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At least 541 records · Page 30

Comprehensive Understanding for Vegetated Scene Radiance Relationships

The improvement of our fundamental understanding of the dynamics of directional scattering properties of vegetation canopies through analysis of field data and model simulation data is discussed. Directional reflectance distributions spanning the entire existance hemisphere were measured in two field studies; one using a Mark III 3-band radiometer and one using rapid scanning bidirectional field instrument called PARABOLA. Surfaces measured included corn, soybeans, bare soils, grass lawn, orchard grass, alfalfa, cotton row crops, plowed field, annual grassland, stipa grass, hard wheat, salt plain shrubland, and irrigated wheat. Some structural and optical measurements were taken. Field data show unique reflectance distributions ranging from bare soil to complete vegetation canopies. Physical mechanisms causing these trends are proposed based on scattering properties of soil and vegetation. Soil exhibited a strong backscattering peak toward the Sun. Complete vegetation exhibited a bowl distribution with the minimum reflectance near nadir. Incomplete vegetation canopies show shifting of the minimum reflectance off of nadir in the forward scattering direction because both the scattering properties or the vegetation and soil are observed.

Kimes, D. S.↗

A new algorithm for tuning of computed radiances for HIRS2/MSU

Small biases of the order of 1 C exist in brightness temperatures computed for a number of atmospheric sounding channels using radiosonde reports of atmospheric temperature humidity profile compared to those of collocated HIRS2/MSU observations on TIROS N. These biases are attributed to errors in the computed atmospheric transmittances functions. Channel dependent empirical tuning coefficients were found such that the biases in the channel brightness temperatures are removed if the transmittances used to calculate these brightness temperatures are modified. Possible shortcomings of this method are that some of the bias errors may be due to instrumental calibration problems and that the part that is computational may not be of the form assumed in the equation used. Form of tuning was implemented in the calculation which has the potential of distinguishing between calibration and calculation errors and is also computationally faster and more easily vectorizable.

Susskind, J.↗

Statistical analysis and use of the VAS radiance data

Special radiosonde soundings at 75 km spacings and 3 hour intervals provided an opportunity to learn more about mesoscale data and storm-environment interactions. Relatively small areas of intense convection produce major changes in surrounding fields of thermodynamic, kinematic, and energy variables. The Red River Valley tornado outbreak was studied. Satellite imagery and surface data were used to specify cloud information needed in the radiative heating/cooling calculations. A feasibility study for computing boundary layer winds from satellite-derived thermal data was completed. Winds obtained from TIROS-N retrievals compared very favorably with corresponding values from concurrent rawisonde thermal data, and both sets of thermally-derived winds showed good agreements with observed values.

Fuelberg, H. E.↗

Scan angle dependence of radiance recorded by the NOAA-AVHRR

NOAA-AVHRR data is being used to monitor global vegetation type and condition and to study various environmental factors in addition to performance of meteorological functions. The AVHRR instrument has + or - 54 deg as maximum scan angle limits and it is necessary to be aware of the effects of sun-target-sensor geometry at extreme scan angles to be able to properly interpret the satellite images. In order to interpret the images for vegetation type and condition analysis, it is necessary to calibrate back to the nadir view position. Both simulation studies and empirical investigations with digital scanner data have been performed in order to sufficiently understand the effects of scan angle and sun angle, as well as the effects of atmospheric scattering, to eventually perform adequate calibrations. Not surprisingly, the effects are large and studies are continuing to provide improved calibrations.

Duggin, M. J.↗

Sea surface temperatures from Nimbus-7 SMMR radiances

Global displays of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) from the Nimbus-7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) are obtained with spatial sampling intervals as small as 50 km rather than the 150 km spacing normally used for such retrievals. An example is illustrated using a composite global SMMR data set for January 1979, a preliminary version of the SST retrieval algorithm, and a sampling interval of 100 km. The results were found to be in qualitative agreement with in situ and climatic data, insofar as such comparisons were attempted. In addition to the expected climatic patterns, the global oceanic isotherms contain oscillations that are clearly not instrumental but geophysical in nature.

Gloersen, P.↗

Using the solar elevation angle and radiance conversion to normalize forest spectral signatures

A number of spectral signals associated with forest cover were selected in order to test the usefulness of adjustments to Landsat MSS digital count values. The signatures were taken from 26 independent regional land cover inventories in the northeastern US. A regression analysis was conducted which revealed a significant relationship between digital count values and variation in the solar elevation angles in MSS bands four, six, and seven for deciduous forests and in all MSS bands for conifers. When signatures were adjusted for solar elevation angles and MSS sensor calibration differences, the dependence on solar elevation angle was reduced. The adjustments also significantly reduced the variance with Level II forest categories among scenes.

Middleton, E. M.↗

A laboratory investigation of the variability of cloud reflected radiance fields

A method to determine the radiative properties of complex cloud fields was developed. A Cloud field optical simulator (CFOS) was constructed to simulate the interaction of cloud fields with visible radiation. The CFOS was verified by comparing experimental results from it with calculations performed with a Monte Carlo radiative transfer model. A software library was developed to process, reduce, and display CFOS data. The CFSOS was utilized to study the reflected radiane patterns from simulated cloud fields.

