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At least 289 records · Page 16

Measuring Gap Fraction, Element Clumping Index and LAI in Sierra Forest Stands Using a Full-Waveform Ground-Based Lidar

The Echidna Validation Instrument (EVI), a ground-based, near-infrared (1064 nm) scanning lidar, provides gap fraction measurements, element clumping index measurements, effective leaf area index (LAIe) and leaf area index (LAI) measurements that are statistically similar to those from hemispherical photos. In this research, a new method integrating the range dimension is presented for retrieving element clumping index using a unique series of images of gap probability (Pgap) with range from EVI. From these images, we identified connected gap components and found the approximate physical, rather than angular, size of connected gap component. We conducted trials at 30 plots within six conifer stands of varying height and stocking densities in the Sierra National Forest, CA, in August 2008. The element clumping index measurements retrieved from EVI Pgap image series for the hinge angle region are highly consistent (R2=0.866) with those of hemispherical photos. Furthermore, the information contained in connected gap component size profiles does account for the difference between our method and gap-size distribution theory based method, suggesting a new perspective to measure element clumping index with EVI Pgap image series and also a potential advantage of three dimensional Lidar data for element clumping index retrieval. Therefore further exploration is required for better characterization of clumped condition from EVI Pgap image series.

Zhao, Feng↗

Quantifying Uncertainties in Land Surface Microwave Emissivity Retrievals

Uncertainties in the retrievals of microwave land surface emissivities were quantified over two types of land surfaces: desert and tropical rainforest. Retrievals from satellite-based microwave imagers, including SSM/I, TMI and AMSR-E, were studied. Our results show that there are considerable differences between the retrievals from different sensors and from different groups over these two land surface types. In addition, the mean emissivity values show different spectral behavior across the frequencies. With the true emissivity assumed largely constant over both of the two sites throughout the study period, the differences are largely attributed to the systematic and random errors in the retrievals. Generally these retrievals tend to agree better at lower frequencies than at higher ones, with systematic differences ranging 1~4% (3~12 K) over desert and 1~7% (3~20 K) over rainforest. The random errors within each retrieval dataset are in the range of 0.5~2% (2~6 K). In particular, at 85.0/89.0 GHz, there are very large differences between the different retrieval datasets, and within each retrieval dataset itself. Further investigation reveals that these differences are mostly likely caused by rain/cloud contamination, which can lead to random errors up to 10~17 K under the most severe conditions.

Tian, Yudong↗

Overview of CERES Cloud Properties Derived From VIRS AND MODIS DATA

Simultaneous measurement of radiation and cloud fields on a global basis is recognized as a key component in understanding and modeling the interaction between clouds and radiation at the top of the atmosphere, at the surface, and within the atmosphere. The NASA Clouds and Earth s Radiant Energy System (CERES) Project (Wielicki et al., 1998) began addressing this issue in 1998 with its first broadband shortwave and longwave scanner on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). This was followed by the launch of two CERES scanners each on Terra and Aqua during late 1999 and early 2002, respectively. When combined, these satellites should provide the most comprehensive global characterization of clouds and radiation to date. Unfortunately, the TRMM scanner failed during late 1998. The Terra and Aqua scanners continue to operate, however, providing measurements at a minimum of 4 local times each day. CERES was designed to scan in tandem with high resolution imagers so that the cloud conditions could be evaluated for every CERES measurement. The cloud properties are essential for converting CERES radiances shortwave albedo and longwave fluxes needed to define the radiation budget (ERB). They are also needed to unravel the impact of clouds on the ERB. The 5-channel, 2-km Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS) on the TRMM and the 36-channel 1-km Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Terra and Aqua are analyzed to define the cloud properties for each CERES footprint. To minimize inter-satellite differences and aid the development of useful climate-scale measurements, it was necessary to ensure that each satellite imager is calibrated in a fashion consistent with its counterpart on the other CERES satellites (Minnis et al., 2006) and that the algorithms are as similar as possible for all of the imagers. Thus, a set of cloud detection and retrieval algorithms were developed that could be applied to all three imagers utilizing as few channels as possible while producing stable and accurate cloud properties. This paper discusses the algorithms and results of applying those techniques to more than 5 years of Terra MODIS, 3 years of Aqua MODIS, and 4 years of TRMM VIRS data.

