Thermal inertia mapping from NOAA-AVHRR data

Abstract This paper presents a method to retrieve thermal inertia from NOAA-AVHRR data. The method, based on Xue and Cracknell's model (1992), involves using the phase angle information of the diurnal surface temperature change. The method needs three different NOAA overpasses of the same area throughout a single diurnal cycle. To apply this method we present a methodology that takes into account satellite calibrations, viewing geometry and correction of atmospheric effects. The advantage is that it does not need other data than the ones supplied by the satellite. Finally, we present the preliminary results obtained using the proposed method and the methodology for AVHRR data over the Iberi…