scholarly journals The remote sensing of radiative forcing by light-absorbing particles (LAPs) in seasonal snow over northeastern China

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (15) ◽  
pp. 9949-9968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Pu ◽  
Jiecan Cui ◽  
Tenglong Shi ◽  
Xuelei Zhang ◽  
Cenlin He ◽  
...  

Abstract. Light-absorbing particles (LAPs) deposited on snow can decrease snow albedo and affect climate through snow-albedo radiative forcing. In this study, we use MODIS observations combined with a snow-albedo model (SNICAR – Snow, Ice, and Aerosol Radiative) and a radiative transfer model (SBDART – Santa Barbara DISORT Atmospheric Radiative Transfer) to retrieve the instantaneous spectrally integrated radiative forcing at the surface by LAPs in snow (RFMODISLAPs) under clear-sky conditions at the time of MODIS Aqua overpass across northeastern China (NEC) in January–February from 2003 to 2017. RFMODISLAPs presents distinct spatial variability, with the minimum (22.3 W m−2) in western NEC and the maximum (64.6 W m−2) near industrial areas in central NEC. The regional mean RFMODISLAPs is ∼45.1±6.8 W m−2 in NEC. The positive (negative) uncertainties of retrieved RFMODISLAPs due to atmospheric correction range from 14 % to 57 % (−14 % to −47 %), and the uncertainty value basically decreases with the increased RFMODISLAPs. We attribute the variations of radiative forcing based on remote sensing and find that the spatial variance of RFMODISLAPs in NEC is 74.6 % due to LAPs and 21.2 % and 4.2 % due to snow grain size and solar zenith angle. Furthermore, based on multiple linear regression, the BC dry and wet deposition and snowfall could explain 84 % of the spatial variance of LAP contents, which confirms the reasonability of the spatial patterns of retrieved RFMODISLAPs in NEC. We validate RFMODISLAPs using in situ radiative forcing estimates. We find that the biases in RFMODISLAPs are negatively correlated with LAP concentrations and range from ∼5 % to ∼350 % in NEC.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Pu ◽  
Jiecan Cui ◽  
Tenglong Shi ◽  
Xuelei Zhang ◽  
Cenlin He ◽  
...  

Abstract. Light-absorbing particles (LAPs) deposited on snow can decrease snow albedo and affect climate through the snow-albedo radiative forcing. In this study, we use MODIS observations combined with a snow albedo model (SNICAR) and a radiative transfer model (SBDART) to retrieve the radiative forcing by LAPs in snow (RFLapsMODIS) across Northeastern China (NEC) in January–February from 2003 to 2017. RFLapsMODIS presents distinct spatial variability, with the minimum (22.3 W m−2) in western NEC and the maximum (64.6 W m−2) near industrial areas in central NEC. The regional mean RFLapsMODIS is ~ 45.1 ± 6.8 W m−2 in NEC. The positive (negative) uncertainties of retrieved RFLapsMODIS due to atmospheric correction range from 14 % to 57 % (−14 % to −47 %) and the uncertainty value basically decreased with the increased RFLapsMODIS. We attribute the variations of radiative forcing based on remote sensing and find that the spatial variance of RFLapsMODIS in NEC is 74.6 % due to LAPs, while 21.2 % and 4.2 % due to snow grain size, and solar zenith angle. Furthermore, based on multiple linear regression, the BC dry and wet deposition and snowfall could totally explain 81 % of the spatial variance of LAP contents, which confirms the reasonability of the spatial patterns of retrieved RFLapsMODIS in NEC. We validate RFLapsMODIS using in situ radiative forcing estimates. We find that the biases in RFLapsMODIS are negatively correlated with LAP concentrations and range from ~ 5 % to ~ 350 % in NEC.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał T. Chiliński ◽  
Marek Ostrowski

Abstract Remote sensing from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) has been gaining popularity in the last few years. In the field of vegetation mapping, digital cameras converted to calculate vegetation index (DCVI) are one of the most popular sensors. This paper presents simulations using a radiative transfer model (libRadtran) of DCVI and NDVI results in an environment of possible UAS flight scenarios. The analysis of the results is focused on the comparison of atmosphere influence on both indices. The results revealed uncertainties in uncorrected DCVI measurements up to 25% at the altitude of 5 km, 5% at 1 km and around 1% at 0.15 km, which suggests that DCVI can be widely used on small UAS operating below 0.2 km.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filippo Calì Quaglia ◽  
Daniela Meloni ◽  
Alcide Giorgio di Sarra ◽  
Tatiana Di Iorio ◽  
Virginia Ciardini ◽  
...  

