Downloading AOD values using Google Earth Engine

Question

I have been working with GEE to get retrievals AOD values from MCD19A2.006: Terra & Aqua MAIAC. I've seen in some code that I can give it a scale, or the best pixel quality to download data. But so far, I couldn't understand the meaning of scale and how to give a code to get the best quality.

Also in the user's guide presents a table with two columns (valid range and scale). So, that's why I am confused, because when I'm using scale, I don't know if it's refers to the valid range or scale.

> var  maiac_aod_prj = function(image) {   var im = image.select(0);  
> return image.reproject({
>     crs: maiac_aod_cal2016.first().projection(),
>     scale: 1000})}; //--> I am refering to this scale, if I change the value, data change too.

Answer 1

Here is the solution

// import data
var AOD = ee.ImageCollection("MODIS/006/MCD19A2_GRANULES");

// Define dates
var iniDate = ee.Date.fromYMD(2019,11,1);
var endDate = ee.Date.fromYMD(2019,12,31);

// bands
var modisBands = ['Optical_Depth_055'];


// helper function to extract the QA bits
function getQABits(image, start, end, newName) {
    // Compute the bits we need to extract.
    var pattern = 0;
    for (var i = start; i <= end; i++) {
       pattern += Math.pow(2, i);
    }
    // Return a single band image of the extracted QA bits, giving the band
    // a new name.
    return image.select([0], [newName])
                  .bitwiseAnd(pattern)
                  .rightShift(start);
}

// A function to mask out cloudy pixels.
function maskQuality(image) {
  // Select the QA band.
  var QA = image.select('AOD_QA');
  // Get the internal_cloud_algorithm_flag bit.
  var internalQuality = getQABits(QA,8, 11, 'internal_quality_flag');
  // Return an image masking out cloudy areas.
  return image.updateMask(internalQuality.eq(0));
}

// create cloud free composite
var AODmaskQ = AOD.filter(ee.Filter.or(
  ee.Filter.date('2019-01-01', '2019-02-01'),
  ee.Filter.date('2019-11-01', '2020-01-01')
  ))
                             .map(maskQuality)
                             .select(modisBands)
                             .filterBounds(geometry);

// create composite with quality assurance (without clouds) 
var AODwithoutmask = AOD.filter(ee.Filter.or(
  ee.Filter.date('2019-01-01', '2019-02-01'),
  ee.Filter.date('2019-11-01', '2020-01-01')
  ))
                             .select(modisBands)
                             .filterBounds(geometry);


// vis parameters
var viz = {
  min: 0,
  max: 350,
  bands:['Optical_Depth_055'],
  palette: ['black', 'blue', 'purple', 'cyan', 'green', 'yellow', 'red']
};
var composite1 = AODmaskQ.mean().clip(geometry)
var composite2 = AODwithoutmask.mean().clip(geometry)

// add the cloud free composite
Map.addLayer(composite1,viz,'Quality mask');
Map.setCenter(-46.63203, -23.55221, 9);
// add the cloud composite
Map.addLayer(composite2,viz,'Without mask');
Map.setCenter(-46.63203, -23.55221, 9);
var AOD_mean = AODmaskQ.map(function(img) {
   return img.reduceRegions({
       collection: geometry, 
       reducer: ee.Reducer.mean(),
        scale: 1000,
     }).map(function(f){
         return f.set('date', img.date());
     });
 }).flatten();
 
 Export.image.toDrive({
   image:AODmaskQ.mean(), 
   description: 'geometry',
   scale: 1000,
   region:geometry 
      });
 
 Export.table.toDrive({ 
   collection:AOD_mean.filter(ee.Filter.notNull(["mean"])),
   folder: "Google EE results",
   description: 'RMSP mask', 
   selectors:([          
     "date",          
     "mean"
     ]),
   });