PACE OCI Level-2 Regional Aerosol Index, Unified Aerosol Algorithm (UAA) Data, version 3.1

UVAI is a unitless, semi-quantitative indicator of light-absorbing aerosols (e.g., smoke, mineral dust), sensitive to their amount, altitude, and absorption strength; positive values typically flag absorbing plumes, while values near/below zero indicate weakly or non-absorbing conditions. Common uses include plume detection and tracking, air-quality and climate analyses, and providing aerosol context for ocean-color atmospheric correction; users should apply recommended screening in the file attributes.

Core geophysical variables in this suite include: - NUV_AerosolIndex — Near-UV aerosol index from 0.354/0.388 µm pair (unitless) - NUV_Reflectivity — Near-UV Lambertian equivalent reflectance (LER) at 0.354 and 0.388 µm (unitless) - NUV_Residue — Near-UV LER-based aerosol index from 0.354/0.388 µm pair (unitless)