(2), of the VIIRS and MODIS models are 0.76 and 0.71 during model fitting and 0.72 and 0.66 in cross validation, respectively), the potential for capturing high PM2.5 concentrations, and the precision of annual and seasonal PM2.5 estimates. However, the spatiotemporal coverage of the high-quality VIIRS AOD is inferior to that of the MODIS AOD. We attempted to include medium-quality VIIRS AOD data to eliminate this, while exploring its influence on the performance of the VIIRS model. The results show that it improves the spatiotemporal coverage of the VIIRS AOD dramatically especially in winter, although a decline in model accuracy occurred. Compared to the MODIS model, the VIIRS model with both high-quality and medium-quality AOD data performs comparably or even better with respect to some model accuracy evaluation indexes (e.g., the model overfitting degree of the VIIRS and MODIS models are 7.46% and 5.82%, respectively), the potential for capturing high PM2.5 concentrations, and the precision of annual and seasonal PM2.5 estimates. Nevertheless, the VIIRS models did not perform as well as the MODIS model in summer. This study reveals the advantages and disadvantages of the MODIS and VIIRS AOD in simulating ground-level PM2.5 concentrations, promoting research on satellite-based PM2.5 estimates.