Multi-Sensor Retrieval of Aerosol Optical Properties for Near-Real-Time Applications Using the Metop Series of Satellites: Concept, Detailed Description, and First Validation

The Polar Multi-Sensor Aerosol product (PMAp) is based on the synergistic use of three instruments from the Metop platform, GOME-2, AVHRR, and IASI. The retrieval algorithm includes three major steps: a pre-identification of the aerosol class, a selection of the aerosol model, and a calculation of the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD). This paper provides a detailed description of the PMAp retrieval, which combines information provided by the three instruments. The retrieved AOD is qualitatively evaluated, and a good temporal as well as spatial performance is observed, including for the transition between ocean and land. More quantitatively, the performance is evaluated by comparison to AERONET in situ measurements. Very good consistency is also observed when compared to other space-based data such as MODIS or VIIRS. The paper demonstrates the ability of this first generation of synergistic products to derive reliable AOD, opening the door for the development of synergistic products from the instruments to be embarked on the coming Metop Second Generation platform. PMAp has been operationally distributed in near-real-time since 2014 over ocean, and 2016 over land.

Accuracy estimation of two global burned area products at national scale

In this work we perform an initial assessment of the accuracy of two publicly available MODIS burned area products, MCD64A1 C6 and MODIS FireCCI51, at national scale in a Mediterranean region. The research focused on two fire seasons for the years 2016 and 2017 and comparison was performed against a higher resolution Sentinel-2 dataset. The specific objectives were to assess their capabilities in detection of fire events occurring primarily in forest and semi-natural lands and also to investigate their spatial uncertainties. The analysis combined monthly fire observations and accuracy metrics derived from error matrices. Satisfactory performance was achieved by the two products in detection of larger fires (> 100 ha) whereas their spatial performance exhibited good agreement with the reference data. MCD64A1 C6 exhibited a more consistent performance overall and the 250 m FireCCI51 product exhibited relatively higher sensitivity in detection of smaller (<100 ha) fires. Although additional work is required for a more rigorous assessment of the variability of these burned area products, our research has implications for their usability in fire-related applications at finer scales.

Preliminary assessment for sub-seasonal to seasonal precipitation model on four specific conditions over western Indonesia

Preliminary assessment of sub-seasonal to seasonal reforecast precipitation model (S2S) was conducted to analyze the model's performance over western Indonesia on four conditions. The ECMWF S2S model was compared to quality controlled daily precipitation data from 645 observation points over the region. The control and perturbed model for the first three time steps and the last three were utilized to obtain the best performance comparison. The analysis was conducted in monthly period, MJO events, NCS events, and when both of them were active during period of November-December-January-February (NDJF) from 1998 to 2017. The results show that the first three time steps perform much better than the last one with a slightly higher correlation coefficient from the control model with relatively similar RMSE in Natuna Islands. Spatial analysis indicates that both of the control and perturbed models can catch the variation brought by the wet season in the NDJF period, by the MJO, show a hint of NCS effect, and the combination when MJO and NCS were active at the same time. The models can depict the precipitation pattern pretty well with the tendency to overestimate low rainfall intensity and underestimate the high one. The models relatively overestimate the intensity in Sumatra for the whole period. Meanwhile, consistently good spatial performance is shown by the models over Java, both in NDJF periods or MJO events.

Reflections on the Spatial Performance of Atom Probe Tomography in the Analysis of Atomic Neighborhoods

Atom probe tomography (APT) is often introduced as providing “atomic-scale” mapping of the composition of materials and as such is often exploited to analyze atomic neighborhoods within a material. Yet quantifying the actual spatial performance of the technique in a general case remains challenging, as it depends on the material system being investigated as well as on the specimen's geometry. Here, by using comparisons with field-ion microscopy experiments, field-ion imaging and field evaporation simulations, we provide the basis for a critical reflection on the spatial performance of APT in the analysis of pure metals, low alloyed systems and concentrated solid solutions (i.e., akin to high-entropy alloys). The spatial resolution imposes strong limitations on the possible interpretation of measured atomic neighborhoods, and directional neighborhood analyses restricted to the depth are expected to be more robust. We hope this work gets the community to reflect on its practices, in the same way, it got us to reflect on our work.

Intelligence Beliefs Predict Spatial Performance in Virtual Environments and Graphical Creativity Performance

Although intelligence beliefs have been applied to explain the influence of cognition, behavior, and creativity, the research on creativity is still limited. Therefore, in order to effectively expand the understanding of the influence of intelligence beliefs on the creative performance of learners’ graphics, the implicit theories of intelligence were exploited as the basis of this study. Three hypothetical pathways were proposed to be explored, and a research model was validated. First- and second-year students from a technical high school in New Taipei City were invited to participate. There were 273 valid data (88.9% of complete data). Reliability and validity analyses were performed, as well as overall model fit analysis and research model validation, and descriptive statistical analysis of the learners’ performance in applying the operational virtual reality (VR). The results of this study showed that: (1) Incremental beliefs of aesthetic intelligence had a positive effect on spatial performance; (2) entity belief of spatial intelligence (EBSI) had a negative effect on spatial performance; and (3) spatial performance had a positive effect on graphical design performance. From the results, it is clear that design teachers can assess students’ implicit beliefs in the early stages of teaching to actively promote better spatial performance when students show high levels of entity beliefs.

Differences in Technical Development and Playing Space in Three UEFA Champions Leagues

The analysis of football grows exponentially, with many researchers adopting it as an object of study. The thematic range that addresses it, as well as the different methodologies used, are of a very different nature—physical, psychological, technical, tactical—enriching every day the knowledge, and understanding of the game itself. The objective of this study has been to identify the differences between the different styles of play that lead to becoming the champion of the UEFA Champions League in the last 3 years of the pre-COVID stage, by analyzing the spatial performance developed, the association between the players that make up the different lines of the game system and the analysis of the various technical actions that are developed to carry out the offensive phase of each team. For this, the Observational Methodology and two types of analysis have been used: quantitative, by calculating X2, and qualitative, by applying the Polar Coordinates technique. The results obtained show the relationship that is established between the different lines that make up the offensive systems of the champion teams of this competition, as well as the relationship of significance that is established between the use of space—width and depth—and the technical means used to achieve success, the goal.