<p>Extended and intense wildfires occurred in Northern Canada and, unexpectedly, on the Greenlandic West coast during summer 2017. The thick smoke plume emitted into the atmosphere was transported to the high Arctic, producing one of the largest impacts ever observed in the region. Evidence of Canadian and Greenlandic wildfires was recorded at the Thule High Arctic Atmospheric Observatory (THAAO, 76.5°N, 68.8°W, www.thuleatmos-it.it) by a suite of instruments managed by ENEA, INGV, Univ. of Florence, and NCAR. Ground-based observations of the radiation budget have allowed quantification of the surface radiative forcing at THAAO. </p><p>Excess biomass burning chemical tracers such as CO, HCN, H2CO, C2H6, and NH3 were  measured in the air column above Thule starting from August 19 until August 23. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) reached a peak value of about 0.9 on August 21, while an enhancement of wildfire compounds was  detected in PM10. The measured shortwave radiative forcing was -36.7 W/m2 at 78° solar zenith angle (SZA) for AOD=0.626.</p><p>MODTRAN6.0 radiative transfer model (Berk et al., 2014) was used to estimate the aerosol radiative effect and the heating rate profiles at 78° SZA. Measured temperature profiles, integrated water vapour, surface albedo, spectral AOD and aerosol extinction profiles from CALIOP onboard CALIPSO were used as model input. The peak  aerosol heating rate (+0.5 K/day) was  reached within the aerosol layer between 8 and 12 km, while the maximum radiative effect (-45.4 W/m2) is found at 3 km, below the largest aerosol layer.</p><p>The regional impact of the event that occurred on August 21 was investigated using a combination of atmospheric radiative transfer modelling with measurements of AOD and ground surface albedo from MODIS. The aerosol properties used in the radiative transfer model were constrained by in situ measurements from THAAO. Albedo data over the ocean have been obtained from Jin et al. (2004). Backward trajectories produced through HYSPLIT simulations (Stein et al., 2015) were also employed to trace biomass burning plumes.</p><p>The radiative forcing efficiency (RFE) over land and ocean was derived, finding values spanning from -3 W/m2 to -132 W/m2, depending on surface albedo and solar zenith angle. The fire plume covered a vast portion of the Arctic, with large values of the daily shortwave RF (< -50 W/m2) lasting for a few days. This large amount of aerosol is expected to influence cloud properties in the Arctic, producing significant indirect radiative effects.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1817-1824
Author(s):  
Kuijun Wu ◽  
Weiwei He ◽  
Yutao Feng ◽  
Yuanhui Xiong ◽  
Faquan Li

Abstract. The O2(a1Δg) emission near 1.27 µm is well-suited for remote sensing of global wind and temperature in near-space by limb-viewing observations to its bright signal and extended altitude coverage. However, vibrational–rotational emission lines of the OH dayglow produced by the hydrogen–ozone reaction (H+O3→OH•+O2) overlap the infrared atmospheric band emission (a1Δg→X3Σg) of O2. The main goal of this paper is to discuss the effect of OH emission on the wind and temperature measurements derived from the 1.27 µm O2 dayglow limb-viewing observations. The O2 dayglow and OH dayglow spectrum over the spectral region and altitude range of interest is calculated by using the line-by-line radiative transfer model and the most recent photochemical model. The method of four-point sampling of the interferogram and sample results of measurement simulations are provided for both O2 dayglow and OH dayglow. It is apparent from the simulations that the presence of OH dayglow as an interfering species decreases the wind and temperature accuracy at all altitudes, but this effect can be reduced considerably by improving OH dayglow knowledge.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 2752
Author(s):  
Christopher O. Ilori ◽  
Anders Knudby

Physics-based radiative transfer model (RTM) inversion methods have been developed and implemented for satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB); however, precise atmospheric correction (AC) is required for robust bathymetry retrieval. In a previous study, we revealed that biases from AC may be related to imaging and environmental factors that are not considered sufficiently in all AC algorithms. Thus, the main aim of this study is to demonstrate how AC biases related to environmental factors can be minimized to improve SDB results. To achieve this, we first tested a physics-based inversion method to estimate bathymetry for a nearshore area in the Florida Keys, USA. Using a freely available water-based AC algorithm (ACOLITE), we used Landsat 8 (L8) images to derive per-pixel remote sensing reflectances, from which bathymetry was subsequently estimated. Then, we quantified known biases in the AC using a linear regression that estimated bias as a function of imaging and environmental factors and applied a correction to produce a new set of remote sensing reflectances. This correction improved bathymetry estimates for eight of the nine scenes we tested, with the resulting changes in bathymetry RMSE ranging from +0.09 m (worse) to −0.48 m (better) for a 1 to 25 m depth range, and from +0.07 m (worse) to −0.46 m (better) for an approximately 1 to 16 m depth range. In addition, we showed that an ensemble approach based on multiple images, with acquisitions ranging from optimal to sub-optimal conditions, can be used to estimate bathymetry with a result that is similar to what can be obtained from the best individual scene. This approach can reduce time spent on the pre-screening and filtering of scenes. The correction method implemented in this study is not a complete solution to the challenge of AC for satellite-derived bathymetry, but it can eliminate the effects of biases inherent to individual AC algorithms and thus improve bathymetry retrieval. It may also be beneficial for use with other AC algorithms and for the estimation of seafloor habitat and water quality products, although further validation in different nearshore waters is required.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roshanak Darvishzadeh ◽  
Tiejun Wang ◽  
Andrew Skidmore ◽  
Anton Vrieling ◽  
Brian O’Connor ◽  
...  

