Understanding aerosols optical properties over the oceans is vital for enhancing our knowledge of aerosol effects on climate and pollutant transport between continents. In this study, the characteristics of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) at 500 nm (${\tau }_{500\mathrm{nm}}$), Ångström exponent for the wavelength pair 440–870 nm (α) and volume size distribution (VSD), are presented and analyzed over the East China seas based on the observations at four AERONET sites during 1999–2019. The main results are: (1) the mean ${\tau }_{500\mathrm{nm}}$ (α) value ranged from 0.31 to 0.36 (1.17–1.31); (2) the distribution of ${\tau }_{500\mathrm{nm}}$ (α) is similar to a log-normal distribution with a right-skewed long tail larger than 0.5 (closer to the normal distribution); (3) large AOT (${\tau }_{500\mathrm{nm}}>0.6$) was frequently observed in summer (June and July) and spring (March to May), followed by autumn and winter; (4) all aerosol types were observed, and urban/industrial aerosols and mixed types were dominant throughout the period. The atmospheric column aerosol was characterized by a bimodal lognormal size distribution with a fine mode at effective radius, Reff = 0.16 ± 0.01 μm, and coarse mode at Reff = 2.05 ± 0.1 μm.

Accurate and consistent observations of diurnal variability of sea surface temperature (SST DV) and its impact on air–sea heat fluxes over large areas for extended periods are challenging due to their short time scale and wide coverage. The hourly gap-free SSTs generated from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency-Japan Agency for Marine–Earth Science and Technology (JAXA-JAMSTEC) are input to the COARE3.5 bulk flux algorithm to investigate the impact of SST DV on air–sea heat fluxes over the Northwest Pacific Ocean (NWPO). The main results are as follows. (1) The JAXA-JAMSTEC SSTs were found to be in good agreement with the buoy observations on SST DV with a very slight negative bias of −0.007 °C and a root mean square error of 0.018 °C. (2) The case study conducted on 26 June 2020 showed that the fluxes’ diurnal amplitudes were about 30–50 ${\mathrm{W} \mathrm{m}}^{-2}$, and evolution was in agreement with SST DV. (3) The average impact of SST DV on heat fluxes was 2.93 ${\mathrm{W} \mathrm{m}}^{-2}$ over the subtropical NWPO, decreasing from southeast to northwest and from low to high latitudes, and showing a clear seasonal cycle during 2019–2022. This research highlights the need to consider SST DV for accurate estimation of heat fluxes, which is crucial for climate and atmospheric studies.

Six years of hourly aerosol optical thickness (AOT) data retrieved from Himawari-8 were used to investigate the spatial and temporal variations, especially diurnal variations, of aerosols over the China Seas. First, the Himawari-8 AOT data were consistent with the AERONET measurements over most of the China Seas, except for some coastal regions. The spatial feature showed that AOT over high latitude seas was generally larger than over low latitude seas, and it is distributed in strips along the coastline and decreases gradually with increasing distance from the coastline. AOT undergoes diurnal variation as it decreases from 9:00 a.m. local time, reaching a minimum at noon, and then begins to increase in the afternoon. The percentage daily departure of AOT over the East China Seas generally ranged ±20%, increasing sharply in the afternoon; however, over the northern part of the South China Sea, daily departure reached a maximum of >40% at 4:00 p.m. The monthly variation in AOT showed a pronounced annual cycle. Seasonal variations of the spatial pattern showed that the largest AOT was usually observed in spring and varies in other seasons for different seas.

Extending instantaneous latent heat flux to daily, monthly, or even yearly evapotranspiration (ET) is a fundamental issue in using remote sensing to estimate ET at local and regional scales. In this study, the extending parameterizations of the surface energy balance of a mid-latitude grassland with shallow water table (SWT) at diurnal and seasonal time scales are examined based on data measured by the eddy covariance system and automated weather station from Wageningen University from June 2014 to October 2018. The results show that the ratio of turbulent heat flux to available surface energy (often called budget closure rate) ranges between 0.86 and 0.93 for warm times (March to October), and between 0.59 and 0.77 for cold times (November to February the following year). The parameterization models used to approximate the surface albedo and evaporative fraction (EF) are also evaluated. Although obvious variation under clear skies during daytime are observed, the constant EF and albedo method provided an acceptable estimation of the daily scale ET with an underestimation of about 6–8% for the grassland with SWT and parameterization of diurnal correction shows little improvement in both the bias and RMSE. The progression of daily ET shows a seasonal cycle, which follows the variation of the net radiation flux. These results will be helpful for estimating ET at daily and long temporal scales based on satellite remote sensing.

To sustain ecosystem development, ecosystem quality reflects the basic capabilities of ecosystems. This study used a three-layer analysis method to explain seismic ecological effects and reveal the evolution mechanism. The results are as follows: (1) The north had better vegetation growth and quality than the south, west, and east based on basic characteristics; In terms of stability characteristics, vegetation growth in the north is better than that in the south, and vegetation quality in the south is better than that in the north; In addition, in terms of restoration degree, both vegetation growth and vegetation quality have been restored. (2) A change in the ecosystem pattern is the root cause of ecosystem quality changes. (3) Ecological effect evolution has the following aspects. The spatial and temporal changes of background change: the urban area increased by 0.82%, while the grassland and farmland areas decreased by 0.76% and 0.68%, respectively. The heterogeneity of the background is reflected in the landscape pattern: the completion of the forest is reduced, the fragmentation is increased, the actual situation is not improved despite the increase of forest area, and the living space provided for species is reduced. The background evolution is reflected in the correlation: the forest has a strong promoting force to the ecosystem change, while the city restrains the development of the ecosystem. (4) The background evolution is reflected in the coupling relationship: although the coupling relationship has fluctuations, it is in a benign change. The calculation presented in this paper is rational and objective, reflecting the evolution of ecosystems.

This study focuses on deriving the total absorption coefficients based on field measurements and satellite data. An extended quasi−analytical algorithm (QAA−GRI) was developed based on the two in situ datasets collected from inland waters of Lake Qiandaohu (QDH) and oceanic waters of the East China Sea (ECS). The key model between absorption coefficients at 510 nm ($a(510)$) and green red index ($GRI$) was established using power function in the extended QAA−GRI algorithm. The results reveal that the extended QAA−GRI algorithm performs better than the original quasi−analytical algorithm (QAA−v5) and Garver–Siegel–Maritorena’s algorithm (GSM), and the red–green quasi−analytical algorithm (QAA−RGR), at least for the two in situ datasets from the ECS and QDH. For QAA−GRI, the averaged mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) value of retrieved versus in situ total absorption coefficients is approximately 20%. Subsequently, the extended QAA−GRI algorithm was applied to the OLCI satellite imagery, which is the new successor of MERIS with three specific bands (510, 560, and 620 nm). The implementation of the extended QAA−GRI algorithm on OLCI imagery yielded similar results comparable to that of the QAA−v5 in the ECS region. Furthermore, the application of the algorithm on seasonal and annual MERIS satellite imagery help clarify the combined influences from Yangtze River discharge and coastal currents on the distribution of total absorption in the ECS waters. This study suggests that the extended QAA−GRI algorithm is an alternative for retrieving total absorption coefficient, although it is not recommended for highly turbid waters.