Search results for "satellite"

Evaluation and comparison of satellite precipitation estimates with reference to a local area in the Mediterranean Sea

2014

Precipitation measurement is a key activity for the analysis of storm processes as well as every hydrological process. Satellite retrieval systems, rain-gauge network and radar systems are complement to each other in terms of their coverage and capability of monitoring precipitation. Satellite rainfall estimates systems produce data with global coverage that can provide information in areas for which data from other sources are unavailable. Without referring to ground measurement, satellite-based estimates can be bias. Although some gauged adjusted satellite precipitation products are developed, an effective way of integrating multi-sources of precipitation information is still a challenge.…

Characterization of the atmosphere during SEN2FLEX 2005 field campaign

2008

The European Space Agency carried out the Sentinel-2 and Fluorescence Experiment (SEN2FLEX) campaign in Barrax (Spain) during the summer of 2005, with the main objective of observe solar induced fluorescence signal using the AirFLEX airborne instrument over different vegetation targets in order to verify signal suitability for observations from space as proposed in the FLEX mission. A highly precise atmospheric correction is mandatory for adequate measurements of the AirFLEX instrument; thus a complete characterization of the atmosphere was programmed in SEN2FLEX in order to document the presence of atmospheric aerosols above the experimental area, as their effects represent the major sourc…

Examining the Effects of Dust Aerosols on Satellite Sea Surface Temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea Using the Medspiration Matchup Database

2011

Abstract Dust aerosol plumes from the Sahara cover the Mediterranean Sea regularly during the summer months (June–August) and occasionally during other seasons. Dust can absorb infrared longwave radiation, thus causing a drop in sea surface temperature (SST) retrievals from satellite. To quantify the magnitude of this absorption and to understand the sources of the biases that might be introduced when trying to validate SST algorithms with in situ bulk temperatures, the effects of the dust absorption are studied using the Medspiration Match-up Database. This database provides in situ and satellite SSTs derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and the Advanced Along-…

Long-term (1995-2018) aerosol optical depth derived using ground based AERONET and SKYNET measurements from aerosol aged-background sites

2019

Abstract We examined long-term aerosol optical depth (AOD) trends over 53 sites across the globe which comprise 49 sites from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and 4 sites from the Sky radiometer Network (SKYNET) during 1995–2018. Most of these sites are located in remote and isolated aged-background regions, and few are in urban/semi-urban sites having averaged AOD ∼0.1 at 500 nm. These selected sites have a global distribution including tropical, mid-latitudes, high-latitudes and Polar regions. Among them, there are 14 high-altitude stations (∼1028–5050 m amsl), including Himalayan and Polar regions. The main objective of the present work is to evaluate the AOD trends over the aged-ba…

2015

Abstract. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) trend between 2001 and 2010 is estimated globally and regionally from observations and results from simulations with the EMAC (ECHAM5/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry) model. Although interannual variability is applied only to anthropogenic and biomass-burning emissions, the model is able to quantitatively reproduce the AOD trends as observed by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) satellite sensor, while some discrepancies are found when compared to MISR (Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer) and SeaWIFS (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor) observations. Thanks to an additional simulation without any change in emissions, it is s…

MINISAT-01: Hybrid satellite for science and technology

2003

Abstract The MINISAT-01 is a good example of a small hybrid space mission for science and technology. The MINISAT-01 main goal was to prove the Spanish industrial capability to develop a space mission including flight hardware, ground segment support, launch and operations. MINISAT-01 science was addressed to perform astronomical observations and microgravity experiments. The Payload has also a hybrid character. It is a combination of a previously flown experiment on fluid mechanics in microgravity (CPLM), a fully developed astronomical far-ultraviolet spectroscope (EURD) and a demonstrator of technology for a gamma-ray imagers (LEGRI). A small experiment to deploy systems in space was also…

Foam effect on the sea surface emissivity in the 8–14μm region

2007

[1] The effect of foam on the sea surface emission has been studied in the microwave region, but its effect on thermal infrared emissivity and temperature has not been sufficiently analyzed in the literature. This paper presents thermal infrared measurements of foam-covered seawaters carried out under controlled conditions using a multichannel radiometer working in the 8–14 μm region. The experimental data show a negligible foam effect at low observation angles but a significant increase of emissivity with foam at angles above 45°. Differences between foam and foam-free emissivities are about +0.04 for observation angles of 65°, depending slightly on the radiometric spectral band. The effec…

Meteorological conditions during the ACLOUD/PASCAL field campaign near Svalbard in early summer 2017

2018

Abstract. The two concerted field campaigns, Arctic CLoud Observations Using airborne measurements during polar Day (ACLOUD) and the Physical feedbacks of Arctic planetary boundary level Sea ice, Cloud and AerosoL (PASCAL), took place near Svalbard from 23 May to 26 June 2017. They were focused on studying Arctic mixed-phase clouds and involved observations from two airplanes (ACLOUD), an icebreaker (PASCAL) and a tethered balloon, as well as ground-based stations. Here, we present the synoptic development during the 35-day period of the campaigns, using near-surface and upper-air meteorological observations, as well as operational satellite, analysis, and reanalysis data. Over the campaign…

Carbon Stocks in Peri-Urban Areas: A Case Study of Remote Sensing Capabilities

2014

Peri-urban areas are the extension of cities into contiguous areas, where households and farms coexist. Carbon stocks (CSs) assessment, a concept here extended to urban features, has not yet been studied in depth over peri-urban areas due to uncertainties in such CSs quantification, level of detail required about construction materials, and the high spatial variability of those stocks. Remote sensing (RS)-based techniques have been successfully utilized in urban areas for assessing phenomena such as soil sealing, sprawl patterns, and dynamics of surface imperviousness, especially focusing on land cover classification at high to medium spatial scales. Over the floodplain study area of Emilia…

Monitoring daily evapotranspiration at a regional scale from Landsat-TM and ETM+ data: Application to the Basilicata region

2008

Summary The increasing interest of hydrological, climatic and meteorological models in the different components of the surface energy balance has encouraged the development of operational methods for estimating surface energy fluxes at a regional scale. In this paper, a sequence of three high-resolution satellite-based surface energy fluxes images are analyzed over an extensive area with a large variety of land uses. Two images from Landsat 7-ETM+ (1999, 2002) and one from Landsat 5-TM (2004) are collected covering the whole Basilicata region (Southern Italy). A Simplified version of a Two-Source Energy Balance (STSEB) model is used to retrieve the surface sensible heat flux. A balance betw…