Minis, Patrick↗

Atmospheric Pre-Corrected Differential Absorption Techniques to Retrieve Columnar Water Vapor: Theory and Simulations

Two different approaches exist to retrieve columnar water vapor from imaging spectrometer data: (1) Differential absorption techniques based on: (a) Narrow-Wide (N/W) ratio between overlapping spectrally wide and narrow channels; (b) Continuum Interpolated Band Ratio (CIBR) between a measurement channel and the weighted sum of two reference channels. (2) Non-linear fitting techniques which are based on spectral radiative transfer calculations. The advantage of the first approach is computational speed and of the second, improved retrieval accuracy. Our goal was to improve the accuracy of the first technique using physics based on radiative transfer. Using a modified version of the Duntley equation, we derived an "Atmospheric Pre-corrected Differential Absorption" (APDA) technique and described an iterative scheme to retrieve water vapor on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Next we compared both, the CIBR and the APDA using the Duntley equation for MODTRAN3 computed irradiances, transmissions and path radiance (using the DISORT option). This simulation showed that the CIBR is very sensitive to reflectance effects and that the APDA performs much better. An extensive data set was created with the radiative transfer code 6S over 379 different ground reflectance spectra. The calculated relative water vapor error was reduced significantly for the APDA. The APDA technique had about 8% (vs. over 35% for the CIBR) of the 379 spectra with a relative water vapor error of greater than +5%. The APDA has been applied to 1991 and 1995 AVIRIS scenes which visually demonstrate the improvement over the CIBR technique.

Borel, Christoph C.↗

Using Satellites to Investigate the Sensitivity of Longwave Downward Radiation to Water Vapor at High Elevations

Many studies suggest that high-elevation regions may be among the most sensitive to future climate change. However, in situ observations in these often remote locations are too sparse to determine the feedbacks responsible for enhanced warming rates. One of these feedbacks is associated with the sensitivity of longwave downward radiation (LDR) to changes in water vapor, with the sensitivity being particularly large in many high-elevation regions where the average water vapor is often low. We show that satellite retrievals from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) can be used to expand the current ground-based observational database and that the monthly averaged clear-sky satellite estimates of humidity and LDR are in good agreement with the well-instrumented Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies ground-based site in the southwestern Colorado Rocky Mountains. The relationship between MODIS-retrieved precipitable water vapor and surface specific humidity across the contiguous United States was found to be similar to that previously found for the Alps. More important, we show that satellites capture the nonlinear relationship between LDR and water vapor and confirm that LDR is especially sensitive to changes in water vapor at high elevations in several midlatitude mountain ranges. Because the global population depends on adequate fresh water, much of which has its source in high mountains, it is critically important to understand how climate will change there. We demonstrate that satellites can be used to investigate these feedbacks in high-elevation regions where the coverage of surface-based observations is insufficient to do so.

Naud, Catherine M.↗

MODIS Retrieval of Dust Aerosol

The MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) currently aboard both the Terra and Aqua satellites produces a suite of products designed to characterize global aerosol distribution, optical thickness and particle size. Never before has a space-borne instrument been able to provide such detailed information, operationally, on a nearly global basis every day. The three years of Terra-MODIS data have been validated by comparing with co-located AERONET observations of aerosol optical thickness and derivations of aerosol size parameters. Some 8000 comparison points located at 133 AERONET sites around the globe show that the MODIS aerosol optical thickness retrievals are accurate to within the pre-launch expectations. However, the validation in regions dominated by desert dust is less accurate than in regions dominated by fine mode aerosol or background marine sea salt. The discrepancy is most apparent in retrievals of aerosol size parameters over ocean. In dust situations, the MODIS algorithm tends to under predict particle size because the reflectances at top of atmosphere measured by MODIS exhibit the stronger spectral signature expected by smaller particles. This pattern is consistent with the angular and spectral signature of non-spherical particles. All possible aerosol models in the MODIS Look-Up Tables were constructed from Mie theory, assuming a spherical shape. Using a combination of MODIS and AERONET observations, in regimes dominated by desert dust, we construct phase functions, empirically, with no assumption of particle shape. These new phase functions are introduced into the MODIS algorithm, in lieu of the original options for large dust-like particles. The results will be analyzed and examined.