The Sentinel satellite fleet of the Copernicus Programme offers new potential to map and monitor plant traits at fine spatial and temporal resolutions. Among these traits, leaf area index (LAI) is a crucial indicator of vegetation growth and an essential variable in biodiversity studies. Numerous studies have shown that the radiative transfer approach has been a successful method to retrieve LAI from remote-sensing data. However, the suitability and adaptability of this approach largely depend on the type of remote-sensing data, vegetation cover and the ecosystem studied. Saltmarshes are important wetland ecosystems threatened by sea level rise among other human- and animal-induced changes. Therefore, monitoring their vegetation status is crucial for their conservation, yet few LAI assessments exist for these ecosystems. In this study, the retrieval of LAI in a saltmarsh ecosystem is examined using Sentinel-2 and RapidEye data through inversion of the PROSAIL radiative transfer model. Field measurements of LAI and some other plant traits were obtained during two succeeding field campaigns in July 2015 and 2016 on the saltmarsh of Schiermonnikoog, a barrier island of the Netherlands. RapidEye (2015) and Sentinel-2 (2016) data were acquired concurrent to the time of the field campaigns. The broadly employed PROSAIL model was inverted using two look-up tables (LUTs) generated in the spectral band’s settings of the two sensors and in which each contained 500,000 records. Different solutions from the LUTs, as well as, different Sentinel-2 spectral subsets were considered to examine the LAI retrieval. Our results showed that generally the LAI retrieved from Sentinel-2 had higher accuracy compared to RapidEye-retrieved LAI. Utilising the mean of the first 10 best solutions from the LUTs resulted in higher R2 (0.51 and 0.59) and lower normalised root means square error (NRMSE) (0.24 and 0.16) for both RapidEye and Sentinel-2 data respectively. Among different Sentinel-2 spectral subsets, the one comprised of the four near-infrared (NIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) spectral bands resulted in higher estimation accuracy (R2 = 0.44, NRMSE = 0.21) in comparison to using other studied spectral subsets. The results demonstrated the feasibility of broadband multispectral sensors, particularly Sentinel-2 for retrieval of LAI in the saltmarsh ecosystem via inversion of PROSAIL. Our results highlight the importance of proper parameterisation of radiative transfer models and capacity of Sentinel-2 spectral range and resolution, with impending high-quality global observation aptitude, for retrieval of plant traits at a global scale.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 904-927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Usman A. Zahidi ◽  
Ayan Chatterjee ◽  
Peter W. T. Yuen

The application of Empirical Line Method (ELM) for hyperspectral Atmospheric Compensation (AC) premises the underlying linear relationship between a material’s reflectance and appearance. ELM solves the Radiative Transfer (RT) equation under specialized constraint by means of in-scene white and black calibration panels. The reflectance of material is invariant to illumination. Exploiting this property, we articulated a mathematical formulation based on the RT model to create cost functions relating variably illuminated regions within a scene. In this paper, we propose multi-layered regression learning-based recovery of radiance components, i.e., total ground-reflected radiance and path radiance from reflectance and radiance images of the scene. These decomposed components represent terms in the RT equation and enable us to relate variable illumination. Therefore, we assume that Hyperspectral Image (HSI) radiance of the scene is provided and AC can be processed on it, preferably with QUick Atmospheric Correction (QUAC) algorithm. QUAC is preferred because it does not account for surface models. The output from the proposed algorithm is an intermediate map of the scene on which our mathematically derived binary and multi-label threshold is applied to classify shadowed and non-shadowed regions. Results from a satellite and airborne NADIR imagery are shown in this paper. Ground truth (GT) is generated by ray-tracing on a LIDAR-based surface model in the form of contour data, of the scene. Comparison of our results with GT implies that our algorithm’s binary classification shadow maps outperform other existing shadow detection algorithms in true positive, which is the detection of shadows when it is in ground truth. It also has the lowest false negative i.e., detecting non-shadowed region as shadowed, compared to existing algorithms.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simonetta Paloscia ◽  
Paolo Pampaloni ◽  
Emanuele Santi

This work presents an overview of the potential of microwave indices obtained from multi-frequency/polarization radiometry in detecting the characteristics of land surfaces, in particular soil covered by vegetation or snow and agricultural bare soils. Experimental results obtained with ground-based radiometers on different types of natural surfaces by the Microwave Remote Sensing Group of IFAC-CNR starting from ‘80s, are summarized and interpreted by means of theoretical models. It has been pointed out that, with respect to single frequency/polarization observations, microwave indices revealed a higher sensitivity to some significant parameters, which characterize the hydrological cycle, namely: soil moisture, vegetation biomass and snow depth or snow water equivalent. Electromagnetic models have then been used for simulating brightness temperature and microwave indices from land surfaces. As per vegetation covered soils, the well-known tau-omega (τ-ω) model based on the radiative transfer theory has been used, whereas terrestrial snow cover has been simulated using a multi-layer dense-medium radiative transfer model (DMRT). On the basis of these results, operational inversion algorithms for the retrieval of those hydrological quantities have been successfully implemented using multi-channel data from the microwave radiometric sensors operating from satellite.


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