 This paper examined two methods for correcting atmospheric effects in optical remote sensing satellite data. The first method used spectral information to estimate the aerosol optical thickness, AOD, while the second used temporal information to estimate the AOD. Both methods were then combined to create a more accurate and robust estimate of the AOD. The results showed that the combined method was able to produce more accurate and reliable estimates of the AOD than either method alone. This article was authored by Olivier Hegel, Mary Huck, David Villa Pascual, and others.