Remer, Lorraine A.↗

Derivation of a New Smoke Emissions Inventory using Remote Sensing, and Its Implications for Near Real-Time Air Quality Applications

A new emissions inventory of particulate matter (PM) is being derived mainly from remote sensing data using fire radiative power (FRP) and aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrievals from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, as well as wind data from the Modern Era Retrospective-Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalysis dataset, which spans the satellite era. This product is generated using a coefficient of emission, C(sub e), that has been produced on a 1x1 degree global grid such that, when it is multiplied with satellite measurements of FRP or its time-integrated equivalent fire radiative energy (FRE) retrieved over a given area and time period, the corresponding PM emissions are estimated. This methodology of using C(sub e) to derive PM emissions is relatively new and advantageous for near real-time air quality applications compared to current methods based on post-fire burned area that may not provide emissions in a timely manner. Furthermore, by using FRP to characterize a fire s output, it will represent better accuracy than the use of raw fire pixel counts, since fires in individual pixels can differ in size and strength by orders of magnitude, resulting in similar differences in emission rates. Here we will show examples of this effect and how this new emission inventory can properly account for the differing emission rates from fires of varying strengths. We also describe the characteristics of the new emissions inventory, and propose the process chain of incorporating it into models for air quality applications.

Ellison, Luke↗

Simultaneous Characterization of Wildfire Smoke and Surface Properties With Imaging Spectroscopy During the FIREX-AQ Field Campaign

We introduce and evaluate an approach for the simultaneous retrieval of aerosol and surface properties from Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer Classic (AVIRIS-C) data collected during wildfires. The joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality field campaign took place in August 2019, and involved two aircraft and coordinated ground-based observations. The AVIRIS-C instrument acquired data from onboard NASA's high altitude ER-2 research aircraft, coincident in space and time with aerosol observations obtained from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) DRAGON mobile platform in the smoke plume downwind of the Williams Flats Fire in northern Washington in August 2019. Observations in this smoke plume were used to assess the capacity of optimal-estimation based retrievals to simultaneously estimate aerosol optical depth (AOD) and surface reflectance from Visible Shortwave Infrared (VSWIR) imaging spectroscopy. Radiative transfer modeling of the sensitivities in spectral information collected over smoke reveal the potential capacity of high spectral resolution retrievals to distinguish between sulfate and smoke aerosol models, as well as sensitivity to the aerosol size distribution. Comparison with ground-based AERONET observations demonstrates that AVIRIS-C retrievals of AOD compare favorably with direct sun AOD measurements. Our analyses suggest that spectral information collected from the full VSWIR spectral interval, not just the shortest wavelengths, enables accurate retrievals. We use this approach to continuously map both aerosols and surface reflectance at high spatial resolution across heterogeneous terrain, even under relatively high AOD conditions associated with wildfire smoke.

FIREX-AQ↗

Resolution Enhancement of Spaceborne Radiometer Images

Our progress over the last year has been along several dimensions: 1. Exploration and understanding of Earth Observatory System (EOS) mission with available data from NASA. 2. Comprehensive review of state of the art techniques and uncovering of limitations to be investigated (e.g. computational, algorithmic ...). and 3. Preliminary development of resolution enhancement algorithms. With the advent of well-collaborated satellite microwave radiometers, it is now possible to obtain long time series of geophysical parameters that are important for studying the global hydrologic cycle and earth radiation budget. Over the world's ocean, these radiometers simultaneously measure profiles of air temperature and the three phases of atmospheric water (vapor, liquid, and ice). In addition, surface parameters such as the near surface wind speed, the sea surface temperature, and the sea ice type and concentration can be retrieved. The special sensor microwaves imager SSM/I has wide application in atmospheric remote sensing over the ocean and provide essential inputs to numerical weather-prediction models. SSM/I data has also been used for land and ice studies, including snow cover classification measurements of soil and plant moisture contents, atmospheric moisture over land, land surface temperature and mapping polar ice. The brightness temperature observed by SSM/I is function of the effective brightness temperature of the earth's surface and the emission scattering and attenuation of the atmosphere. Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) is a new instrument that will measure the earth radiation over the spectral range from 7 to 90 GHz. Over the world's ocean, it will be possible to retrieve the four important geographical parameters SST, wind speed, vertically integrated water vapor, vertically integrated cloud liquid water L.