Mckee, T. B.↗

Inferring hemispherical reflectance of the earth's surface for global energy budgets from remotely sensed nadir or directional radiance values

The relationship between directional reflectances spanning the entire reflecting hemisphere and hemispherical reflectance (albedo) and the effect of solar zenith angle and cover type on these relationships were investigated, using the results obtained from NOAA's 7/8 AVHRR ground-level reflectance measurements. Bands 1 (0.58-0.6B microns) and 2 (0.73-1. 1 microns) were used for reflectance measurements of 11 natural vegetation surfaces ranging from bare soils to dense vegetation canopies. The results show that errors in inferring hemispherical reflectance from nadir reflectance can be between 11 and 45 percent for all cover types and solar angles, depending on the viewing angles. A technique is described in which a choice of two specific view angles reduces this error to less than 6 percent for both bands and for all sun angles and cover types.

Kimes, D. S.↗

A sphere-scanning radiometer for rapid directional measurements of sky and ground radiance

The development of the Portable Apparatus for Rapid Acquisition of Bidirectional Observations of the Land and Atmosphere (PARABOLA) and a transportable platform system is examined. The PARABOLA is a three channel rotating head radiometer which samples in 15 deg instantaneous field-of-view sectors using a sensor head, data recording unit, and an internal power pack. The composition and operation of the sensor scan, data, and power systems are described. The calibration and laboratory testing of the instrument is discussed. The field testing of a tripod-and-boom mount apparatus, a boom-equipped instrument van, and a hot-air balloon mount, in order to select the proper support device for the PARABOLA sensor head is analyzed. The design and functions of the Transportable Pickup Mount System, which is a lightweight, collapsible boom apparatus, are described.

Deering, D. W.↗

Field-of-view effects in estimating precipitation from satellite microwave radiances

A one-dimensional cloud model for predicting precipitation is examined. The relation between the averaged brightness temperature and the rainfall rate for various microwave frequencies and field-of-view (FOVs) is studied. The model is utilized to simulate the rainfall rate and brightness temperature data for 19 GHz, a 30 km FOV, 37 GHz, and a combination of IR and microwave data. The data produced by the simulations are described and analyzed.

Adler, Robert F.↗

Explicit solution of the spectral radiance in integrating spheres with application to the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment ground calibration

An explicit solution of the spectral radiation leaving an arbitrary point on the wall of a spherical cavity with diffuse reflectivity is obtained. A general measurement equation is obtained that describes the output of a sensor measuring the sphere output within a given field of view and with specified angular and spectral responses. The results are applied to the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) integrating sphere. It is shown that by using appropriate interpretation and processing, a high-accuracy shortwave calibration of the ERBE sensors can be achieved.

Halyo, Nesim↗

Spatial and temporal variability of VAS radiance measurements by structure and correlation analysis

The statistical structure function analysis presently applied to VISSR Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) measurements has been extended to include time, and yields structure plots in either two spatial dimensions or one spatial dimension and time that indicate three-dimensional measurement variability. The analyses that include time as a coordinate also yield an indication of the mean speed and direction of the analyzed data. Results for three-hourly VAS data indicate that sampling at a high, approximately 1-hour, frequency is required in order to correctly monitor VAS measurements' temporal variability in a way equivalent to high spatial resolution.

Hillger, Donald W.↗

Tropical synoptic composites in VAS, OLR, and TOVS radiance data

The horizontal structure of specific tropical synoptic features is compared with that of a zonal ITCZ. Consideration is given to the two different appearances of the ITCZ: a weakly convective zonally symmetric state, and a locally synoptically-active convective state. Particular attention is given to the ways in which various satellite systems view these distinctive states.

Mcguirk, James P.↗

Airborne lidar/radiometric measurements of cirrus cloud parameters and their application to LOWTRAN radiance evaluations

SRI has assembled an airborne lidar/radiometric instrumentation suite for mapping cirrus cloud distribution and analyzing cirrus cloud optical properties. Operation of upward viewing infrared radiometers from an airborne platform provides the optimum method of measuring high altitude cold cloud radiative properties with minimum interference from the thermal emission by the earth's surface and lower atmospheric components. Airborne installed sensors can also operate over large regional areas including water, urban, and mountain surfaces and above lower atmospheric convective clouds and haze layers. Currently available sensors installed on the SRI Queen Air aircraft are illustrated. Lidar and radiometric data records are processed for real time viewing on a color video screen. A cirrus cloud data example is presented as a black and white reproduction of a color display of data at the aircraft altitude of 12,000 ft, the 8 to 14 micron atmospheric radiation background was equivalent to a blackbody temperature of about -60 C and, therefore, the radiometer did not respond strongly to low density cirrus cloud concentrations detected by the lidar. Cloud blackbody temperatures (observed by radiometer) are shown plotted against midcloud temperatures (derived from lidar observed cloud heights and supporting temperature profiles) for data collected on 30 June and 28 July.

Uthe, Edward E.↗

SSM/I radiances correlated with 15 minute rain gauge data

The relationship between rain rate and the 85.5 and 37 GHz brightness temperature (BT) observations of the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) is examined to develop a BT-rain rate relationship for quantitative mapping of global precipitation using SSM/I data. SSM/I observations of a long-lived rain event over the south-central U.S. in 1987 are compared with digitized rain gage data from the National Climate Data Center. The results show that, for the squall line system studied, the rain gage amounts were well correlated with SSM/I polarization corrected 85.5 GHz BT.

Spencer, Roy W.↗