Krim, Hamid↗

Evaluating the Contribution of NASA Remotely-Sensed Data Sets on a Convection-Allowing Forecast Model

The Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center is a collaborative partnership between NASA and operational forecasting partners, including a number of National Weather Service forecast offices. SPoRT provides real-time NASA products and capabilities to help its partners address specific operational forecast challenges. One challenge that forecasters face is using guidance from local and regional deterministic numerical models configured at convection-allowing resolution to help assess a variety of mesoscale/convective-scale phenomena such as sea-breezes, local wind circulations, and mesoscale convective weather potential on a given day. While guidance from convection-allowing models has proven valuable in many circumstances, the potential exists for model improvements by incorporating more representative land-water surface datasets, and by assimilating retrieved temperature and moisture profiles from hyper-spectral sounders. In order to help increase the accuracy of deterministic convection-allowing models, SPoRT produces real-time, 4-km CONUS forecasts using a configuration of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model (hereafter SPoRT-WRF) that includes unique NASA products and capabilities including 4-km resolution soil initialization data from the Land Information System (LIS), 2-km resolution SPoRT SST composites over oceans and large water bodies, high-resolution real-time Green Vegetation Fraction (GVF) composites derived from the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, and retrieved temperature and moisture profiles from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). NCAR's Model Evaluation Tools (MET) verification package is used to generate statistics of model performance compared to in situ observations and rainfall analyses for three months during the summer of 2012 (June-August). Detailed analyses of specific severe weather outbreaks during the summer will be presented to assess the potential added-value of the SPoRT datasets and data assimilation methodology compared to a WRF configuration without the unique datasets and data assimilation.

Zavodsky, Bradley T.↗

Aerosol Lidar and MODIS Satellite Comparisons for Future Aerosol Loading Forecast

Knowledge of the concentration and distribution of atmospheric aerosols using both airborne lidar and satellite instruments is a field of active research. An aircraft based aerosol lidar has been used to study the distribution of atmospheric aerosols in the California Central Valley and eastern US coast. Concurrently, satellite aerosol retrievals, from the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites, were take over the Central Valley. The MODIS Level 2 aerosol data product provides retrieved ambient aerosol optical properties (e.g., optical depth (AOD) and size distribution) globally over ocean and land at a spatial resolution of 10 km. The Central Valley topography was overlaid with MODIS AOD (5x5 sq km resolution) and the aerosol scattering vertical profiles from a lidar flight. Backward air parcel trajectories for the lidar data show that air from the Pacific and northern part of the Central Valley converge confining the aerosols to the lower valley region and below the mixed layer. Below an altitude of 1 km, the lidar aerosol and MODIS AOD exhibit good agreement. Both data sets indicate a high presence of aerosols near Bakersfield and the Tehachapi Mountains. These and other results to be presented indicate that the majority of the aerosols are below the mixed layer such that the MODIS AOD should correspond well with surface measurements. Lidar measurements will help interpret satellite AOD retrievals so that one day they can be used on a routine basis for prediction of boundary layer aerosol pollution events.

DeYoung, Russell↗

Quantifying Uncertainties in Land-Surface Microwave Emissivity Retrievals

Uncertainties in the retrievals of microwaveland-surface emissivities are quantified over two types of land surfaces: desert and tropical rainforest. Retrievals from satellite-based microwave imagers, including the Special Sensor Microwave Imager, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Microwave Imager, and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System, are studied. Our results show that there are considerable differences between the retrievals from different sensors and from different groups over these two land-surface types. In addition, the mean emissivity values show different spectral behavior across the frequencies. With the true emissivity assumed largely constant over both of the two sites throughout the study period, the differences are largely attributed to the systematic and random errors inthe retrievals. Generally, these retrievals tend to agree better at lower frequencies than at higher ones, with systematic differences ranging 1%-4% (3-12 K) over desert and 1%-7% (3-20 K) over rainforest. The random errors within each retrieval dataset are in the range of 0.5%-2% (2-6 K). In particular, at 85.5/89.0 GHz, there are very large differences between the different retrieval datasets, and within each retrieval dataset itself. Further investigation reveals that these differences are most likely caused by rain/cloud contamination, which can lead to random errors up to 10-17 K under the most severe conditions.

Land-Surface↗

Comparative Analysis of Empirical and Machine Learning Models for Chla Extraction Using Sentinel-2 and Landsat OLI Data: Opportunities, Limitations, and Challenges

Remote retrieval of near-surface chlorophyll-a (Chla) concentration in small inland waters is challenging due to substantial optical interferences of various water constituents and uncertainties in the atmospheric correction (AC) process. Although various algorithms have been developed to estimate Chla from moderate-resolution terrestrial missions (∼10–60 m), the production of both accurate distribution maps and time series of Chla has proven challenging, limiting the use of remote analyses for lake monitoring. Here, we develop a support vector regression (SVR) model, which uses satellite-derived remote-sensing reflectance spectra () from Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 images as input for Chla retrieval in a representative eutrophic prairie lake, Buffalo Pound Lake (BPL), Saskatchewan, Canada. Validated against in situ Chla from seven ice-free seasons (N ∼ 200; 2014–2020), the SVR model outperformed both locally tuned, -fed empirical models (Normalized Difference Chlorophyll Index, 2- and 3-band, and OC3) and Mixture Density Networks (MDNs) by 15–65%, while exhibiting comparable performance to a locally trained MDN, with an error of ∼35%. Comparison of Chla retrieval models, AC processors (iCOR, ACOLITE), and radiometric products (Rayleigh-corrected, surface, and top-of-atmosphere reflectance) showed that the best Chla maps and optimal time series (up to 100 mg m−3) were produced using a coupled SVR-iCOR system.

algal blooms↗

Assimilating GCOM-W AMSR2 Radiance Data in Future GEOS Reanalysis

Surface and atmospheric radiation are being measured by space-borne conical scanning microwave radiometers with high accuracy and spatial resolution since 1980s'. These radiometers include Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) onboard various NOAA's polar-orbiting satellites, Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) onboard Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites, and Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E), Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2), Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI), and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) onboard NASA and JAXA's satellites. Atmospheric temperature, humidity, clouds, and precipitation are retrieved using brightness temperature data at frequencies between 22 GHz – 183 GHz. Some of the brightness temperature and retrieved rain rate data made by these imagers are assimilated in NASA Global Modelling and Assimilation Office (GMAO)'s weather and climate data sets including the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) and its version 2 (MERRA-2) data sets. However, those radiance data are assimilated with the Goddard Earth Observing System model, version 5 (GEOS-5) only in clear-sky conditions. Recently, we started assimilate GPM/GMI radiance data with GEOS-5's atmospheric data assimilation system GSI under all-sky conditions in order to have better constraints in analyzed hydrological properties. GMAO plans to assimilate more microwave radiometers' brightness temperature data in its analyses. In this talk, we will discuss TMI and AMSR2 data's impact in temperature, humidity, clouds and precipitation under all-sky conditions in future GEOS reanalysis.

Jin, Jianjun↗

Expert systems and imaging - NASA's start-up work in intelligent image management

The problem of image management for NASA's Space Shuttle program and the future role of expert systems are considered. The difficulties involved in the storage and retrieval of the estimated 100,000 color photographs used for verification of essential installation, test, and repair procedures for Space Shuttle prelaunch are discussed. It is noted that the collection, classification, storage, and retrieval of high-quality pictoral images is possible through the use of pixels and an expert systems-assisted relational data base management system. The development of a query by pictorial example process is discussed. The NASA Intelligent Interactive Visual Data Base Management Systems project is detailed. It aims to conduct a systems analysis of a large-scale traditional image processing operation, collect data on critical human performance factors in the areas of image creation, processing, classification, storage, and retreival, and validate the attributes identified through the creation and testing of prototype models.

Ragusa, James M.↗

Integrating Chlorophyll fapar and Nadir Photochemical Reflectance Index from EO-1/Hyperion to Predict Cornfield Daily Gross Primary Production

The concept of light use efficiency (Epsilon) and the concept of fraction of photosynthetically active ration (PAR) absorbed for vegetation photosynthesis (PSN), i.e., fAPAR (sub PSN), have been widely utilized to estimate vegetation gross primary productivity (GPP). It has been demonstrated that the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) is empirically related to ε. An experimental US Department of Agriculture (USDA) cornfield in Maryland was selected as our study field. We explored the potential of integrating fAPAR(sub chl) (defined as the fraction of PAR absorbed by chlorophyll) and nadir PRI (PRI(sub nadir)) to predict cornfield daily GPP. We acquired nadir or near-nadir EO-1/Hyperion satellite images that covered the cornfield and took nadir in-situ field spectral measurements. Those data were used to derive the PRI(sub nadir) and fAPAR (sub chl). The fAPAR (sub chl) is retrieved with the advanced radiative transfer model PROSAIL2 and the Metropolis approach, a type of Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation procedure. We define chlorophyll light use efficiency Epsilon (sub chl) as the ratio of vegetation GPP as measured by eddy covariance techniques to PAR absorbed by chlorophyll (Epsilon(sub chl) = GPP/APAR (sub chl). Daily Epsilon (sub chl) retrieved with the EO-1 Hyperion images was regressed with a linear equation of PRI (sub nadir) Epsilon (sub chl) = Alpha × PRI (sub nadir) + Beta). The satellite Epsilon(sub chl- PRI (sub nadir) linear relationship for the cornfield was implemented to develop an integrated daily GPP model [GPP = (Alpha × PRI(sub nadir) + Beta) × fAPAR (sub chl) × PAR], which was evaluated with fAPAR (sub chl) and PRI (sub nadir) retrieved from field measurements. Daily GPP estimated with this fAPAR (sub chl-) PRI (nadir) integration model was strongly correlated with the observed tower in-situ daily GPP (R(sup 2) = 0.93); with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.71 g C mol−(sup -1) PPFD and coefficient of variation (CV) of 16.57%. Both seasonal Epsilon (sub chl) and PRI (sub nadir) were strongly correlated with fAPAR (sub chl ) retrieved from field measurements, which indicates that chlorophyll content strongly affects seasonal epsilon (sub chl) and PRI (sub nadir). We demonstrate the potential capacity to monitor GPP with space-based visible through shortwave infrared (VSWIR) imaging spectrometers such as NASA's soon to be decommissioned EO- 1/Hyperion and the future Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI).

HyspIRI↗

Comparison of DMSP SSM/I and Landsat 7 ETM+ Sea Ice Concentrations During Summer Melt

As part of NASA's EOS Aqua sea ice validation program for the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) images were acquired to develop a sea ice concentration data set with which to validate AMSR-E sea ice concentration retrievals. The standard AMSR-E Arctic sea ice concentration product will be obtained with the enhanced NASA Team (NT2) algorithm. The goal of this study is to assess the accuracy to which the NT2 algorithm, using DMSP Special Sensor Microwave Imager radiances, retrieves sea ice concentrations under summer melt conditions. Melt ponds are currently the largest source of error in the determination of Arctic sea ice concentrations with satellite passive microwave sensors. To accomplish this goal, Landsat 7 ETM+ images of Baffin Bay were acquired under clear sky conditions on the 26th and 27th of June 2000 and used to generate high-resolution sea ice concentration maps with which to compare the NT2 retrievals. Based on a linear regression analysis of 116 25-km samples, we find that overall the NT2 retrievals agree well with the Landsat concentrations. The regression analysis yields a correlation coefficient of 0.98. In areas of high melt ponding, the NT2 retrievals underestimate the sea ice concentrations by about 12% compared to the Landsat values.

Cavalieri, Donald J.↗